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      03-25-2026, 06:27 AM   #1
bobbert
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Driveshaft (CSB) failure questions

TL;DR : Looking for additional opinions before I buy a new assembly from Driveshaft Specialist.

I've recently started experiencing the symptoms of urgent center support bearing failure:
  • Bad vibration at 20-30mph under load (in-gear only accel/decel), worse on decel.
  • Chirping/scraping noise of the driveshaft on the heat shield at <10mph, also under load (in-gear only accel/decel), worse on decel.

At ~150k mi I don't think just replacing the CSB, guibo, and CV joint are the right move ($950 in parts), and new OE Genuine driveshafts are $2k+. I'm considering:
  • Carbon fiber: I've wanted to go this route for a awhile - specifically YFCM via EuroCon - but non-GB pricing ($2.7k) is too high for me. The MFactory/YCW (V3?) is noticeably cheaper ($2.2k) but I've read Matt's (EuroCon) writeup on V3 issues. Looking for other opinions/experience on going this route for a daily driver (300mi/wk) regarding vibration/NVH.
  • Aftermarket replacement (ranked from my research):
    - Driveshaft Specialist in Texas is commonly recommended and ~$600 (w/o guibo).
    - DriveshaftPro is also recommended and ~800 (w/o guibo).
    - Driveshaft Store is crazy cheap at <$500 (w/ guibo) but is only balanced to 3500rpm (71mph equivalent).
    - I've read to stay way from Dorman for poor quality and am reading mixed messages regarding their supplier, PTI.
  • Used replacement: Anyone selling a low-mile 6MT shaft? The Fun Yard has a few on eBay for ~$400 that I'm asking about the mileage on.
  • Rebuild: I expect I'd have to deal with the non-serviceable u-joint within the next few years too. I don't think getting my shaft rebuilt for the u-joint is realistic. Change my mind in the Seattle, WA area?


Last edited by bobbert; 03-25-2026 at 06:39 AM..
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DrFerry10035.50
      03-25-2026, 07:36 AM   #2
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SLG makes a great aluminum drive shaft. It replaces everything and its half the price of the carbon option. Its 1 piece and you'll never need to service anything on it, unlike all the other options.
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      03-25-2026, 11:44 AM   #3
RocketyMan
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Just buy a new CSB and guibo. It's very straightforward and easy to change. Make sure to MARK the driveshaft pieces so they go back on the same exact way.

On mine I just replaced the actual bearing because the rubber support was still good on mine. But the replacement CSB you can buy would fix your problem. The likelyhood of your rzeppa being bad on the shaft is rare. But the rubber on the guibo is likely to be worn out and cracked which is probably causing your issue.

$950 for replacement parts is unrealistic.

Guibo: circa ~$100
CSB: circa $150 (you can find cheaper options around $50)
Exhaust gasket: circa $20

The carbon fiber driveshafts are simply not worth the $2k+ cost.
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