Having my clutch replaced. (07 Enthusiast 6MT, 90k miles, dedicated track car now). Got a call from the shop and they said my driveshaft was "binding". My wife talked to them and I haven't had a chance to. They said it needed to be replaced or I could send it to a shop across town and they could rebuild it (since the OEM u-joints are not serviceable).

First off, I trust this shop and they don't stand to gain from this since I would buy the new shaft myself or get it rebuilt somewhere else.

But, I just got back from the track and other than the clutch going south there was no vibration, no unusual noises so I'm just kind of puzzled about what could be wrong.

Any thoughts or prior experience with this issue much appreciated.

Z1 sells a lighter stronger aluminum aftermarket shaft with Spicer components and lifetime guarantee for $500. I'm sure an OEM would be twice that. Suspect the rebuild would be pushing $250-$300. If so I will go with the Z1 shaft unless anyone has a better idea.

 

Interesting you mention this (a binding driveshaft). I recently had a LOT of work done on my suspension, clutch assembly, and transmission. Like you, I trust my shop and believed them completely when they told me I had a "bent/binding driveshaft." As part of my last major repair, they replaced the driveshaft, and it made a HUGE difference.

I didn't notice the difference (it was subtle) while things were going bad, but really see the improvement after the repair was done. My driveshaft was ruined when the 350z's crossmembers rusted and allowed a slight warp that misaligned the engine and the driveshaft.

 

I'd talk with the repair shop again and attempt to understand why the driveshaft is binding. The CF driveshafts are not known to bind unless they are somehow worn or damaged. Unless you're running an engine producing a lot more HP/TQ, a stronger and heavier Z1 driveshaft would not help performance.

 

Spike, what replacement shaft did they install for you?

dkmura, the main reason I'm interested in the Z1 part is that it is less expensive ($500) even than the generic Dorman replacement shaft you can get at local autoparts stores ($550). Both have replaceable u-joints. Performance is not an issue since the engine and most everything else are stock. Z1 claims their aluminum shaft is a few pounds lighter than the OEM.

The one review of the Z1 shaft reports a clearance issue with his shift linkage in a Nismo. I've got a question in to Z1 to ask about that. I don't really need another issue to fix.....got VIR coming up in 3 weeks.

 

They installed an OEM used driveshaft. Apparently it is very easy to evaluate this particular part before installing it on your car.

 

Mechanic said bearing assemblies just felt tight and resisted rotation. No click or slop. I drove it and I still don't feel or hear anything. I'm inclined to leave it alone for now. He says that instead of a retaining clip the edges of the yoke a peened so that the cross and bearings can't be removed. He said there is a local shop that will grind the peen away and grind a clip retainer into place so that joints can be serviced in the future. He said cost should be less than $200. I may go that route at some point but plan to run as is for now.