Drive shaft broken into two pieces while stopped at a stop sign.

What make, model and year of truck?

 

When I worked for the asphalt co. we had DM 600 Mack tri-axle dumps. A guy gets on the scale with the usual ball-buster, hops out, gets his ticket, hops back in, puts it in gear, hears a "clink", and no movement, forward or back. The motor was running, just nothing, he figured a clutch. Turns out, the crankshaft broke just before the flywheel, and for a Mack, THAT'S abuse.

 

That is why you take off in first gear, no throttle until load gets rolling. I always take off in first even when mty, easy on clutch and drivetrain. looks like you like to hot dog it and take off in 3 or 4 while rapping engine up and slipping clutch and get the truck to shuddering. That is nothing but pure driver abuse.

 

I agree. Abuse.

I've seen a few shafts that broke due to defects but it was always because of a poor weld at the yoke.

On the plus side, usually the driveshaft is the weak link for a reason. Cheaper and quicker to replace than a diff.

 

The fellow may want to replace it with a torque limiting shaft with shear pins. Before he destroys a diff or trans.
But got to hand it to him, I have never seen one like that.

 

I don't know how that happened, but that's impressive.

 

Probably from previous abuse then. 6x2 with 2.50 rear didn't help either

 

The only shaft I've seen like that was on an off road logging truck. He was loading on a 7% grade and when he went to take off his foot slipped off the clutch pedal. 6x4 boxes and he was in 1st under. The loader operator said he got a pretty good wheelie before the shaft pretzeled and he crashed back to the ground.

 

Western Star by chance? I know if I have mud on my boots, or it's raining the clutch pedal gets a lil slippery.