Driveshaft shudder

[loudes13]

Recently I had a local shop replace the center support bearing on my ’87 325e w 220k miles. The symptoms were vibration and noise, which varied with driveshaft speed between 10-20mph in 1st & 2nd gear.

After they replaced the bearing it doesn’t make any more noise, but some of the vibration is still there. It’s more like a shudder at 15mph in either 1st or 2nd.

I replaced a guibo in an e36, but that ‘felt’ different.

What if the shop didn’t line up the driveshaft correctly? Could that be the cause of the vibration?

[e30 gangsta]

check the torque on all the bolts. Check csb, halfshafts for play, and try replacing the diff bushing. If none of that works take the driveshaft to get balanced. I know what u mean. My csb has broken twice in 1 month. Im getting the same thing. Im almost positive its my driveshaft. Well Good Luck.

[Ryan Stewart]

u-joint, all the way.

[Jand3rson]

u-joint, all the way.

I'm having the EXACT same problem as you, and I just got back not half an hour ago from an independent BMW shop, and he drove my car as well as got it up on the rack, and determined that the u-joints are pretty much toast. In which case, the shaft is going to be replaced. Get ready to drop some green.

[benDASHDASH]

loudes13: Just curious, how much did the shop charge?

[Jand3rson]

Just wanted to add, that if your driveshaft is still the original unit, after 220k miles, you've pretty much gotten all of the life out of it, especially if your u-joints are toasted. You'd be wise to replace it.

[Old'n'Slow]

I just replaced my driveshaft with a rebuild from Portland Driveshaft. I had the same symptom. Bad CSB was actually caused by the old, stiff U-joints, and when I put in a new CSB, I had a terrible vibration. New driveshaft cured it. Man, I didn't know how smooth it could be until now!!!

later..... :D

[e30 gangsta]

is there any visable way to tell the u joints are shot?

[permit]

These vibrations you guys are talking about sound similiar to something I've been feeling in the past 10,000 miles. 1st/2nd gear only, under 3k rpm, vibrations are coming straight from the general diff area. Sound right? If I should only expect 220,000 miles out of the driveshaft, then maybe my 263,100 is stretching it.

[Jand3rson]

I'm also getting my new driveshaft from Driveline Service of Portland, their rebuilds are supposed to exceed OEM quality, I'm pretty excited about it.

Permit, if you're gettind driveline vibrations as well, I'd that that it's probably about time to have the same job done. You're having them at the exct same speed and RPM range as myself, and we determined yesterday that the u joints were the problem, so a new shaft is on order.

[loudes13]

My shudder is defiantly coming from the drivshaft area (not diff) and is only at 12-16 mph in either 1 or 2nd gear.

So I guess the u joints aren't servicable, bummer (alt+p)

To answer the ? about CSB cost, it was around $230-250 (I don't remember exactly) parts & labor. I wasn't doing it on jack stands during the middle of winter!!!

[Ryan Stewart]

That sucks because you cant really blame the mechanic for misdiagnosing it. Its not really easy to see a bad Ujoint until you have it out or start feeling it. The U joint kills the CSB, they replace the CSB, NOW you can feel the bad Ujoint. The sucky part is the shaft comes with a new CSB IIRC.

[Tangent]

I just called to confirm this yesterday: A new driveshaft does indeed come with a new CSB. I'll be picking up my new (OK, rebuilt) driveshaft from Mesa Performance tomorrow. Visually my old DS's u-joints look perfect, but one of them is really stiff and you can feel a 'clicking' when you move it through its range of motion.

This recent experience with a bad u-joint and failing CSB (recent because I took a chance on a used DS. Learn from my mistake and don't bother with a used one) had different symptoms from the first time.

First failure: Started with an odd squeeking noise between 5-15 mph, it almost sounded like my car was attempting to communicate with dolphins. That eventually changed into a light thumping, and then a heavy thumping as if some madman was banging on my driveshaft tunnel with a rubber mallet. The squeeking and thumping were directly proportionate to the amount of throttle used.

This failure: From very near the beginning I noticed the used driveshaft wasn't quite right. I got a light vibration between 15-20 mph, and when decelerating I noticed a very light speed related clicking noise from 10-0. (It had to be very quiet in/around my car for me to be able to hear this) Once again these turned into a squeeking and then a thumping when accelerating between 5-15 mph.

[permit]

So would it be worth going to a BMW performance company to get a better than OEM driveshaft, or just got to an independent BMW shop and get a new stock one?

[loudes13]

How much does one of these rebuilt DS run?