# Drive Shaft Fell Out



## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

So I'm driving my truck down the Garden State Parkway and the drive shaft falls out.


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

holy ****, pinion nut backed off.

any work done on axle , OR. ??


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## Lugnut1968 (Dec 11, 2014)

Well dang man... that is very seldom a good thing there 

Glad you and the folks that were around you were all aight though. I have personally seen some crazy junk happen when one falls out.

I was driving a 24' tandem axle GMC flatbed once that lost it's driveshaft. The bosses figured it would be a good idea to take it from a gas burner to a diesel, but the torque of the diesel caused the driveshaft to twist like a candy cane and it eventually snapped. Unfortunately a trucker behind me took the brunt of it as one of the pieces caught his crossover tube (tube that allows the huge tanks on a semi to stay at about the same level) and he began leaking diesel. We tried to contain it but failed due to the pitch of the road. Of course the EPA considers that a Hazardous Material situation so a large area of dirt had to be dug up... the whole thing was a dang mess


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

I feel ya bro!!


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

wowza-was there a hoop to keep it from hitting the ground?


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Wow  Mine is going in the shop tomorrow. Other end, new yoke.......I've been hearing a clunking noise. 

What' that going to set you back?


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

How much do you put into a 1997 with 150k miles? If there's no internal damage, absolute best case scenario I can imagine is probably $500. But I can easily see $2000. And even then, I'd still have a crappy old truck. I think she's totalled. She's still sitting in my driveway. I'm debating if I even feel like paying for a tow to the shop.


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

Had this happen to me once in FL going around a corner.The rear wheel hit the oil and spun me right over the curb taking out a stop sign. the yoke broke.I went to a place that worked on semi tractors.they welded on a new yoke and rebalanced for a very reasonable price.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

instock said:


> How much do you put into a 1997 with 150k miles? If there's no internal damage, absolute best case scenario I can imagine is probably $500. But I can easily see $2000. And even then, I'd still have a crappy old truck. I think she's totalled. She's still sitting in my driveway. I'm debating if I even feel like paying for a tow to the shop.


I was thinking $500 range at best. Good luck


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## pizalm (Mar 27, 2009)

My buddy just broke the driveshaft on his 2011 f150 and it was around a grand for a new one installed. It shouldn't be to bad if nothing else is damaged. 


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## Frank Castle (Dec 27, 2011)

I had that happen on my 79' Chevy truck a few years back.

I was on the way to a strange Sunday morning job in the middle of nowhere. Nut fell off the pinion gear, pinion drops into spider carriage, locks up rear end at about 35mph. Truck starts sliding left, trailer wants to come around and kiss the truck.

I walked back down the road, found the seal, washer, and nut. Pulled the pinion out of spider carriage, put all the parts back in, put the nut back on. Happened to have gear lube so I topped it off. Drove to job, worked all day, drove it home.

When I got home I pulled the cover off. Inspected to see small nicks in gears. Cleaned out debris, cover back on, filled gear lube. Drove it another 75+ thousand miles.


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## JAH (Jul 27, 2014)

Looks like you have a lot of glitter, thats never a good indicator.


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## aaron_a (Dec 18, 2013)

Oof. I messed up installing a u joint on my old f 150 once and lost a drive shaft on the highway. Luckily I stopped by the time it fell out.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Frank Castle said:


> I had that happen on my *79' Chevy* truck a few years back.
> 
> I was on the way to a strange Sunday morning job in the middle of nowhere. Nut fell off the pinion gear, pinion drops into spider carriage, locks up rear end at about 35mph. Truck starts sliding left, trailer wants to come around and kiss the truck.
> 
> ...



79 FT. :blink: wow that's a long truck...


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## C&C Custom Trim (Apr 20, 2014)

instock said:


> How much do you put into a 1997 with 150k miles? If there's no internal damage, absolute best case scenario I can imagine is probably $500. But I can easily see $2000. And even then, I'd still have a crappy old truck. I think she's totalled. She's still sitting in my driveway. I'm debating if I even feel like paying for a tow to the shop.


Just go to the junkyard and grab a whole rearend, bolt it in. Anything even wrong with the driveshaft? I'd think $500 max, it's a pretty easy swap.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

It's not a Dasani bottle. And I don't think I can fix it with coat hangers. 

I don't know how to change out a rear end, so I'd have to pay for a tow and labor. How much work is it?


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## Frank Castle (Dec 27, 2011)

Are those pieces from the gear teeth or bearings?

If it's bearings, maybe pay someone to fix it. Last one I had overhauled in my *1988* GMC Jimmy was about $1500. I'm sure most of that was labor.

Small chipped teeth on gears, re-assemble add lube and drive until it doesn't work anymore.

Just my .02


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## C&C Custom Trim (Apr 20, 2014)

Honestly I could pick up a rear end for $300, buy new shocks and ubolts for $100 and give some ******* teenager another Hun and a hi lift jack and get it swapped where it sits. 

Find a buddy that can, a complete rear swap is the simplest major repair that can be done. Easy afternoon project, it's four ubolts, two shocks and a brake line. Bleeding the brakes is the only skill required and it's really simple. 

Even if you gotta pay a tow and a shop to install a junkyard rear, that's your next cheapest option. Should still come in under $800 (and that's high). Do this and sell the truck before you scrap it. 

Paying $1500 and hoping you picked a guy that can really do rear ends and not billy toss em in is a whole game in itself.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

I feel your pain. Had mine in the shop three times in two weeks. Would get it back and have to turn around and go right back.


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## JAH (Jul 27, 2014)

Looks like teeth from the spider gears...


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

Not even worth the headache on a $1500 truck. 

My neighborhood shop estimated $600 to $700 for labor. Plus the rear end. Plus other parts. Plus the tow. Plus tax. That's $1300 mimimum if I don't need new brake lines or a new driveshaft or whatever. 

Screw it. Dodge Ram for sale: $400.


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## instock (Nov 17, 2012)

So I got rid of that truck and I got an '05 RAM with 120k. I've had it for about 7 months. Completely different truck. Eight years newer. I'm driving home today and the same thing happens! Driveshaft came right out of the pumpkin! What the....

I found this recall on my truck:

"The problem is... The rear axle pinion nut on your truck may have been built without an adhesive patch on the pinion nut threads. The lack of this adhesive patch could allow the rear axle pinion nut to loosen and/or the rear driveshaft to separate from the rear axle. A loose pinion nut could cause the rear axle to seize and a separated driveshaft could cause a loss of motive power. Either situation could cause a crash without warning." 

Maybe they'll fix it? 

Sheesh. This is ridiculous.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

instock said:


> So I got rid of that truck and I got an '05 RAM with 120k. I've had it for about 7 months. Completely different truck. Eight years newer. I'm driving home today and the same thing happens! Driveshaft came right out of the pumpkin! What the....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If it's a recall they fix for free if it's only a TSB then it comes out of your pocket. 

Did you buy it from a dealer or privately because if it was through the dealer and was only a TSB then I would push them
To fix for free.


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## aaron_a (Dec 18, 2013)

Man, talk about chit luck huh?


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Wow that is bum luck I hope you are under recall for free repair.

Back in the day my first truck was a GMC sierra 1/2 and I had a small lift and big tires on it. It was stick shift and I would break u joints like crazy beating on the thing. When the drive shaft falls out you often have to have it re balanced as well. What a hassle.


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Dude! What the hell?

Either you are the victim of a vicious conspiracy by the fates or it may be time to start questioning your loyalty to Dodge Rams.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

Easy Gibson said:


> Dude! What the hell?
> 
> Either you are the victim of a vicious conspiracy by the fates or it may be time to start questioning your loyalty to Dodge Rams.



My mate has a dodge as a rental at moment. The door panel on drivers side feel off the door the other day. He hates the thing. He said it has a perfect gap though for his sauce dips when he gets fast food. That the only good thing he said about it. He can't wait to get his Ford back.


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

instock said:


> How much do you put into a 1997 with 150k miles? If there's no internal damage, absolute best case scenario I can imagine is probably $500. But I can easily see $2000.


If you have more time than money, see if you can find a truck with the same or a similar rear end that has a blown engine or otherwise being sold for parts. I don't know what brand of truck you're driving but most times you can find something that will fit it from another year or model. e.g. if you have a pickup truck, you might find the that axle you need on van or SUV being advertised on Craigslist. 

The last time I had a situation where I needed a multitude of expensive drivetrain parts for my van, I was able to find a salvaged van in the auction for $200 which was a model year newer.(but essentially the same part numbers) I took the good parts off, put my old/bad parts on it and sold it back in the auction for what I initially paid for it.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Poor Dodge trucks - always been a red-headed stepsister.

We used to have a bunch of Dodge Power Wagons around here, and the joke was that you needed 3 parts books to figure out what each one needed - no two were alike.

In 05, instead of leasing, bought a bunch of Dakota's - helluva deal. Then the starters all started going bad, and they sat in the dealer lots and waited - and waited.

Then there's other things Dodge does that is outstanding - but consistency isn't one of them.

Oh well, its fate is in the hands of the pasta makers now....


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