Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Syncro Driveshafts - Problems in Paradise?
From:Budd Premack
Date:Fri, 19 Jun 1998 10:36:14 -0500

For those of you fellow Syncronauts having vibrations with your center
driveshaft,
you may have followed my posts on the use of an internal shim kit to
replace bad
u-joints.

My Syncro is now back at Proven Force Clutch & U-Joint to get the internal
u-joint shims replaced, as vibration has come back after about 10k miles.
Todd of Proven Force is doing this as a warranty item at no charge.

He told me that this is the 2nd shaft he has warranted for shims, with one
more on the way.  Since he has only fixed 12 of them during the past 9
months, he is quite concerned.  To avoid future problems (and to put a cap
on his warranty exposure) he will temporarily accept new work only with no
warranty offered.  All prior work will continue to have a full warranty.
He is checking with his shim supplier about the problem, and may shift to
using external shims.  I will keep tabs on this and alert the List about
any developments.

This seems like a fair temporary resolution which we all hope will end up
with a permanent solution.  None of us wants to spend $$$ on an official VW
rebuilt driveshaft.

For detailed information, you can contact Todd at Proven Force (in
Minneapolis) at
(800) 444-0755.

My situation is a bit more critical.  Todd has informed me that I also have
spinning caps which has caused an elongated yoke.  The temporary solution
is to peen the shaft, but this will not last forever, so I am probably
looking for a good replacement shaft.

Budd Premack
86 Syncro, 84 Vanagon (for sale)
73 Super
Minneapolis, MN (Land of Sky-Blue Waters)