i'm hearing a sound coming from near the back of the transmission. it sometimes sounds like a steady muffled scrape and at low speeds it clicks sometimes. the car also shakes a little when taking off from a dead stop. does this sound like what usually happens when the center support bearing goes out? if it turned out to be a u-joint, can those be changed on a Z32?

 

Nope....that doesn't sound like the center support bearing. Usually you get a vibration from about 45MPH and above from the carrier bearing. The vibration at low speed could be a worm tranny mount, or worn diff bushings.

Most people don't change the u-joint...they just upgrade the driveshaft to a 1-piece unit.

 

so you think that the tranny rear mount could be loosening up and letting the tail wobble at take off? it is deffinately coming from that general area, but while under the car i didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

 

i've got to bring this thread back. i've just dealt with the little bit of shake when i take off, but now i think that the bearing has finally bitten the dust. when shifting out of 2nd at around 6K today, the car started to vibrate pretty bad. the vibration is partially dependant on car speed and partially on strain on the drive train:
when decelerating with the clutch in or in nuetral, it vibrates until i get to 25 mph, then it smooths out fine
it vibrates when cruizing, but if i hit the gas or let all the way off the gas it lightens up.
it sounds like it's from right under the center console or the back of the transmission.
i got under the car when i got home to shake the drive shaft and it didn't move any out of the normal.
now, correct me if i'm wrong, but from pictures i've looked at, and other research, it looks like the stock drive shaft has one u-joint in the middle and none on the ends. mine has a u-joint at the back of the transmission (just outside of the sort of housing that extends around the shaft from the back of the tranny). i havn't looked in the middle, but i'll be up late pulling the exhuast down. does this sound like the spot for the stock u-joint, or may this already be a one piece? i'm guessing that if there's another u-joint at the diff then it's a one piece...
could this also be: tranny tail shaft (wow i hope not), or u joints in rear axles?
the diff isn't making any noise BTW

 

well now that i've taken the time, it was easier to find then i expected. once i had the back jacked up, i looked down the drive shaft from the back and saw the carrier bearing. i shook the shaft right there and it has more then a 1/2 inch of play! needless to say, i found the problem.
but, in all the pictures i've seen, the stock drive shaft has 2 u-joints right? mine has 3. one in the middle, and one on each end obviously. '90 specific thing? or are they all like that?
is there any place that i can get a one piece DS cheaper then a carrier bushing? i'm not looking for performance, just reliability

 

i guess i've answered all of my own questions here. i hope this helps someone while searching! i'm just buying a CSB tomarow. no 1 piece for me

 

im pretty sure all the 1-piece driveshafts are cheaper than getting yours fixed....................nm forget i said that

 

all the one's that i saw were between $200-$300. i was wondering if there was one not performance oriented that may be cheaper than the CSB

 

yep. i got it out today and the rubber is shredded up right good. but i broke all 4 studs off the exhaust flanges and i'm having quite a time drilling them out. the drill won't stay in the center because i'm at such a bad angle and most of my drill bits won't even cut it. i also found a massive crack about a foot long down the tail pipe. it was just a pretty bad day for the Z. i hope i can finish it tomarow. 5 hours my ***

 

it's all back together exept for the exhaust. it is quite a job getting those bolts drilled out of the flanges. i have broken 3 drill bits an dulled 2. and that is while stopping to put oil on every 5 seconds. i guess i need to go get a beast drill bit.

 

finally got the exhaust now. i had to go grab some super nice carbide drill bits from my neighbor. they didn't dull a bit. it's all back together now. i did find several killer leaks on the exhaust though, including a massive crack going about a foot down the pipe. looks like it's time for a trip to the parts car that i heard about...

 

Exhaust leaks can definately drain power too, by the way.

 

i guess that's the low end power that is reduced by a lack of back pressure aye? i figured so, but i wasn't sure if it would be significant. that is where the car is lacking, in the low end

 

my car doesn't shake at any speed or when shifting gears but in first gear at a stop taking off the acts as if i am stalling it an it vibrates and i think i can feal it in the shifter
i have herd this could be a clutch problem and if i kinda give it more gas and essencially dump the clutch to take off it doesn't vibrate

 

yea that's exactly what mine did until the bushing went completely out. yea it could be the clutch, but i would think you could hear which one it is. you could check the carrier bearing to see if it's shaky. just grab the back of the shaft and shake. it shouldn't move much at all. this is all considering that you were asking. maybe you were informing lol.