Front driveshaft issue

[SHoppe715]

So I noticed in December that my front driveshaft was rubbing the skidplate bracket when the front left tire stuffed. I knew the t-case shovel was bent a bit but didn't think it was bad enough to cause the rubbing. Gene's did. They said it was damaged from offroad use and they wouldn't do anything except replace lots of parts and charge me up the @$$. So I went to the craft shop, took off the crossmember, bent it back down, and reinstalled it. Those things don't seem so strong, but running it over with the shop truck trying to bend it down was pointless. We ended up using a hydraulic press. I'll post up later tonight after I flex it to see if my clearance issue is taken care of.
http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/3/9/5/Hoppe004.jpg
Look just to the right of the 4 t-case studs. I hit a rock Hard.
http://www.arcticoffroad.com/forum/gallery/files/3/9/5/Hoppe008.jpg
You can see where they were rubing and the shredded boot.
Photos are courtesy of Gene's. They also felt the need to photograph every dent, ding, and scrape they could find under there.

[sevenslats]

That looks amazingly familiar. Amazingly.

I had to notch my MOPAR (WARN) engine skid with 4" of lift.

[AK20]

Does it say some where in your warranty that your "Trail Rated" Jeep is not covered if you take it offroad???? Seems pretty lame, hope your fix does the job though.

[SHoppe715]

Oh yeah, they also thought I said I never offroaded this thing and were thinking I was full of $#!t. I had to clarify - I never told anyone I don't offroad it.

[SHoppe715]

Does it say some where in your warranty that your "Trail Rated" Jeep is not covered if you take it offroad???? Seems pretty lame, hope your fix does the job though.

They assured me the warranty isn't voided by offroading. It just doesn't cover trail damage which this obviously is. I know I'm walking a fine line of defending Gene's on this one... The other reason I brought it in was for a bad water pump at 20K. They did that for free. I wonder if that's related to my fan cluth going bad at 15K?

[AK20]

That makes sense on the trail damage...

[SHoppe715]

Oh yeah. I relearned a valuable lesson too. The other day I broke the breather elbow on the valve cover when my feet slipped and hands flailed. Duct tape fix was kickin'. I figured something so small and cheap would be no sweat. The part would be $5-10 and it takes about 1 minute with no tools to replace so what the heck - "Can you toss that on for me? I know I'll pay for that one." Yup, $8 part. Yup, 1 minute with no tools. Yup, $51 labor:eek:

[ChevyKev]

They assured me the warranty isn't voided by offroading. It just doesn't cover trail damage which this obviously is. I know I'm walking a fine line of defending Gene's on this one...


Yup, $8 part. Yup, 1 minute with no tools. Yup, $51 labor:eek:

Still defending Gene's schiester after that stick???

On one hand, the "trail damage not covered under warranty makes sense"

On the other - if you're going to give it new from the factory a "Trail Rated" badge then trail use should be expected and trail damage - especially things like the undercarriage and skid plates - which are part of their "trail rating equipment" should be covered under warranty. :whistle: If not covered, don't put the badge on there. Either it's rated to take the abuse of the trail and should hold up to that abuse, or it isn't. You can't have it both ways.

And there is simply no excuse for $51 labor fee for replacing that. Most shops have a 15 minute min labor charge - so at $51 their charging $204 for labor! I need to get paid that much.

To quote someone from a few years back: "Gene's: the anti-chrystler!"

[SHoppe715]

I flexed all 4 wheels up a snowbank yesterday and I'm no longer convinced the driveshaft was ever rubbing at all. I never actually flexed it out when I discovered the wear. I just saw what's in the picture and assumed rubbing. There's so much clearance around that shaft any which way I bend the axles that I'd have to punch the crossmember up through the floorboards to make the shaft hit the bracket. Another lesson relearned about assuming. I guess a rock getting wedged up in there while it was spinning would make those same rub marks and tear up the boot that way. I never found any rocks wedged in there but driving forward and backward would dislodge it before I ever looked whenever this may have happened.

[SHoppe715]

:confused: What stick?

If I was in the business of building things and warrantying (sp?) my products I imagine I'd lose money left and right if I told people I'd fix anything they can break. Anyone never break parts of a 1-ton drivetrain while wheeling? I think the whole "Trail Rating" gimmick is as homofabulous:nerd: as everyone else does. Take a quick look at the abuse that skidplate has already endured, though. A little lift in the near future will ease that a bit, but for now it's holding up pretty well.

What I think is that DC's catch-all stance of not warrantying trail damage is a bit too vague if they advertise their vehicles for offroad use. They really aught to state what kind of offroad use is expected and covered. AND/BUT Who in any shop doing a repair would be able to make that kind of judgement call if they didn't witness the circumstances of breakage.

Ooooo... another warranty work discussion... surprise , surprise...:p

[sevenslats]

Mine rubbed when the driver's front tire stuffed. It rubbed on the 2-piece crossmember for the front of the engine skid plate. I ended up shimming it over about 3/8" with sheet rubber. I also notched the front left corner of the engine skid plate by about 1" L>R and 4" F>R. Before I did that, it ate the slip-yoke boot, and ground down a tiny bit of the driveshaft yoke at the pinion.

[SHoppe715]

So the skidplate is what did the chewing on your's; not the bracket? Was that after lifting? It looked like I had all kinds of clearance.

[ChevyKev]

:confused: What stick?

:rolleyes:

How about paying $3,060.00 per hour for labor :eek:
(1 minute repair x $51 charge x 60 min per hour = $3,060.00 per hour for labor)

even if it took them say 5 minutes - that's $612.00 / hour for labor :angry:

even if it was a 15 minute minimum charge that's $204 / hour labor :mad:

and that - my friend - is a big stick! :D

My point on my post was mostly this:


if you're going to give it new from the factory a "Trail Rated" badge then trail use should be expected and trail damage - especially things like the undercarriage and skid plates - which are part of their "trail rating equipment" should be covered under warranty. :whistle: If not covered, don't put the badge on there. Either it's rated to take the abuse of the trail and should hold up to that abuse, or it isn't. You can't have it both ways.

Yes, people can break just about anything - but either build it to withstand some trail abuse - or warranty your "trail rated" shtuff. Why after mere weeks of releasing their new products do after market companies build upgradable parts? Because when used for trail use they aren't sturdy enough. So... either build them sturdier to take some trail abuse, or don't stick the badge on there.

I was merely pointing out what you called a "homofabulous gimmick" :D

[SHoppe715]

:rolleyes: I was merely pointing out what you called a "homofabulous gimmick" :D

And yes it is. :rolleyes:

So you're implying I haven't been beating my Jeep hard enough?:p If so it would have broken by now?:p All I've managed to do to this stock rig is bend a body mount and the crossmember.

:whistle: I don't count the front axle shaft 'cause that broke going 15mph on ice and the warranty did cover it.:whistle:

[ChevyKev]

And yes it is. :rolleyes:

So you're implying I haven't been beating my Jeep hard enough?:p If so it would have broken by now?:p All I've managed to do to this stock rig is bend a body mount and the crossmember.

:whistle: I don't count the front axle shaft 'cause that broke going 15mph on ice and the warranty did cover it.:whistle:

Play harder! :lol:

[SHoppe715]

Play harder! :lol:

The more complex the mind, the greater the importance of the simplicity of play. CPT James T. Kirk:D

[sevenslats]

So the skidplate is what did the chewing on your's; not the bracket? Was that after lifting? It looked like I had all kinds of clearance.

When laying underneath the engine looking up...
The front right corner of the engine skid was rubbing on the front driveshaft yoke. AND the crossmember/bracket that goes up and over the driveshaft was eating the driveshaft slip-yoke boot.
I didn't put the engine skidplate on until after I had the 4" lift installed.

[SHoppe715]

That makes sense. Thanks for the heads up 'cause this thing will get lifted a bit eventually. I'll just have to watch the clearances.

[sevenslats]

I found the boot tear on the trail. While I was under there, I saw the wear on the yoke. The rest of the trail was boring because I couldn't play hard. I made the adjustments that night in the garage.