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Posted By: wrcsixeight A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 11th 2017 7:12 am
The rebuilt transmission has about 85K miles on it. It has extra cooling, and extra filtration, and uses the recommended fluid, serviced on a severe schedule.

One front U joint lasted ~45K miles, the most recent is worn and in need of replacement at ~25K miles.
My landlord asked if the output shaft had any play, it does, but it does not leak which he thought unusual, but he is a GM guy.

Can anyone shed some light on this output shaft bushing/seal/replacement procedure, or point me somewhere where I can learn more about it?
Posted By: Reed Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 11th 2017 8:02 am
Factory service manual is good, or the ATSG manual: http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/12400EA.html

Have you had the driveshaft balanced?
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 11th 2017 6:44 pm
I Always seem to forget to look at my FSM before asking questions.

I was intending to get the driveshaft rebalanced and have the shop replace the U joints at the same time, when my landlord asked if the tailshaft was loose/leaking. It is loose.

It is likely Going to be one of those all at once jobs. I obviously cannot balance it myself, but I could do the U joints and perhaps with the right tool, the output yoke bushing/seal, but I think this is a suck it up and pay others task.

My driveshaft is pretty rusty too. I was thinking of turning iron oxide to iron phosphate and painting it while still on the Van, and when they balance it they can just grind through those layers to weld on the weights, and they or I would refinish
Posted By: Reed Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 11th 2017 8:08 pm
The driveline shop I use to rebuild driveshafts repalces the u-joints, balances, and paints the driveshaft all in one operation for about $150. I would check with the shop before spending much time refinishing the paint on the driveshaft.
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 12th 2017 6:31 am
How long ago was that 150$ ?
That seems reasonable.

I was thinking of perhaps just knoking off the loose stuff and painting it with Ospho rust converter but will definitely call first.
Posted By: Wedgy Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 12th 2017 11:14 am
Hey, wrcsixeight,

Oceanside Driveline.

Still there, must be doing something right. They did some work on one of my work trucks, specifics escape me, but they were highly recommended, resonably priced, and did right by me.

Good to hear from you, and Good Wrenching!
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 12th 2017 4:53 pm
Hey Wedgy

Oceanside Driveline rebuilt my junkyard 9.25 Axle a decade ago, and also did my U joints.

The owner retired but I am told they are still top dog in the area doing good work.

Ram4Ever tells me there is no output shaft bushing but a bearing. I'd expect this play from a bearing.


I'll have to call O.D. when I return from the holidays.
Posted By: Reed Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 12th 2017 4:54 pm
The $150 price was a few years ago, but it was also the same price as I paid several years before that. If all they are doing is pressing in new u-joints, spinning the shaft on their balancing machine, cleaning and painting it, there really isn't much labor or material costs. The shop I go to is right by the Port of Tacoma and does a lot of business with big tractor trailers and other commercial heavy equipment.
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - December 12th 2017 6:04 pm
Thanks. i will update this thread in january when I know more. Will be flying east for holidays.
Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - March 01st 2018 6:20 am
I put this off for a while longer than intended. Today, when cleaning inspecting the U joints in place, I found one of the bearing caps spinning in the output yoke from transmission.

After removal and disassembly, None of the needle bearings look particularly worn, but there is enough slop to replace.

The rusty DS got wirewheeled and then scrubbed with much Ospho. Gonna drop it off at Oceanside Driveline tomorrow. They say they have another output shaft and the small chrysler to big Chrysler conversion U joint that I require in stock, and will balance it, paint it and install new U joints, though I am not sure of that order.

Hopefully the fully degreased rust converted, and ready to paint driveshaft takes off some of the labor fee.





Posted By: wrcsixeight Re: A-500 TX output shaft wobble - March 03rd 2018 10:27 am
215$

Neapco greaseable Ujoints, one of them a conversion U joint, balanced painted, new TX output yoke which rang up at 55$.

The guy saw my front GMB U joint whose cap was spinning in the yoke, and said I must have supplied that part when they installed it a decade ago as they certainly did not. I later remembered that I had bought it before realizing I needed a conversion U joint for my 9.25 axle upgrade, and had them install the GMB on the front.

The balancing weights before and after are in different positions and weights, but not a huge amount and not by very far.

Though neither U joint was severly worn, it is much quieter, but some of the noise I hoped would dissappear, did not. I've not yet gotten it to 55 mph where the slight vibration became most noticeable. I'm gonna rotate the Cooper AT3's front to back and see if the noise changes. They were broken in on a road trip mid summer, slightly underinflated for the load, and I was pushing the handling limits of the van at times, at speed, on the 1 and 101 south out of Crescent City.
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