Tom Woods Driveshaft failure

[Discoinjapan]

I think if anyone should be flown out to Tom Woods to report on the shop, it should be Will Tillery... as someone who sells the largest amount of TW shafts, he should have the best understanding of the process.

Agreed, Will would be a good choice, but would there be conflict of interest being he sells them. I saw we make a pool of candidates and vote on it. And if Mr. Woods agrees then there you go. Although my opinion is that even if someone where to go and have a wonderful tour of the process, there will still be people that will complain.. You cant please everyone.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

LOL or e-mail Tom like he said and let him decide.

 

[Roving Beetle]

I used two of his shafts in my TDI project with zero issues - they were great.

I emailed him, no idea just how serious he was, and I certainly don't need "frills" but I'd LOVE to see the process and take some pics (if he'd let me)

I like to think I'm pretty easy going and don't make too much of a fuss around here. I do a lot of my own machining and love to see how stuff goes together and all.... Maybe he'll let me come see it?!

Doug

 

[leeawalden]

damn, I thought it was cool he sent me a hat! I have the DC on the front and since Tom replaced my last joint I have put the 3" RT lift on and RT links and haven't had any problems since...if I can save up enough cash I will buy the rear as well.

 

[ini88]

Thanks for the write up Tom.

Why did you recently change the centering ball from needle bearings to just a smooth sleeve? Was this part of the failure that kept coming up on these driveshafts?

 

[gmookher]

Thanks for the write up Tom.

Why did you recently change the centering ball from needle bearings to just a smooth sleeve? Was this part of the failure that kept coming up on these driveshafts?

Thats a great Q..

 

[D Chapman]

Fuck, if you toss out your professional manner qualification, I'd be up for this.

I'd nominate:
Rob Davidson
Sinuhe Xavier
Axel Haakonsen
and
Marc Olivares

 

[D Chapman]

I think if anyone should be flown out to Tom Woods to report on the shop, it should be Will Tillery... as someone who sells the largest amount of TW shafts, he should have the best understanding of the process.

That would be like Jethro Bodine going to Beverly Hills.

 

[kennith]

If someone goes out there, it needs to be a bastard. Someone who only cares how things are made, which things are best, and about performance. It has to be someone who doesn't give a damn what the result of the experience is, and likewise doesn't give a damn what anyone else thinks. The person needs to be a straight shooter to the core, regardless of the consequences. They had better be smart, as well. Looking up to anyone here needs to be immediate disqualification. They have to be entirely disinterested. You need the kind of guy whose own mother would be afraid to ask him if those pants make her look fat.

Now, before anyone suggests that I have just described myself, I'll go ahead and say that I don't bloody feel like it.

Find someone like me, bring them out there, and you will have your answers.

Of course, that's not exactly how I would do it. I'd make a big event out of it, con the community into bringing the supplies, accept donations, and spend the money cherry-picking drivers for woody sponsorships based on their status in the community... Pass out some grease and T-shirts to keep people interested, film the whole shebang, list it for 19.95, sell it to attendees for 10 bucks, and bingo. Instant brand presence.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Mongo]

can I go...

 

[mbrummal]

Why doesn't someone local (or close) just make a day of it?

 

[rovercanus]

Tom, great post!
Regarding the quality of the centering ball kit. At my company we manufactor equipment for the corrugated industry. We, like you, are at the mercy of our suppliers at times.
Two years ago we noticed a significant number of failures in a hydraulic component. After repeated attempts to correct the situation in the shop and unfortunately the field, we discovered that the company had moved the assembly process to Mexico for this particular componant and that is when our failures started to occur. Of course the company denied there was any problem and would do little to resolve the issue until we started getting a replacement part from another manufacturor.
In the mean time customers who took delivery of our machine with this defective part were telling us they purchased a piece of shit and should have gone to the competitor even though we had no control over this one small component of a very large piece of equipment. Try telling that to a customer who is down for 24 hours waiting for a part to get up and running again. Then take this to an uncaring supplier who questions everything you do.
Sometimes it takes threatening to dump a supplier to make them straighten there shit up. Other times you just have to give up on them and move on.
Good luck on the centering ball quality issues.
I just ordered a front driveshaft for my truck from Will yesterday. I look forward to installing it.

 

[ptschram]

Ooh, ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me, pick me, pick me!

I'll go, I'll go, I can make the time!!!

Ooh, ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!

(arm waving wildly in the air)

I'll even pay for my driveshaft as I need a rear for the Salisbury.

 

[KyleT]

well, my vibration is speed dependent, I can see how it might be the bearings, but I didn't notice the shaft being noticeably heavier than OEM.

I was not bashing build quality.

I can say that they were super quick, I was in Co and the stock one went out on me on China Wall, had to limp it to Springs and ordered one from pikes peak rovers. had it there in 2 days.

 

[Roving Beetle]

My mother isn't fat - but I do tell her every time I work on it (which is ALL the time) that her Jaguar is a piece of sh!t.

For what it's worth I will gladly tell it like it is - if I can stick around here after being told I was a f@%king idiot for even thinking of putting a TDI in a D2....

And I will happily tell Dan to eat my bawls if needed - but honestly I see no need, and thank gawd for that cause I think he'd be able to kick my ass pretty well :ack: :rofl:

Doug

 

[WILL.TILLERY]

I think maybe I will attend the Tom Woods in house visit!

 

[cptyarderho]

Fuck, if you toss out your professional manner qualification, I'd be up for this.

Was that a shot at you?

I know who I will be buying from now. Talk about standing behind your product, damn Tom.atriot:

 

[ptschram]

I knew being the "internet Boy Scout" would be to my advantage someday!

 

[Blue]

I just swapped out my stock shaft for a Tom Woods on the day I left for a trip to Utah. After 1300 miles of driving up to 90 mph on the highway and pushing it pretty hard on the rocks in low gear in Sedona I must report that the shaft is fine. The shaft was relatively cheap but the peace of mind was priceless.

 

[crown14]

Boy did this thread blow up


Well I got around to checking on my shafts, and I have uncool amounts of play in the u-joints at both the front and rear differential ends of the shafts. I went ahead and shot a tad more grease in and strangely enough- although none of the joints seemed to really need it- the greasing seems to have lessened the vibration a great deal for the time being.