Just clarifying, are you talking about the front half of the 2WD driveshaft? If so, removal means removing the exhaust from the clamps just aft of the catalytic converters rearward. Then removing the bolts in the front and rear flex discs, removing the heat shield above the exhaust and finally the center bearing mount. Do you have a local driveline service (driveshaft repair, etc.)? If not I ran across this place some years back and it may work for you. For ~ $500 they pay shipping, send you a rebuilt driveshaft and a box to send your old unit back to them.

Mercedes Replacment driveshafts

Driveshaft Specialist Mercedes driveshaft and Mercedes front driveshaft and drive shaft

www.driveshaftspecialist.com

You'd still need new flex discs if yours have not been replaced in the last 80k miles or so.

 

Sorry...I meant the shaft going to the front differential from the transfer case. The car is a 4matic. Good info on the rear shaft.

 

Ah, no worries! The same place sells the front shaft, as an option. The procedure looks a bit painful...

 

Mercedes Replacment driveshafts

Driveshaft Specialist Mercedes driveshaft and Mercedes front driveshaft and drive shaft

www.driveshaftspecialist.com

Has anyone used this shop ti get a driveshaft?

 

MB did a terrible job by using a very bad supply of this yoke (u joint), it horrible and the shit thing is not lasting long. Good news is you discovered early stage,

 

I think the close proximity to the exhaust system weakens the seals/grease. I was very fortunate I caught it before it bound up and broke the gears in the transfer case in which case I've read a new transmission is needed. So be sure to regularly check that ujoint for play and for pieces of it (needle bearings, seals) resting in the large back plastic bottom cover just below the u joint (see picture). Play can be checked by elevating the car and while you are on your back grab the front wheel and rotate it back and forth while looking at the ujoint for incorrect movement. I have a video of the play in my ujoint but I cant figure out how to load it on this site.

 

Happen more often only on the front axle drive shaft, not at the rear.

 

True story from your end, the location of this yoke is an inch away from hot Right header to downpipe with a small bonus of a tiny tin can heat shield, I am currently rebuilding my whole M273/4Matic engine so I discover this soft spot, my front driveshaft is now off the system gave me an opportunity to inspect the whole front driveline system before all thing back to engine bay. As you mentioned regards to the output shaft from 722.9 transfer case to front, inside of it construction is a very unit piece of engineering, all are gears driven and lub by the same tranny ATF fluid,if you could have the hand (as preventative maintenance) on this please open the return fluid line from Rad cooling (in front) connect to above transfer case, inside it has a small tiny fragile filter, make sure it is super clean and free of any debris, the older transmission you have there is a lotsa great chance of debris from worm out clutch plates and fine metal mud will plug this filter... it is a nightmare.
Hope this help

 

Thanks for that advise on that inline filter silarrow! I'll be sure to check that. My indie says that these ujoints out between 80,000 and 100,000 miles and mercedes hasn't done anything to improve them.

 

No they don't and never will, it's the business of preventing the layoff of their service dept serviceman, recently they are very picky or refuse to sell many parts over the counters to none dealers or shade trees DIY mechanics blah blah blah.

 

Actually. I did find aftermarket versions of the shaft but decided not to use for fear it may not be in balance with the other two driveshafts it connects to via the transfer case. Had I gone that route, I would have gone to a driveline specialist to rebuild or replace and then taken it to a shop for instalation. That would have been about $1400. Instead I'm letting my indie do it with the oe part for $1690. If I would have gone aftermarket I would have insisted the ujoint come with a grease zerk. Also, I have heard that the two gears, along with their bearings in the transfer case cannot be purchased oe or aftermarket and the whole transmission has to be replaced.

 

Let's get this correctly: Front driveshaft's yoke( U-joint) to differential ( on the engine itself) is now broken and you are looking to rebuild this yoke(U-joint) or rebuild the output from tranny transfer case to the front driveshaft?
Looks to me is U-joint and then u-joint is not that expensive !!!

 

The only known damage right now is the front ujoint (next to the front differential). I'm hoping that's the only damage. However, I was thinking that it is possible that if the ujoint locked at all and put a sudden force on the transfer unit it could have buggered up the gears in the transfer case. I don't know that to be the case yet and I sure hope it isn't but will know more come monday. As to repairing just the ujoint, the driveline shop in Denver wouldn't do it and would just provide an aftermarket shaft with ujoint. I called several shops and the labor to remove and install the shaft is 4 hours.