Hi there

I am in the bush working and broke my rear drive shaft tube today. Went into the ditch and managed to twist the tube in half trying to get out as it caught on a culvert..

I was wondering how far I can drive with the rear shaft removed?

I took the four bolts off the rear flange and removed what was left back there and slid the front out of the transfer case and drove back to camp. It does not seem to be leaking much out of the transfer case around the seal.

I am about 15 miles in on a pretty good gravel road then about 40 mile on a paved road to the nearest city. So it would be about an hour of driving at the most even going the 30-40 miles an hour I would like try to stay under. I could phone a tow truck to meet me tomorrow and get the truck towed in but would prefer to drive in myself if that is possible. It is a quiet back road into town.

If it is fine to drive that far would I be better off getting a new tube welded onto the existing ends, which were just redone a few months back when I changed differentials, or should I try to get a used one from a wrecker?

I assume as long as I am not going up any long hills, which I won't be there should not be too much fluid loss. Or would there be?

The truck is a 6.4 with a manual transmission and shortbox without the carrier bearing.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Gary

 

I'd drive it slow like you say. Check the oil situation a couple times.

I'd have a new driveshaft made.

 

Well I have been there and done that a few times. No real harm driving on just the front as long as you take it easy. Take the turns wider and don't power down too hard and you will make it. In the past I have duct taped a glove and the end of a water bottle over the output shaft to minimize fluid loss.

 

Good idea, keeps the dust out too.

Darn, why didn't I think of that.

 

I did it once many years ago myself and remember having to stick a rag in the hole to keep the fluid in but wasn't sure if anything changed in the newer transfer cases.

I will go slow and having the truck to drive around town a bit and source out a shaft or shop will help. It is a fairly large city so I should be able to get myself up and running again without losing more than the one day.

Unfortunately the shaft was only a few months old.

I was having one of those days and in a rush and backed into a ditch and threw it in four wheel drive to get out but my rear diff happened to be right over a metal culvert which cut the tube when I was spinning.

Thanks for the reply.

 

If you use a sturdy bag and some heavy duty elastic bands to catch any lost fluid, you can pour the caught fluid back in should you get stranded without a spare bottle of fluid.

 

I'd drive it, just slow with checks every 10 miles.

New drive shaft, don't try to fix the one you have, it will fail even easier next time.