Drive Train Failure

[knogoodidleft]

2 days prior to the incident I noticed my truck was starting to develop a *little* vibration, very little.

05 silverado crewcab 5.3l 2wd auto
I always take care of my truck, always has fresh oil, tranny filter changed, clean intake, rear end lubed, ect ect . But I'm hard on my truck, Probably harder than most here. I drive it like I stole it.

Happened coming home from work at 11pm, I got the wait4me tune and felt like playing with the Race mode (happens a lot), wasn't racing I just felt like it. turning onto a highway going under the over pass, green light flares up, I romp it, squealing up to the bend, letting off to make it around the corner. Half way through I get back on it, not sliding but loosing rubber, made a nice rubber roasting sound. Then I got on the straight-a-way on ramp, WOT. shift into 2nd with reduced torque management is amazing, I can't find the words to describe it (It's amazing what a tuned PCM can do over stock). By the time I'm on the high way and freely (11:20pm by now, not much going on) merge into my lane, foot still on the ground, I start to climax 2nd gear. With subs bumping something in the back, I reach 94ish MPH (with race mode on, there is very little torque management on WOT shift 2 to 3) I feel the 6grand drop into 3rd, the truck lunges forward, then BOOM. Instantly my cluster light up, ABS , (_!_), ( P ) Brake, my console reads CHECK BREAK SYSTEM in that light green we've all grown accustomed to, at the same time my rear end scuttled around in my lane, never leaving it thou. This demanding sound of something dragging, metal on concrete, and something, beating the underside of my truck up echoes in my cab. Now 2 seconds after the incident I naturally shift into N and turn off the stereo. Two hands on the wheel I look in the rear view, Luckily I was the only one on the road, but then I noticed what looked to be some kind of steam/smoke combo, combined flying from under my bed, not to mention I'm still doing damn near 100mph. My heart rate elevated and still not sure what just happened, I did not pull over instantly, I know a exit is within 1 mile up the road,so I coast, the sounds are still there, but by every decrease of mph they drown, By 1/8th mile I know that making that exit won't happen, so I start hitting the breaks, slowly but surely I come to a smooth, but loud stop. I throw the truck into P and take a breath. I notice the engine is idling a little rough, but this was not distracting my racing mind of what I'm going to find under my truck....


anywho, drive shaft is in 2 pieces.... It split almost directly in half, It cracked a little more towards the end. It slipped out of the tailshaft and rested on the cross member, The other half was still bolted on the rear end, And naturally my rear end is locking and with every turn of the wheels that drive shaft whipped around, Imagine going 100mph like that.... I called someone and i quickly took the 4 little bolts off the rear end, popped that piece off, and just maneuvered the front piece out. towed it home and went to bed, had to do a double the next day. Now 2 days after it I can see the damage in day light, and I noticed just now that the tailshaft shattered. I just saw the little piece missing in the lower photos. There is a nice, but small dent in the underside of the bed, cant see it from the top. and a good dent in my magnaflow muffler. Break lines seem to be intact.

http://www.axcessmypics.com/knogoodi...=1218127867649

I took it to the chevy dealership (for giggles, no way im buying a new shaft from there) I bring the driveshaft to the truck depot, and just kinda say...whats up? they never seen anything like it, bla bla bla, you hit something, no way this could happen shifting into 3rd.

new shaft from dealer = $560, new tailshaft = $270 or something like that.

tomorrow Ill find a u-pull it and hopefully find a crew cab.....

So was this a tailshaft failure? I never like the fact that my drive shaft was aluminum (and apparently filled with foam...) But they don't make steel ones for new trucks. The fact that I noticed a little vibe a few days prior I'm guessing i had a hair line crack in the shaft? and from all my beating on it made it go? But i cant see a old crack and a new one.

Needless to say the underside of my truck is coated in shiny tranny fluid

[wafrederick]

That fluid is not transmission fluid,the specified special fluid Auto Trac II for the transfer case.Use the Auto Trac II fluid for the transfer case only and not ATF.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by wafrederick

That fluid is not transmission fluid,the specified special fluid Auto Trac II for the transfer case.Use the Auto Trac II fluid for the transfer case only and not ATF.

this is not a 4x4...no transfercase on this...


to all that think this is cool and fun this could have ended in another vehicle owner dead because of poor judgement...


if you want to do this get a sport vehicle that has the equiptment and do it on the race track....

[wafrederick]

I did not realize that,it is a 2wd and my fault.Check the output shaft coming out of the transmission if it is bent also.Most yards will not let you pull parts off of a complete assembly like transmissions and steering columns

[knogoodidleft]

yeah j cAT, I know. I never go dumb in traffic, but every chance I get to have fun I take it.

Is the output shaft part of the tailshaft or will I have to buy one of those if it is bent?