Symptoms of a Faulty Driveshaft In A Truck

It is crucial to address the issues involving a faulty driveshaft as they are the core components of your truck’s drive terrain. If they are faulty, your truck’s drivability and performance become compromised.

What is Driveshaft?

The engine produces a torque that moves various parts of the engine, like the pulleys. Apart from the moving parts within the engine, it is this torque that initiates the wheel rotation. The driveshaft is a rod-like component whose primary role is to receive the torque from the engine and transmit it to the wheels of your truck.

These drive shafts transmit torque at varied angles of the driveline components. The driveshaft is made flexible to enable drive terrain axles to vibrate up and down and are in a lateral movement with the brakes and acceleration. The driveshaft assembly consists of the propeller shaft, yokes, slip splines, and universal joints. 

How Driveshaft Works

For general knowledge, all front-wheel drive vehicles do not have a driveshaft. Instead, they have a transaxle that combines the transmission and the axle. However, the 4WD and rear-wheel drive trucks have an axle and the transmission separately. 

The driveshaft plays the role of transferring the turning motion from the transmission to the axle. The driveshaft has a tubular design and is made of aluminum, steel, or carbon fiber. Such materials ensure they are solid and lightweight at the same time.

Trucks have two common types of driveshaft, i.e rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. In rear-wheel drive, the power from the transmission system goes to the rear wheels through the driveshaft. In 4WD, all four wheels get power from the transmission system, and it has both front and rear driveshaft.

Signs of a Faulty Driveshaft

When you have a faulty driveshaft, it becomes hard to control your truck. Here are some of the signs to look out for when your driveshaft starts to become faulty. 

Vibrations Below Your Truck

You will feel a constant vibration below your truck when your driveshaft is faulty. The vibrations result from worn-out U-joints, couplers, or carrier bearings. If it has been a while since you serviced such components, they can cause a faulty driveshaft.

Difficulty in Turning

When your U-joint is faulty, you experience difficulty in turning your truck. A faulty U-joint will prevent the wheels of your truck from making a proper turn, and hence controlling your truck will be a nightmare. 

Loud Clunking Noise

If your truck produces a loud clunking noise when shifting, consider checking the condition of your driveshaft.

Truck Shudder When Accelerating

When you accelerate from a stop or low speeds and experience shuddering, the common cause is a loose U-joint or faulty carrier bearing. 

Squeaking Noise

The squeaking noise is not that pleasant to the ears. The common cause of such noise is a dry U-joint. When you hear such a sound, consider applying grease to U-joint. Doing this prevents your U-joint from premature wear. 

Conclusion

The driveshaft is an integral part of your truck whose primary responsibility is to transmit the torque from the engine through the transmission system to the wheels. The driveshaft sometimes fails. When this happens, you will experience some of the above signs.