I HAD ZANESVILLE JOINT AND CLUTCH MAKE ME A NEW DRIVESHAFT FOR MY 1986 CHEVY G-20 VAN, BECAUSE MY OLD DRIVESHAFT WAS CREATING A VIBRATION. THIS NEW ONE PIECE DRIVESHAFT WAS APROX. 65.5" IN LENGTH FROM CENTER TO CENTER OF U-JOINT, USING 2.75" O.D. BY .065" WALL THICKNESS SEAMED TUBING. I INSTALLED THE NEW DRIVESHAFT THEN WENT FOR A DRIVE TO CHECK FOR ANY VIBRATIONS. THE ORIGINAL VIBRATIONS OCCURRED AT 55MPH WITH THE OLD DRIVESHAFT, AS I HAD EXPLAINED ALL OF THIS TO ZANESVILLE JOINT AND CLUTCH PRIOR TO THEM MAKING ME A NEW DRIVESHAFT. SO I GOT ON THE HIGHWAY TO TEST FOR VIBRATIONS AT 55MPH WITH THE NEW DRIVESHAFT. TO MY SURPRISE I NOTICED A VIOLENT VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY A CONSTANT BANGING, AS I THEN TRIED TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO THE BURM OF THE HIGHWAY. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS ONLY HALF OF THE NEW DRIVESHAFT STILL ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE. AS I LOOKED DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN TOTAL DISBELIEF I SAW THE OTHER HALF OF MY DRIVESHAFT. IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I HAD NOT EVEN TRAVELED HALF OF A MILE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH. VISUALLY MY NEW DRIVESHAFT WAS DESTROYED ALONG WITH FLOOR BOARDS AND EXHAUST. IT WAS LATER AFTERI INSTALLED MY OLD ORIGINAL DRIVESHAFT THAT I FOUND MORE DAMAGES INCLUDING TRANSMISSION AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I CONTACTED ZANESVILLE JOINT AND CLUTCH AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE OPERATORS FAULT AND THEY DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. I CONTACTED THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE OHIO BBB, AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS OF REBUTTAL, TO RESOLVE MY ISSUE I GAVE A LIST OF DAMAGES AND PRICES OF NEW PARTS, BUT WAS REFUSED AND ONLY OFFERED A REFUND FOR MY DRIVESHAFT. WHICH I DID NOT EXCEPT. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10206580
- Incident
- Jul 25, 2002