OK. I'm the one who was stupid... and I'm the one with the left leg propped up with both bones broken above the ankle, waiting for the orthopedic specialist to determine Monday/Tueday if I'll need surgery.
History.... Drive line vibration at 46-49 mph only under load, new center bearing, two new u-joints, and the rear drive shaft piece possibly installed 180 degrees out of phase (or needing the center bearing shim pack).
What happened... Saturday morning, by myself, I went to break loose the rear drive shaft to rotate it 180 to see if that would completely resolve my remaining vibration issue after the center bearing and u-joint had corrected msot of it. When I broke the front joint loose behind the center bearing, the truck started rolling, pulling me with it since I was on my creeper. My head was towards the rear axle and my feet were towards the egnine compartment, with me being on the passenger side of the drive line right underneath the exhaust pipe. I got the truck stopped mmentarily and tried to "toss" a jack stand in front of the rear wheel (it just happened to be under the truck with me to support the drive shaft as I lowered it down). Nope... it didn't go far enough.
No one else nearby.
Cell phone on a saw horse in the garage.
And I could see that if I just let the truck go and rode with it that it might easily jump off the driveway and either into a tree or my neighbors brick house.
Believe me, I was pushing back on the truck with my feet planted, holding it firm, but I couldn't hold it for long. I then decided to let the truck go sloooowly, with me slowing it down, but my left knee slipped up between the drive shaft and the exhaust pipe as the truck pushed me along on the creeper, past my left ankle which was being held firmly on the ground by the truck's weight, and as I went past my left foot, my left leg was essentially rolled up and over my left ankle until the ankle gave way.
I felt the bones give way, but it didn't hurt as much as it scared me because I knew how bad it could have been. I dragged myself into the garage, phoned a neighbor and my wife, and went to the ER. Yep... inside bone broken right above the ankle joint, and the outside bone broken about 6 inches higher up.
Word of advice... ALWAYS chock your wheels and/or use the e-brake when doing drive line work on a vehicle that is still on the ground.
My left wrist had a compound fracture (bone out of skin) and my left elbow broke at the same time. Surgery was a must. I cannot stress physical therapy enough. Do it. Do it to the extreme. If they offer another course to go to even though the major stuff is finished, do it. I didn't and lost motion in my left elbow.
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Jason
2000 F350 XLT PSD CC 6-sp SRW 4x4
6637
I am glad that it is not worse than it is Pete. I give you credit, like Robin, for posting this as a warning for all to read. I wish that I was closer in order to help you out.
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Jim
2001 F350 4X4 DRW
Bilsteins, 4" Turbo Back Into 6" Stacks, 6637 w/,Custom Cold Air Intake ,Autometer guages, DP TUNER http://www.roadsidehelpnetwork.info/
PAA # 14 RIP Mark.. I'll never forget you!!
Pete, hopefully surgery isn't needed and you recover quickly. That is a VERY good reminder about the chocks/parking brake.
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Mike
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2001 F350 CC LB 7.3 with a few mods
Wisconsin Chapter Leader JOIN HERE 7.3 Roadside Help Network
HOLY CRAP!! What a story!! I guess it's the military side of me, but whenever I work on the truck, I always chock the wheels. We have to in the big military trucks every time we park them.
Sorry this happened to you -- and glad you posted it. Hopefully it helps someone else out.
Sorry to hear this Pete. Hopefully you're story will serve as a reminder to someone in the future and prevent a similar injury. I'm glad to hear things did not turn out even worse.
Thanks guys. I'm very, very grateful forhow things worked out so far. My neighbor and my 17 yo climbed back under the truck and reconnected the shaft for me yesterday, too.
Here's just another example of how good my God was to me in this situation... one of the u-joint cup bearings gt dragged off, and several needle bearings were missing when we discovered it. Thankfully, we found every single needle bearing and was able to just clean them off, re-insert them into the cup housing, re-install the cup, and then reconnect everything. And yes, they did get the shaft rotated the 180 degrees, too.
Once I can drive it again, I'll get to see if that resolves the vibration. If not, then the center bearing shims will be a snap to install... and I WILL be using both the e-brake and the wheel chocks before I crawl under there again!
Also, I'm very grateful that I was on the creeper to begin with so that I could get carried along with the truck instead of squished between the driveway and the rear axle!
Pete! What a story. I'm glad you escaped with just a broken ankle, and not worse. Even though what you went through sounds scary and painful, sounds like you kept your head about you even with all of this going on. A bit terrifying when things happen and you are all by yourself.
Speedy recovery, let us know if you need anything.
__________________ Lisa Early '99 PSD long bed XLT supercab. 4" Pro Comp suspension lift, 315 BFG AT's on 17" Liquid Metal Gatlins, Hypermax Boost Pyrometer, 4" exhaust, DP Tunes - no start, 60 Tow, 80 Econo, 120 Race, 203* thermostat and billet housing, 6637 w/Pete's cover, CCV, oil crossover Kit.
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Drive shaft work + stupidity = 2 broken bones
