Driveshaft Problem

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01-28-2015, 07:31 AM

#11

nickcarguy

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ajg617

I just went through this on my 03 Avant. The center rubber ring was so worn and cracked that each time I stepped on the gas from a start, the shaft would rub against the exhaust (could see the marks when we took it off) not to mention a very loud rumble (worse when turning and starting from a stop). I started to get a high speed vibration but the raxles I installed took care of that. Ordered a used shaft from Shokan and had it installed by my independent. Backed the car out and started driving it only to hear a squeak coming out of the center joint. Shokan suggested I put my old CV joints in the new shaft. Did - no difference and a high speed vibration continued with the darn squeaking. I could have sent it back and had it replaced but the owner was extremely rude and flat out told me the guy I had install it didn't know what he was doing. I was going to tell him that my indy trains the local Audi techs at the dealer but he was screaming by that time. Nuff said - never dealing with them again.

Bought a rebuilt from wholesale imports. Car was not drivable due to vibration. Audi put it up on the lift and we had the wheels turning around 30 MPH and the rear shaft vibration was incredible - at least an inch movement which translated right back to the rear diff. So I was now out $750 for the two shafts and plus $600 in labor to pull two shafts and have Audi re-install the rebuilt correctly shimmed just in case. That wasn't the problem. I called wholesale imports and they asked me if I wanted a replacement or a refund. I opted for the refund. I wound up ordering a new shaft from Audi. 211K and it drives like new. Audi charged me $300 to install the new one over and above the price of the shaft (which I think was about the same). I would have been about $1400 richer if I had done that from the get go.

That said, there is a guy on one of the forums that fixed his problem with a tube of silicone sealant to reinforce the worn rubber support. You could try that route first. Here's the link for the guy that fixed his with 3M window weld.

Driveshaft support bearing fix using 3M Windo Weld

Good Luck!

Thanks again for the responses.
Couple of observations:
Seems the WholealeImports $500 option is hit or miss. While it has worked for some, it has not for others..
Seems you get what you pay for.
It really is a shame that you need to replace a whole driveshaft when a $50 rubber bushing fails.. and due to the assembly process (staked joints) you can't do it easily. Even with the right tools and knowledge.
Audi may call it "German engineering". I Call it extremely wasteful.
I have negotiated $1400 , brand new , OEM price from two dealers.
Far from cheap. But It may be worth "biting the bullet" as Blauparts suggests, pay the big bucks, and do it right the first time - and do it only once. Copied below is the recommendation on their website.
Thanks again for feedback.

Blauparts' Recommendation To Customers Experiencing Quattro Driveshaft Issues:

We recommend paying the big money and purchasing a completely assembled genuine OE driveshaft for seamless repair. The Audi Vw driveshafts are complex in nature and the only reliable replacement option is the dealer. Completely assembled aftermarket driveshaft are available, however, they may have inferior quality components mounted on them similar to the quality issues we experienced with our former driveshaft component suppliers.