^^^ I'd have to agree with Franko500.
The splines on your driveshaft are badly worn, if you look to the right you'll see the original spline size. Fitting new driveshaft flanges would probably get you mobile again but they'll quickly wear and fail again. Much of this spline wear is avoidable and due to lack of maintenance. They're supposed to be sparingly lubricated with grease and there's a small rubber boot which clips onto the groove in the driveshaft flange to keep out dirt and water. (Hint - order some new rubber boots!)
Unfortunately changing the driveshaft means opening up the gearbox but this has been covered several times on this forum (try doing a search, see search option in green line near top of page for previous relevant posts).
I had a driveshaft coupling fail once on a 600 (similar arrangement as the 500) while on a weekend away in a rural area- girlfriend not impressed!
I asked around locally, found someone into cars. He had an old Hardy-Spicer universal joint from a car driveshaft. I tapped some of the little needle rollers (hardened steel pins) into the gaps between the driveshaft and the flange splines, then fitted a hose clamp to hold them in place. Got going again and made it home - girlfriend impressed!
On the 600 the driveshafts can be removed from the gearbox simply by unbolting the large rubber boots. At the time, I was working in a truck repair workshop with it's own in-house machine shop. On Monday, I had the driveshaft splines built-up with weld and new splines machined, bought new flanges and fitted them that evening after work.
AL.
The splines on your driveshaft are badly worn, if you look to the right you'll see the original spline size. Fitting new driveshaft flanges would probably get you mobile again but they'll quickly wear and fail again. Much of this spline wear is avoidable and due to lack of maintenance. They're supposed to be sparingly lubricated with grease and there's a small rubber boot which clips onto the groove in the driveshaft flange to keep out dirt and water. (Hint - order some new rubber boots!)
Unfortunately changing the driveshaft means opening up the gearbox but this has been covered several times on this forum (try doing a search, see search option in green line near top of page for previous relevant posts).
I had a driveshaft coupling fail once on a 600 (similar arrangement as the 500) while on a weekend away in a rural area- girlfriend not impressed!
I asked around locally, found someone into cars. He had an old Hardy-Spicer universal joint from a car driveshaft. I tapped some of the little needle rollers (hardened steel pins) into the gaps between the driveshaft and the flange splines, then fitted a hose clamp to hold them in place. Got going again and made it home - girlfriend impressed!
On the 600 the driveshafts can be removed from the gearbox simply by unbolting the large rubber boots. At the time, I was working in a truck repair workshop with it's own in-house machine shop. On Monday, I had the driveshaft splines built-up with weld and new splines machined, bought new flanges and fitted them that evening after work.
AL.
Last edited:
