My mechanic tells me that the hold up or carrier bearings on the drive shaft of my 2005 Equinox need to be replaced. He says that about half the time this cannot be accomplished and that I might have to replace the entire drive shaft. From the research I have done, it seems that a press (?) and blow torches are needed to replace the bearings. Has anyone had any experience with this. I can’t afford the new drive shaft, but I could afford to replace the bearings if I could find someone who was sure they could accomplish this. I am hoping someone can steer me in the right direction or to a mechanic who can do this?
Using various combinations of a shop press and heat to remove and replace bearings is common thing mechanics and automobile machine shops do all the time. It may be there is something special about this particular bearing which requires the entire drive shaft be replaced when it fails in some bad way. It may be that the place the bearing resides – the bearing seat – becomes damaged sometimes for example. Or the stops which hold it at the exact right location could be worn. Either might require the entire drive shaft to be replaced.
If no one hear has a Fairfax mechanic recommendation, ask your friends and co-workers for a mechanic reference. Preferrably one who specializes in that make. If that doesn’t work, phone up some of the local auto-machine-shops and see what they have to say.
If all else fails, visit you local high school or junior college auto shop instructor for a recommendation. Sometimes these school shops will take on the job themselves, as a way to help the students learn.
I’ve replaced a lot of center carriers but will admit that I’ve never done one on an Equinox.
A replaceable center carrier is shown to be available and my gut feeling is that it won’t be that difficult on an '05 model vehicle. The carrier is pricy though at about 140 dollars.
The ones I’ve done never required a torch or press except in cases of severe rust or some odd wear anomaly.
If you live in or near a major metro area you might check the Yellow Pages under the “drivelines” category. Odds are a specialty driveline shop could repair this for you without resorting to replacing the entire shaft and the price should be much less.
We had this done, by our local mechanic, he saved the drive shafts, the gm kit cost $250 and the whole job cost around 450, it would have been another 3-400 if either of the drive shafts had to be replaced. It was one of those things where he said he would try to save the shafts but there was no guarantee. Good luck
A torch is needed to heat the U-joints and release the epoxy that locks the cups in the yoke. The replacement joint uses snap rings. A common press will get the front yoke out of the carrier.