That was before the cv got replaced. Still doesn't explain why something that isn't contacting anything on a highway driven jeep would be destroyed like that.

sent from a super duper awesome EVO 3D

 

This is correct.

When you take a turn, as your body moves to the side, your driveshaft is slightly shifting. The bolts on the side of your tranny will grab the boot and rip/slice it. While offroading is the most common way to do it, a pothole or sharp turn can do it as well. You'll also notice some scratches on the shaft from it hitting the crossmember, again just from potholes.

Edit: The clicking may be a hose clamp that is used to hold the boot on. Check the front of the driveshaft, near the ujoint, to see if it has slipped off and fell to the front. If your boot is ripped and still on, it would also be the boot slapping your jeep, and you'd probably feel that as well.

 

Just from looking at the condition of the boot in the pic, it pretty obviously IS contacting something. And that something is more than likely the corner of your tranny pan, just like everyone else's. If you haven't flexed since the lift went on, then maybe it ripped before the install and has taken a few thousand miles to disintegrate. Or maybe it happened during the install. Or maybe your little brother stole it and went wheeling one night. Or maybe the driveshaft gremlins just don't like you and decided to trash it.

These stock driveshafts are super thick. It doesn't take much to get them to contact the crossmember and the corner of the tranny. Just sitting on the lift at the shop, my stock front shaft laid on the skid, and has lots of nice scrape marks all the way around it - which is why I went with a thinner aftermarket shaft. Bet you're gonna have a coniption fit when you lose the joints at the tcase on both of your driveshafts...

 

thanks to the almost 7 inches of lift i got when i put my rk 3.5 on, ive already replaced the rear with a tom woods shaft and the front needed a new cv. a guy i sold a phone to today (i sell phones at work) said he works at the dealership down the street and he took a look at it and is saying it may be covered under warranty. i havent taken a closer look at it since earlier but it vibs pretty hard between 20-40 mph. the dealership is one light down from my job so im going to drop it off tomorrow and hope its covered. this is going to really cut into my bike funds if it isnt

 

hmm. ill have to check that and see.
i havent been offroad with this driveshaft yet.

 

I think the universal consensus will be that 6+" of lift always =
100% factory driveshaft failure.

 

With that amount of lift, a new 'stock' driveshaft is just going to do the exact same thing. And the next one. And the next one after that. They are simply too damn thick.

As far as the noise goes, why not just pull that shaft off to eliminate it from the equation? No noise, it was the shaft. Still have noise, start looking elsewhere.

And btw, that boot isn't a huge deal, it's just a covering over the slip joint between the two halves of the driveshaft. You can zip tie it back on after each wheeling trip or rip it off and go without. But be sure to clean it up and re-grease every once in a while.

 

moved recently. im still unpacking tools.

 

It's doing the vibration under load. Less in 4wd than 2wd. Possibly this Tom woods driveshaft. I just greased it (its only been on a few thousand miles). Hoping my almost $600 investment isn't causing this

sent from a super duper awesome EVO 3D

 

So now the vibes are coming from the rear shaft??? Did you get the rear adj arms installed and set? Or is the pinion angle still off?


Is this another one that wasn't greased at install?

You're probably doing the right thing by dropping it off and letting someone else diagnose it.