Based on Autozone's practice of employing people that have no experience in this field, I'm not much inclined to take stock in advice from them.
The people that write that information for Autozone isn't your average "punk at the counter" It's hard for basically any parts store to get good workers in there that know things about the hobby, due to them not being able to pay that well. Anyone can use a computer these days so that's basically the only skill they have to have. No need to have common knowledge of what interchanges with what, or how to do things. At any rate, it takes 30 seconds tops to mark a driveshaft when you pull it, and it could save you the trouble of having to rotate it, so why not do it to start with? Debate has been long enough really about if it's a wife's tale or not. Even if it is, it's recommened to mark it.
I have swapped it several times, and sometimes it works, sometimes I notice no difference. I assumed that it was because i didn't seat the cups perfectly centered or i tightened the nuts unevenly when I put it back on. Maybe something shifted to one side or the other while I was rotating the shaft to tighten all the nuts... So in my personal opinion (we all know what THAT is worth), I think it is the luck of the draw if you get the nuts all torqued correctly and the cups fall dead-nuts centered. Regardless, my shaft and yoke are permanently marked, just in case. AND I had it all balanced and new joints.
I've never rotated the driveshaft to tighten all the nuts, I just throw it in there and put the u-bolts/caps in wherever they are at. I wonder if that has something to do with people have vibrations? Just curious. I'm not swearing by marking the driveshaft, as I never have before either (as mentioned) I just know it helped me out once by rotating it. I guess this has been drawn out quite a bit since the question of whether it says to mark it being in a repair manual
Good thing my transmission is leaking all over the floor, or I would make a real experiment out of this...
Im replacing a driveshaft in a Jimmy in a week or so. After installing it, I'll drive it and see how it does, then flip it. I know it has a vibration now, that's why we are replacing it. I did the 180 flip and it still has one, just not as bad. (other things wrong w/ the shaft itself) I'll let you guys know when I do this. I know on a Z-71 I had, thats where the 180 flip helped me out
I've never marked the drive shaft in my car, including when I removed it to swap the 5 lug rear in. I've had it in and out and probably 10 times, it's highly unlikely I reinstalled it the exact same way 10 times. No issues with vibration. If the shaft is properly balanced outside of the car, then I can't see how it would make any difference.
When i get the chance I'll flip the shaft in my Comet. It's always had a driveshaft vibe, but I doubt it'll cure it since no matter what I've changed it still persists in some form or another. It's had bad pinion bearings (changed em) bad U joints (changed those too) a shaft that was out of round (replaced it with two others) Bad tailshaft yoke bushing (done that one too) Even changed the slip yoke. Even there thru two different rear ends (8" and now the 9)
drive shafts are not balanced on the car. on ford 8.8s they use a flange with 8 bolt holes on the differential and for drive shaft vibration problems ford recomends trying 8 different ways that it can be mated to the diff to try to get rid of the vibration. now i probly avarage taking off and puting back on 10 driveshafts a week at my job and i never mark them. ive never once had a problem with that causing a vibration. there are tolerences in the machineing prosess that some times can add up to create a vibration thats why ford has that 8 hole patern.
Most Ford shop manuals from back in the day recommend doing the 180 flip and putting hose clamps around the tube to try and take the vibration out. I can't believe any manufacturer would put that in a service manual. That's one of the procedures in the Steve Garrett link. Hose clamps are meant for, well, hoses. I don't know about you guys but if I saw a tech do something screwy like that to my vehicles those hose clamps would be around his neck.
talked to a guy that repairs/replaces rear gears...he said he never marks them... asked my guy at the transmission shop...never marks them... ......
Every repair manual I seen says to mark the driveshaft before removal. Being installed 180* ain't going to shake your feelings out of you head unless the driveshaft is about to let go, but you will feel a slight vibration in the seat. 2 radiator clamps wrapped in different directions placed about 8"-10" from the rear end with the heads less or more than 180* will balance a driveshaft...ask me how I know. This practice is old as dirt. I scanned what Chilton's, Motors and Haynes have to say about marking a driveshaft prior of removing in their big books.
