So I was heading down to my moms for thanksgiving and my carrier bearing went out. This is weird as I replaced it a little over a year ago. The rubber between the bearing and the housing separated. The worst part is that the drive line hit my fuel tank so hard it now leaks........ So im not going anywhere for a while.
Anyone have this kind of issue?

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~Nic

Never had that happen, and I've owned over 40 vehicles. My dad has owned about the same number and only 1 has done something like that in normal driving between us. (I'm excluding drag racing because I've destroyed a long list of stuff that way).

Glad it didn't rupture the tank bad enough to set the truck on fire!

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

Well i took out the drive line and played with the bearing. It felt fine with no play or binding in the rollers. This made me ask myself "If the rollers in the bearing are spinning fine why would it separate from the rubber?" So I started reading some of my manuals and came to two options. 1: it needs new U joints. 2: It's not balanced right.
Turned out there is a third option. BOTH.
I took the whole drive line to Potter Webster in Longview, Wa. These guys deal with all types of drive train items from lawn mowers to freight trains. This one mechanic that look like he had one foot in the grave looked at it and just sighed. "Who cut this down?".
Well it just dawned on me as he said that. "U joint in Chehalis". I replied. Rembering that I had it cut when i changed out the transmission for a A833OD. "Why in the hell would you ever go there?" and before i could answer he grabed it off the counter and said "follow me".
He put a new carrier bearing on and stuck the whole drive line on what looked like a lathe and said "watch this". As it started it was fine but the faster it went the more it looked like it was going to explode.
The guy explained the importance of proper welding and balancing "Togeter". The one wont work without the other. He also said that the U Joints would now need replaced as they were "beaten up".
So all in all hes going to recut, reweld, and rebalance the drive line as well as replace the U Joints and the carrier bearing........ for $250.00.

Now I just need to find a cheap gas tank......

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~Nic

It will be a sad day when all those old timers who actually know how to do things right are gone. Happy you figured it out. Any way to get some kind of a refund from the u-joint place?

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

gas tanks should be easy to find around you.

I am sure you could make any 75-79 unit fit. _ am not sure if they are the same in '80 but they outta be close.

They never rust.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Im not going to even try. I have the receipt but it says noting about a warranty. And I dont have the time for BS....

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~Nic

I know of where three are in a wrecking yard but the trucks are sitting on the frames and the tanks sit lower than the frames.........
Mine is plastic on the outside. Im not sure on the inside but im guessing it is metal. Im going to ask a mechanic I know who dose body repair if they can be fixed (worst case) or if he knows where a new one is (best case). I may just put in a fuel cell as i have a 20Gal. one in my house as a coffee table. The only issue is that I dont have a pickup/sending unit for it but that should be an easy fix.

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~Nic

It very well could be a completely plastic tank. Dodge was putting plastic tanks in the B series vans forth 70s up through the end of the line in 03.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.