Driveshafts...

[porkhunt]

Hi Y'all. 94 530i strya. 345,000 Km's
I bought a driveshaft for mine, build 10/93...
Ex usa, rebuilt, still 1/2 the price of a brand new in box, off the shelf....
But: It didn't fit, splines were smaller.
So it's sitting on my garage floor, cost me well over original price to get shaft rebuilt.
Cannot for the life of me find any comparisons.
So without me going outside and copying my build numbers; what was the difference in pre 10/93 and post 10/93 shafts?
Think I'm sitting on the cusp between the two...
And Hello Eric, you're like, everywhere!
But wait, there's more... I put a budget Guibo in, and it's still vibrating, I've ordered Meyle from pelicans (budget + BMW = Fail).
I'm guessing that's the culprit, But, do I need to change the centre-ing bearing?
Thanks in advance.

[shogun]

That is not enough info to help you. Country version, automatic, manual gear, Touring, sedan, M60B30 V8 or M30B30 6 cylinder etc or simply give us the VIN and then you and we could check on www.realoem.com and go thru the built years.
What is mentioned on the invoice for the rebuilt one? part number?

[porkhunt]

Sorry, 94 E34 530i M60 B30 auto, australia, sedan...WBAHE22060GE78640
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=HE22-EUR-10-1993-E34-BMW-530i&diagId=26_0094
Bought part using these part numbers. I don't have invoice as it was near a year ago I bought it.
My build date is 10/93 and has a larger spline than the driveshaft supplied...
Different model #'s before 10/93 and post 10/93. Not sure which side of the fence I'm on...
Which has the smaller spline?
If I could ascertain the above infoormation, I could sell the smaller spline shaft I bought.
Have looked all over before asking!

Cheers

[632 Regal]

Not that any of my information will be of any use but...

My 94 build 6/93 compared to my 95 4/95 the input yoke on the differential, the 94 used the big yoke. I had to swap them when I swapped the LSD into the 95. I did notice the 95 driveshaft was smaller in diameter than the 94.

No idea about splines but I would assume a driveshaft would include both the front and rear sections unless I'm reading this wrong.

If you didn't replace the center bearing that could be whats causing the vibration, but could also be the worn out universal joints too.

[porkhunt]

Yeah, I wasn't sure what it was gunner be, the uni, the guibo, the cv... So to avoid surprises I bought a complete driveshaft.
Left it til I absolutely had to change it... Put it up on ramps and stands, still had no room to move, so took it into local shop, they did it on the hoist!
So I'm a bit short on details as per exact comparison.
Bought a new centre bearing, an they changed that, changed the guibo, with the ebay special, they reckoned the spline, which is the diff end; on mine, was larger...
So took it all back to same shop, they took it all out again, and sent it off to be re-coned, and balanced (which cost morethan the price of a new one...)
I'm still not happy with it, possibilities range from centre-ing bearing, in the trans? and the bugdget guibo, which are on order.
Long shot, but could be 1/2 shafts and/or wheel bearings. But my wallet prefers above scenario.
I didn't know about the centre-ing bearing (not centre bearing on shaft).
But I'd be happy to identify the driveshaft sitting on my garage floor, so I could pawn it and put a few dollars back in my pocket.
Incidentally, my guy, the German (Peter Erlyemeyer Prestige autologic); he reckons, every time you separate the driveshaft you must re-balance it??
He is a perfectionist, but he didn't do this job. (wish he had, thought it was gunner be a simple swap...)
Thanks for following!

[shogun]

every time you separate the driveshaft you must re-balance it??>>>not necessary, have done that several times, usually you mark the shafts and put them together as they were, often there is a marking anyway from factory, see here
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/sean750/driveshaftCenterbearing/Image51.jpg
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/sean750/driveshaftCenterbearing/driveshaftCenterbearing.htm

[632 Regal]

Bought a new centre bearing, an they changed that, changed the guibo, with the ebay special, they reckoned the spline, which is the diff end; on mine, was larger...


Okay now it's starting to make sense. Same thing I was mentioning, my 94 had the big differential input yoke/flange (not spline) and the 95 had the smaller one.

The driveshaft should have a part number on one of the halves. I would guess you have the newer 530 driveshaft sitting on your floor. I don't remember when they transitioned to the smaller shaft but it was after my build date of 6/93 and your build date of 10/93.