Front driveshaft rubbing

[WildWildWest]

A recent noise has came about and it was found that the front driveshaft is rubbing on a plastic guard for a cable.

Trouble is, I don’t see how or why this has suddenly become a problem. I did just lift the truck 6 inches, however, I don’t see how this would have changed anything to put the driveshaft closer to this guard.

Looking for ideas on a fix? Is it safe to trim this guard out of the way? It is bendable, but does not stay. Maybe apply heat and bend?

Then again, if the lift did not cause this to happen, what did and maybe there is a deeper issue?

Is there any concerns with the driveshaft being scratched up? How easy is it for the scratches to cause the shaft to get out of balance and would this cause vibrations even though the shaft isn’t actually engaged?

I plan to goto a dealer and get under a truck to see if it compares, or if anyone is bored and would like to see if theirs is the same it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Rick3478]

A recent noise has came about and it was found that the front driveshaft is rubbing on a plastic guard for a cable.

Trouble is, I don’t see how or why this has suddenly become a problem. I did just lift the truck 6 inches, however, I don’t see how this would have changed anything to put the driveshaft closer to this guard.

So if I'm looking at the right kit, the RC lift required you to cut out part of the original crossmember and install a new one that is several inches taller, and which the front differential now mounts to. Somewhere in that process you managed to shift the differential closer to the engine and now things don't fit. I don't know if some holes in the new parts were incorrectly placed, or if you did something wrong, but there it sits.

Maybe you can gain some clearance by loosening bolts up and pushing things against the sides of their holes. Or maybe it's time for the magic rat-tail file. It may take longer to fix the problem than it did to create it. I've never done that.

 

[WildWildWest]

So if I'm looking at the right kit, the RC lift required you to cut out part of the original crossmember and install a new one that is several inches taller, and which the front differential now mounts to. Somewhere in that process you managed to shift the differential closer to the engine and now things don't fit. I don't know if some holes in the new parts were incorrectly placed, or if you did something wrong, but there it sits.

Maybe you can gain some clearance by loosening bolts up and pushing things against the sides of their holes. Or maybe it's time for the magic rat-tail file. It may take longer to fix the problem than it did to create it. I've never done that.

I am so thankful you brought this up as it lead to me looking at the instructions.

Lol I attached a screenshot. Looks like I’ll be calling the shop tomorrow and asking for a driveshaft replacement and asking them to finish the job!!

 

[Rick3478]

Ah, so they planned for the shield to be trimmed. Fair enough, three dimensions involved. May not have hurt the shaft much, a bit of paint may be sufficient to deter rust.