Propshaft CV joint: Is Dana any good?

[84FLH]

2000 4.0 SOHC Mountaineer. 410,000 miles on orig motor and trans. Works well going forward in all gears. No reverse, LOL!

Factory original front driveshaft CV joint failed at 395,000 or so. Local shop replaced with Dorman. THREE times. All three Dorman's failed, with longest lasting 10 months. Shortest lasting 1 month.

Found this Dana CVJ on Rock Auto. Does anyone have experience using it? Thank you.

More Information for DANA 032SG80002

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PS: Local driveshaft/4WD outfitter just called. Said he can make new front driveshaft with double Cardan joint IF he can find correct flange for t-case. What do you guys think about that? Thanks

 

[C420sailor]

Yes, I believe Dana/Spicer is the OEM supplier.

I installed the fully assembled Dana unit, which is much more expensive. It also requires a driveline shop to install it, as it needs to be welded to the shaft, and the assembly balanced. That said, it comes assembled from the factory, so the chances of boot installation issues are dramatically lower.

I’d certainly try the Dana kit before another Dorman kit—the Dormans are notorious for failing in short order. If the Dana fails too, I’d find another installer.

 

[84FLH]

Yes, I believe Dana/Spicer is the OEM supplier.

I installed the fully assembled Dana unit, which is much more expensive. It also requires a driveline shop to install it, as it needs to be welded to the shaft, and the assembly balanced. That said, it comes assembled from the factory, so the chances of boot installation issues are dramatically lower.

I’d certainly try the Dana kit before another Dorman kit—the Dormans are notorious for failing in short order. If the Dana fails too, I’d find another installer.

Thank you C420. I attached the wrong link/CV joint in my original post! The below Dana CV is what I was referring to. Is this what you had welded and balanced onto your driveshaft? How many miles since then? Thanks.

More Information for DANA 032SG80002

PS: I put the correct link in my original post. Thanks for catching my mistake.

 

[C420sailor]

Yep. That’s it. I installed it into my 5.0 AWD Explorer 03/2020….probably has a good 30-35,000mi on it since then. Zero issues. And the AWD trucks are harder on those joints than the 4x4 models.

I brought my shaft and the unit to a local driveline shop. It was like $100ish and a couple hours later I had a welded, balanced, and painted shaft.

 

[84FLH]

Yep. That’s it. I installed it into my 5.0 AWD Explorer 03/2020….probably has a good 30-35,000mi on it since then. Zero issues. And the AWD trucks are harder on those joints than the 4x4 models.

I brought my shaft and the unit to a local driveline shop. It was like $100ish and a couple hours later I had a welded, balanced, and painted shaft.

Thanks. That's encouraging. Think I found a place that can weld and balance it. 2 hour round trip but worth every mile if they can do it.

 

[wollimann]

Factory original front driveshaft CV joint failed

What exactly failed with the front driveshaft?
I have replaced the CV joint serveral times too and it was "only" the rubber boot that cracked.

https://www.driveshaftparts.com/image/cache/cache/1001-2000/1435/main/2f9a-BTV712b-0-1-1000x1000.jpg

Ford Explorer & Ranger Front Driveshaft CV Joint Kit

www.driveshaftparts.com

But there was no play or any vibration.
Good luck for welding and balancing!

 

[84FLH]

What exactly failed with the front driveshaft?
I have replaced the CV joint serveral times too and it was "only" the rubber boot that cracked.

https://www.driveshaftparts.com/image/cache/cache/1001-2000/1435/main/2f9a-BTV712b-0-1-1000x1000.jpg

View attachment 459396

Ford Explorer & Ranger Front Driveshaft CV Joint Kit

www.driveshaftparts.com

But there was no play or any vibration.
Good luck for welding and balancing!

Not 100% positive. All 3 failures had ripped rubber boot. Mechanic showed me the last failed Dorman. Ball bearings were galled and would apparently intermittently bind up, which likely led to the very loud metallic clacking noise.

 

[C420sailor]

Once the boot goes, the grease gets slung out and road grime/water/salt/etc gets in…and the joint is junked in short order.

 

[410Fortune]

There is an adapter out there in Internet land that converts the cup to a u joint

 

[wollimann]

adapter out there that converts the cup to a u joint

Very interesting, never heard of it.
Maybe it looks like this?

Converted my Borg Warner 4405 Transfer Case (CV-joint) to a double u-joint shaft,
but there were heavy vibration. The shaft was balanced but i think the differential
and the transfer case have different angles. But I never got to the bottom of the matter.

So i go back to CV-joint with SPICER front U-joint, waiting for the next rubber crack.
(The 6 allen screws were too short...)
But no vibration anymore, thumbs up.

 

[84FLH]

There is an adapter out there in Internet land that converts the cup to a u joint

Hi Fortune. Still love that pic and location. The Last Stand Cabin Road.

I read on Wrangler forum that replacing CV with UJ can/usually does, cause some driveline vibration felt by the driver. Also read double cardan causes much less (or was it none) DL vibration. Think I'm gonna try the $238 Dana welded and balanced onto my driveshaft. Gotta do something before snow flies.

PS: just read Wolliman's post re:double cardan. He said significant vibration. So he went to Spicer CV instead. Looks like he bought complete driveshaft assy.

 

[84FLH]

Very interesting, never heard of it.
Maybe it looks like this?
View attachment 459413

Converted my Borg Warner 4405 Transfer Case (CV-joint) to a double u-joint shaft,
but there were heavy vibration. The shaft was balanced but i think the differential
and the transfer case have different angles. But I never got to the bottom of the matter.
View attachment 459414

So i go back to CV-joint with SPICER front U-joint, waiting for the next rubber crack.
(The 6 allen screws were too short...)
But no vibration anymore, thumbs up.
View attachment 459415

Hi Wolliman;

Great info, just what I needed to know about double cardan joint. Thank you! Who makes the driveshaft assy you bought? How many miles on it now? Still working well? Thanks again.

 

[wollimann]

I have some used SOHC CV spare shafts and i think they all came from Ford, never bought a new one.
Gave them some rust protection,
new CV-joints from Rockauto

More Information for DANA 2510140056

and Spicer U-joints. I don't know exactly how long it last now, but shure for 3 years
and makes no trouble.

The used double joint and shaft with slip joke came from a first gen Explorer and it was only a expensive experiment (new double joint and new u-joints + balancing + TC joke). Hoped it was something like "bullet proofed" but with this vibration undriveable.