E36 Driveshaft Compatibility

[drivetolive]

The u-joint on my 5-speed, 1998 328i (sedan) is worn and I understand the entire driveshaft needs replacing as the u-joint is non-serviceable. My question is, does the driveshaft need to be from another 1998 manual 328i, or are their other driveshafts which are compatible? I am having a hard time finding a used driveshaft.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[lbennyboobool]

I believe the rear half is the same for all 6 cylinder e36 cars and then just put the front from yours onto the rear of any.

For an exact full on replacement, i believe any e36 328 and 96+ m3 with a manual trans will work

[drivetolive]

I believe the rear half is the same for all 6 cylinder e36 cars and then just put the front from yours onto the rear of any.

For an exact full on replacement, i believe any e36 328 and 96+ m3 with a manual trans will work

Thanks!

[66 6]

I believe the rear half is the same for all 6 cylinder e36 cars and then just put the front from yours onto the rear of any.

For an exact full on replacement, i believe any e36 328 and 96+ m3 with a manual trans will work

this is true. The rear half of manual and auto 325, 323, 328 and M3 are the same length. However if you are joining two driveshafts you will probably need to have it balanced. At a minimum line up the white marks but this may not solve all vibrations.

[Bostongruen]

Check car-part.com.

[lbennyboobool]

my understanding is that the front and rear halves of the driveshafts are balanced independently so they shouldn't need re balanced. I haven't had to on the two I've done anyways

[66 6]

my understanding is that the front and rear halves of the driveshafts are balanced independently so they shouldn't need re balanced. I haven't had to on the two I've done anyways

Good to know. I'd love to hear if other people had that issue as well. It would save allot of headache when rear U's go bad.

[gdavid]

The Bentley manual includes marking the two halves before disassembly which leads me to believe they are balanced together but I really don't understand the point of a two piece system if it is so sensitive to balance. Overall it doesn't make sense why these units are generally more sensitive to balance compared to a conventional 1 piece unit that is connected to a live rear axle and being subjected to motion in multiple planes. They are seemingly becoming more common and are now found on domestic AWD vehicles which would drive a demand for rebuilding them but probably not by local shops, instead "remanufactured" overseas with varying degrees of quality just like axles halves.

If you have a vibration with the two new mates, mark the ends and try different orientations at 90 or 45 degree intervals until you minimize the vibration. You could do this with the vehicle on stands and test briefly with the exhaust off and out of the way. Remember to turn abs off before trying to run it in gear with the wheels off the ground. Be careful.