type44 driveshaft repair report(BMW part # correction)

[Konstantin Bogach]

Sorry, gentlemen.  I typed wrong # of BMW part for central bearing support.  The part# is :
26121209532.

Konstantin Bogach.

Konstantin Bogach wrote:

> Hi listers.
>
> Aftre driving 2 weeks I can say that clanking I reported a month or so
> ago came from driveshaft and I fixed it.
> Clanking came and went and it was hard to determine where it is coming
> from. After taking shaft off the car and disassembling it (here are
> helpful links:   http://www.audifans.com/archives/1995/01/msg00362.html
> ,
> http://www.audifans.com/cgi-bin/lwgate/QUATTRO/archives/quattro.000308/date/article-4.html
> ) I did not find any obvious reason for clanking.  U-joint was ok (I
> lubricated it recently), no play, tight.  Front CV had little-little
> play. After disassembling the CV I found that balls made tiny wear on
> the race (if it correcty term). So tiny that I could not believe it is
> the problem.  Center support bearing was good. Rubber sagging though
> down off the center.  On my second car it is also sagging.  All cars I
> saw had it sagging too.  So, I did not feel it is a suspect.
> But I decided to change all three items, just in case.  I got CV (LOBRO,
> $65) and center support bearing(BMW26532121209, $28)  from TPC.  U-joint
> I got from NAPA(NAPA's crossreference for Neapco 1-0013 unit, made by
> DANA, USA).  I reused bracket from original center support.  It is
> welded in 4 places (2 spot welds on the bottome and MIG welds on both
> sides).  I cut metal ring and ground welded piece of the ring in these
> four spots and the piece fell off.  When welded new support to the
> bracket, welder did pretty lousy job and rubber melted in 2 spots.
> U-joint was shorter than original one and needed shims.
> When I aligned drive shaft  it turned out that  I don't need spacers
> which were installed with old support. It brought the center of shaft
> up.  These spacesr (about 0.5'') and sagged rubber in old support
> probably made it hell out of alignment.
>
> I believe it is fixed but I don't know what was the reason of clanking.
> Wearout on CV?  Combination of CV and misalignment?  Don't know.
> By the way, BMW part for center support is mentioned  in archives mostly
> as a replacement for 4K and MB part is mentioned as replacement for
> type44.  Rod said to me that it is basicly same part.   Iin any case BMW
> part works.  How long? Will see.
>
> Konstantin Bogach