Parts Wanted: 280z Stub Axle and Companion Flange

[ckurtz2]

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280z Stub Axle and Companion Flange

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Hey guys,

       I could really use some community help on this one. I need a stub axle and companion flange, because mine unfortunately is bent and is causing a pretty mean vibration while driving. I think I bent it when installing new bearings. It is the right side on a 1977 Datsun 280z coupe. 

Anyways I am on a tight budget so if anyone has some extras lying around I'd be happy to pay something for it.

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• Advertiser
  ckurtz2
• Date
  09/06/2022
• Price
• Category
  Parts Wanted
• Year
  1977
• Model
  280z

 

[Mark Maras]

If you don't mind sharing, I'm curious at what speed the vibration occurs? I chased a MAJOR high speed vibration (sounded and felt like 500 lb. bee trapped in the car)  in my 240 that started at around 80 mph. I changed the half shaft u-joints first. Vibration was the same. New prop shaft u joints cured the vibration. The prop shaft spins 3-4 times faster that the half shafts and is more prone to vibration.

[ckurtz2]

4 hours ago, Mark Maras said:

If you don't mind sharing, I'm curious at what speed the vibration occurs? I chased a MAJOR high speed vibration (sounded and felt like 500 lb. bee trapped in the car)  in my 240 that started at around 80 mph. I changed the half shaft u-joints first. Vibration was the same. New prop shaft u joints cured the vibration. The prop shaft spins 3-4 times faster that the half shafts and is more prone to vibration.

Hey Mark,

       I rebuilt the entire drivetrain and suspension components about a year ago. Just finally got the car back on the road. Anways, every single ujoint is brand new and solid. I checked the half shafts. I am going to pull the driveshaft and take it back to the shop it was rebuilt at to make sure it was properly balanced and rebuilt, I remember thinking one of the new ujoints was iffy.

       Anyways, The rebuilt stub Axle went smoothly into the car when I installed it. However, when I istalled the companion flange I had to impact the nut on to tighten it. When I did this the stub axle seated proper, but the companion flange would bend up. Went through two companion flanges and decided screw it cause I was so pissed off at the time. Anyways I am pretty confident the stub axle is bent due to this reason. I guess somehow I bent it on the press? Or the PO bent it and I didn't know.

       Vibration happens anywhere from 30mph all the way to 100+. I feel it is on a harmonic cycle, because it will disappear slightly at certain speeds under acceleration, but once I decelerate I am doomed. The vibration is really bad though. So I am assuming its either that most likely bent axle, or prop shaft like you mentioned. Lets hope its the latter, but I probably should fix the stub axle anyways.

[Mark Maras]

Taking the prop shaft to a good shop is how I (they) found a little dimple dent in another shaft that had a vibration problem.

[240zadmire]

In my case, the tires weren’t balanced proper.  Took to Costco to rebalanced solved the problem.   Might want to try that if you have Costco membership.  $20 for 4 tires.

[ckurtz2]

Looks like I will pull the shaft and see what happens with the shop. I pray it is this, however I put the car in neutral at about 80 and let the car coast and it still vibrated like hell so that's what has been steering me off that conclusion. Also yes, wheels were balanced, car aligned etc.

[240zadmire]

When all other suggestions checked out and issue still exist, and if $20 is affordable, I would rebalance them again.  Mine tires were couple of thousand miles.  I swapped the tires to the mag wheels.  Balanced at the same shop and immediately exhibited the vibration.  Rotated the tires didn’t help.  Took to Costco to rebalance again as it was the cheapest option instead of getting new set of tires or drive shaft… fortunately it cured the vibration.  Hope you’re lucky too 

Edited September 7, 2022 by 240zadmire

[Zed Head]

Did you post about this before?  Seems familiar.  A dial indicator, or even a stick on a brick, might tell you something.  Set it up and spin the various items in question.

[ckurtz2]

45 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

Did you post about this before?  Seems familiar.  A dial indicator, or even a stick on a brick, might tell you something.  Set it up and spin the various items in question.

It is possible, but I don't think so. I am considering making a thread for it though, because I want to know how it would even bend in the first place or if something else is causing the companion flange to twist and bend. So bad that I have to use a big bearing puller and a breaker bar to pull it back off the splines. I just don't understand it. The driver side one works perfect and assembled perfect.

[Mark Maras]

 This isn't a "normal" vibration. Most vibrations I've encountered started above 60 mph. 30 mph is very slow in half shaft or even prop shaft speed. This one does sound like something is bent.

 

[Zed Head]

1 hour ago, ckurtz2 said:

pull it back off the splines

Off the splines or out of the hole?  I think that the outer bearing race is an interference fit (could be wrong).  Might be that the strut casting has a problem.

 

[ckurtz2]

Yes. So the companion flange female splines fit over the male splines just a little bit. But then I have to impact on the companion flange the rest of the way. After the companion flange is completely on I can notice it is all out of true. As when I spin the whole thing the companion flange looks all bent and no longer circular. In fact it actually made contact with the strut and I have to bend it a little back. I’m just thinking that because of this rhe axle must be bent at the area where the splines are. As the companion flange probably bends to fit the bent shaft. I hope this makes sense. I have no proof but this is my theory. The strut and races looked good before I put the stub axle in. I doubt they got messed up. But I did have the axle on a 80,000lb press. Probs messed it up there when putting on bearings or wheels studs