How to install 2 piece driveshaft with center bearing

[westcoastgrind]

I have a new to me 2012 f150 longwheel base.

After performing tsb to grease slip yoke and slide center bearing rearward, I have a much more anoying shudder anytime I accelerate from a stop.

Seeing as I was very carefully to keep everything indexed, I'm thinking it could be due to me messing with the center bearing.

What is the proper way to install these things? There Is a lot of adjustment in all directions before you bolt it down. Also when I go to torque things down everything shifts, is there a trick to these things?

 

[PontiacHO]

Not 100% familiar with your F150 driveline however on older GM vehicles there were slotted holes to secure the mid-shaft bearing retainer. If you can manage to secure the bolts in the exact same position as before (and there was no prior vibration) you should be good. Most of the time the “clean area” on the slots were covered by the bolts/nuts. If the bearing retainer is where it was, try rotating the rear joint 180 degrees. That sometimes helps. Is the trans mount sagging? That can cause these issues also.

 

[emmett442]

Not sure of these specific setup, but usually there are two variables to pay attention to when reassembling multi piece shafts.

1. Phasing. This will be a concern if there is no master key on the splines between two shafts. The shafts need to be installed in-phase, ujoints at each end of the shafts in the same orientation.
2. Alignment. Usually the carrier bearing retainer is slotted so that it can slide side-to-side. All 3 joints of the two piece driveshaft need to be in horizontal alignment. A stringline helps see this. Slide the carrier bearing one way or the other to achieve.

 

[Marcozi]

Also, at least in bimmers the CSB has to be pre-tensioned.

 

[D60]

If I read correctly OP is saying the bearing also slides fore/aft. I'm not familiar with this setup.

I just replaced the carrier bearing on an '02 Taco last night but the slots only let you go left/right a bit.

 

[westcoastgrind]

Not sure of these specific setup, but usually there are two variables to pay attention to when reassembling multi piece shafts.

1. Phasing. This will be a concern if there is no master key on the splines between two shafts. The shafts need to be installed in-phase, ujoints at each end of the shafts in the same orientation.
2. Alignment. Usually the carrier bearing retainer is slotted so that it can slide side-to-side. All 3 joints of the two piece driveshaft need to be in horizontal alignment. A stringline helps see this. Slide the carrier bearing one way or the other to achieve.

I did mark both ends wirh a paint pen. The end with the slip yoke I was very precise with my line, I'm confident it's in proper phase.

In terms of alignment I am not so sure. I have access to alldata and I have looked at both tsb and removal/installation procedure for driveshaft and there is not specific direction for the bearing. Only mention of positioning is in the tsb and say to sllide it back rearward as far as possible.

There is more than an inch of adjustment fore/after and maybe an inch total side to side.

What I've done since, is to lift up on the drivehsaft and see where the bearing wants to sit naturally then bolt down. Hower due to the floating bolt clips everything shifts when tightened down.


I want ro be clear on your stringline method. Do you tie a string spanning thr length of the shaft and try to get everything as straight as possible?

 

[westcoastgrind]

If I read correctly OP is saying the bearing also slides fore/aft. I'm not familiar with this setup.

I just replaced the carrier bearing on an '02 Taco last night but the slots only let you go left/right a bit.

Yea there is more fore/after ajustment.. the tsb says to slide fully rearward which is easy enough. How did you ajust your side to side? There is not a lot of side to side ajustment on mine, maybe 1/2 from center so 1 inch total. I thought it was irrelevant and that was the job of the ujoints to account for.

 

[D60]

Yea there is more fore/after ajustment.. the tsb says to slide fully rearward which is easy enough. How did you ajust your side to side? There is not a lot of side to side ajustment on mine, maybe 1/2 from center so 1 inch total. I thought it was irrelevant and that was the job of the ujoints to account for.

Eh I just eyeballed it within the mount, but on the Tacoma the mount drops down and is barely wider than the carrier bearing plate, thus it's easy to eyeball the reveal on each side. This assumes the frame is built with the mount mostly in line with the rear pinion (shrug).

Side to side could still be relevant or you wind up with a compound angle. I think this is why manufacturers love rzeppas-- they can be lazy and worry less about alignment of driveline components or even pinion angles.

Still, I wouldn't think a compound angle would cause a clunk off a start. I think your problem is in the slip joint. Can you have a trusted friend power brake it, or maybe even chock the front wheels and apply throttle? Is there axle wrap off the line? If there is axle wrap, can you see the driveshaft length change at all?

I don't know EXACTLY what's happening but I'd like to lay eyes on the d/s as the symptom occurs, if possible

 

[westcoastgrind]

Eh I just eyeballed it within the mount, but on the Tacoma the mount drops down and is barely wider than the carrier bearing plate, thus it's easy to eyeball the reveal on each side. This assumes the frame is built with the mount mostly in line with the rear pinion (shrug).

Side to side could still be relevant or you wind up with a compound angle. I think this is why manufacturers love rzeppas-- they can be lazy and worry less about alignment of driveline components or even pinion angles.

Still, I wouldn't think a compound angle would cause a clunk off a start. I think your problem is in the slip joint. Can you have a trusted friend power brake it, or maybe even chock the front wheels and apply throttle? Is there axle wrap off the line? If there is axle wrap, can you see the driveshaft length change at all?

I don't know EXACTLY what's happening but I'd like to lay eyes on the d/s as the symptom occurs, if possible

This truck does have axle wrap definitely notice it when accelerating hard from low speed. There are many threads of it of people complaining about similar symptoms to mine which are attributed to axle wrap/pinion angle.

I guess it could be the cause. Only reason I am hesitant is that before touching the drive shaft I had zero vibration only clunks, no I have shuddering.. If it where axle wrap you would think in had it before.

 

[D60]

This truck does have axle wrap definitely notice it when accelerating hard from low speed. There are many threads of it of people complaining about similar symptoms to mine which are attributed to axle wrap/pinion angle.

I guess it could be the cause. Only reason I am hesitant is that before touching the drive shaft I had zero vibration only clunks, no I have shuddering.. If it where axle wrap you would think in had it before.

Can you try to approximate original location of carrier bearing and return it there to see if problem persists?