With 157K on the clock of my 97 TJ, the manual transmission started to groan and the driveline vibrations increased. My local Jeep repair specialist tore down the trans, replaced bearings and syncros, and since it was the original clutch I had it replaced as well. After reassembly, there was still some driveline vibration and the issue was reportedly the mid section of the stainless (2 year old) driveshaft that was installed along with a SYE and a 3" lift. The repair specialist said I could expect about 2 years life from the rear driveshaft due to the lift kit. I'm not a professional mechanic but I have turned a lot of wrenches through the years and this does not seem accurate where a driveshaft is properly balanced and the differential angle is set correctly. What has been your experience?
