Drive Shaft
 

Hello SVX friends,

Does anyone know if I can replace my drive shaft (96 LSI) with a drive shaft from a 92 SVX that I found at a salvage yard? I know they're slightly different, so I was wondering if they're interchangeable.

I'm currently experiencing vibrations in the gas pedal and under my seat while driving 80+ mph, and I suspect it might be a drive shaft issue. I have replaced both front axles, and this has not alleviated my problem.

Thanks,

James

I would have the car properly diagnosed before just throwing money into fixes that MIGHT solve the problem.

Im with David here, it could be any number of things and just throwning money in a direction probably wont fix it.
phil (speaking from experience)

Re: Drive Shaft
 

It could be a number of things, Transmission mount, driveshaft, engine mount, differential mount, suspension bushing, etc.

Check out the smaller import shops. A lot of them will do a "Safety inspection" for under $50. If you ask, they will usually check anything that can be checked without much disassembly.

I found out that I had a bad sway bar link on one side that was causing vibrations. Saved me a ton of money and time in parts swapping.

BTW: I need a driveshaft, you mind sharing the location you found it in? I haven't been able to find any locally.

Doug

Re: Drive Shaft
 

Yes, it will fit, and it definitely could be the driveshaft causing the vibration. My car also had a vibration that increased in intensity as the speed increased beyond 80 mph. However, it felt more to me like it was coming from the middle/back of the car, and the vibration would get really strong at speeds above 100 mph. I put a used '92 driveshaft in my '95, and the vibration was gone. The odd thing is that there was nothing obviously wrong with my original driveshaft. You could also see if you could get your original driveshaft balanced, but you may find that you will need to get it rebuilt first. The u-joints on SVX driveshafts seem to get notchy from almost the very beginning, and most shops will not try to balance a driveshaft with notchy u-joints.

Thanks for all of your replies!

I've actually had the car inspected by Subaru of Santa Cruz, and they're the ones that recommended the front axle replacement. I ordered the parts from Raxles, and the problem still didn't go away. I also replaced, balanced, and aligned all four tires. The front rotors were also resurfaced. I'm slowly tracking down the problem, but I can't seem to find a good mechanic. Do any of you recommend a mechanic either in northern or southern California?

I've been reading through all of the threads about vibrations, and my best guess now is the drive shaft.

If you're looking for used subaru parts, here's a good salvage yard near Sacramento that specializes in Subarus: 1-800-638-5773. The prices are definitely negotiable with this guy.