The word from the transmission shop is that the problem is not actually the transmission: it’s the rear driveshaft/U joint. Apparently it was in such bad shape the U joint had almost disintegrated and the driveshaft is out of balance. So the shop is rebuilding the joint, sending the driveshaft out for service, and putting everything back together. It’s going to be expensive to fix, but when compared to the cost of rebuilding the transmission, it’s a fraction of the cost I was expecting I’d have to pay.
Driveline Update
Posted on | | Posted in Repairs
Neal in Boston says:
Phew!
Wonderful that it didn’t disintegrate while driving and leave you stranded with a jacked-up mangled driveshaft or worse.
Fingers crossed on the fixes.
I look forward to your reports from nationals.
I hope I can go sometime.
bill says:
Phew is right! The one good thing about an old-school 4×4 is that even if the rear driveshaft goes belly-up, it’s a pretty simple thing to get underneath, pull the rear driveshaft off, and switch to 4-wheel drive. This connects the front axle to the drivetrain, and while it’s not ideal to go long-distance, you can still get the truck someplace where it can be fixed.
I’ll definitely be reporting back from Nationals–stay tuned!