At Red Rover Service, diesel truck repairs are par for the course and our mechanics can cover everything from a simple flat to a drive shaft rebuild. Today we want to talk a little bit about drive shaft rebuilds.
Diesel Truck Repairs: Drive Shaft Rebuild At Red Rover Service
If you are a career trucker, then you have likely experienced a few problems that needed dealing with over the years – it’s par for the course! As the leading mobile mechanic in and around Charlotte NC, we often help our clients with these types of problems. Among the problems that we help our clients with are issues related to the drive shaft.
Trouble with the Drive Shaft
Before your drive shaft gives out, you will notice a serious of “symptoms” that shouldn’t be ignored. These symptoms include:
Your truck shudders when accelerating.
If you notice your truck shuddering unusually when you accelerate from a stop or from a low speed your drive shaft could be at fault. Specifically, you could be dealing with a loose u-joint or bad center bearing.
You Have Trouble Turning
If you have trouble taking turns in your truck, you may be dealing with a drive shaft issue. If you are finding it difficult to turn and you feel like you have less control of your vehicle, you may be looking at a failing drive shaft.
You Hear Squeaking When Driving Slowly
If you hear a squeaking sound whenever you are driving at lower speeds, you need to break out the lube because you have a U-joint that needs oiling up!
You Hear Loud Clunking Noises When You Shift Gears
If the U-joint on your vehicle needs replacing, you may well hear a loud clunking noise whenever you shift gears.
You Hear Clicking Noises
If you hear clicking noises or knocking noises from your truck, you may be facing a worn CV joint and a failing drive shaft.
You Feel Vibrations Under the Vehicle
One of the most common symptoms of a failing drive shaft is feeling vibrations underneath your vehicle. These vibrations do not change with the speed of your vehicle. As you begin feeling this vibration, you are most likely looking at u-joints or bushings that need replacing. If you fail to get those components replaced, your problem can quickly escalate and your drive shaft will fail completely.
If you are feeling vibrations under your vehicle but those vibrations change when you speed up, you are more than likely looking at issues with your tires and not the drive shaft.
Keeping Your Drive Train Maintained
The most important thing you can do to avoid the failure of your drive train is to keep your truck well maintained. What does maintaining your drive shaft entail?
Regular maintenance appointments with your mechanic are the best way to keep your drive shaft in good shape. This is simply because your mechanic’s job is to stay on top of your truck’s maintenance. Part of this maintenance is keeping the drive shaft well lubricated. If your drive shaft is showing signs of trouble, check how well lubricated everything is.
During regular maintenance, your mechanic will also take a look at the physical appearance of each component of your drive chain. This is so that they can determine if there are any physical signs of wear or small problems with the components that need addressing before they become big problems.
If you have a regular mechanic, but your drive shaft failed or you had problems with the drive shaft in any way, it may be time to start looking for a new mechanic. A good mechanic should always stay on top of issues with your truck and in most cases, they will catch smaller problems before they become devastating problems that will cost you a fortune to repair. Of course, sometimes these things just happen, but if you have a history of truck problems under the same mechanic, it’s very likely that your mechanic is not doing their job properly and you’re still paying them!
Worried that your mechanic is missing something during your truck servicing? We’d be happy to give you a second opinion! Just give us a call and let us know how we can help!
Are You Looking For a Reliable Mechanic For Diesel Truck Repairs?
If you live in or around Charlotte, NC and you need a reliable and reputable mobile truck mechanic, give us a call here at Red Rover Service today at 704-317-6161
