2210/2305 drive shaft slip yolk splines

[Ray2210]

I have a 2210 and at 470 hours ran into the drive shaft u joint problem. About two years ago at 400 hours I had the rear PTO grenade when I picked up a small piece of wood in the snow blower and the shear bolt was stronger than the transaxle. During the $10,000.00 repair that insurance coverered 7 grand of I specificlally instructed the dealer to make sure that the drive shaft was properly lubed. It didn't happen and there was not a spot of grease to indicate it was ever lubed. I pulled the shaft and replaced the u joints. I inspected the yolks and all appeared fine. When fully engaged the rear yolk is tight to the splines. What I didn't figure on is the overlap is 2/3 or less on the rear yolk when installed. Installed the rear yolk has about 9 thou of lateral play and feels much worse than 9 thou sounds. I discussed it with the dealer and they came up with a used shaft from a 2305 that had never had a u joint failure (new here that shaft is criminally priced at $730.00). I installed it and measured everything I could on mine and the used replacement. All the dimensions I could take with a caliper are identical and the slop in the splines is too. I'm having a hard time imagining that two tractors would wear exactly the same to the thousandth of an inch especially when one never had the shaft failure.

I'm wondering what the spec is for allowable play in the slip joint and if this is some kind of common problem or just horrifyingly in spec. I have found very little when searching with regards to a spline/yolk issue so little in fact it leads me to believe that if I bought a new shaft that I'd have the exact same slop.

Worse I can't imagine having to replace an input shaft on a two year old transaxle.

Does anybody here have any input to guide me here? I really don't want to spend 700 plus on a shaft just to find it the same as the two I already have.

I'm pretty unimpressed with John Deere from the problems I've had and am thinking lately that Orange is a nice color.

 

[mikerind]

I know this thread is pretty old, but I want to through my 2 cents in here. I too am having a problem with my 2210, and the drive shaft. And I too am having sticker shock from John Deere for a new drive shaft. In 2014 I installed new U-joints in the drive shaft, and thought everything would be just fine.
WRONG! Here it is 2016, and I'm having vibrations. Checked the drive shaft, and just like you, the back yoke that goes onto the input shaft of the transmission is vary sloppy, side to side movement. John Deere will not sale you just the yoke. Just like a lot of other owners, I too had to go through the pain of removing the drive shaft to replace the U-joints that John Deere hid from us, and could not grease them. Or didn't even say anything in the manual about greasing them. Did not have to move the transmission back. Once you remove the snap ring, and the drive pin on the front yoke, the drive shaft can be slid back onto the transmission, and will come off the front spline shaft on the flywheel. Then you just pull the front over to the left side of the tractor up front, then slide it forward, and the drive shaft will come out. I'm in the process of tarring the tractor down again, and see if I can get the yoke fixed some how. By taking it to a gear jobber shop, and having them bore out the yoke, and install a new splined bushing in the yoke. Not sure this can be done, and not sure if they can match the size & spline to the OEM specks. You spoke of the new shaft costing $730. They are wanting $783 for it now.
If the gear shop can match the shaft size & spline, I'm going to have them make the new bushing longer so it will go further onto the transmission shaft, and be more stable. Well have to install the front part of the shaft to the engine, slip the back yoke onto the transmission, then put the U-Joint back together with a C-clamp, or one of those heavy U-joint/ball joint tool kits. I think this will be the answer to the problem if it can be done. Also, that yoke that goes onto the transmission should have a grease zerk installed, so the splines can be greased about once a month, or maybe every three months. But it needs to be greased just like the U-joints. I ended up buying the U-joints from NAPA for $26.00Ea. NAPA number was PUJ-410. I'll post later what I came up with.

 

[JCCinOhio]

I resurrect thee again!!
I just got under my 2305 (600hrs) to lube the driveshaft and noticed some play where the yoke goes on to the transmission spline. U-joints are fine.. Doing some googling it looks like that play just keeps getting worse till it causes bad vibrations and accelerates the wear on the the other bearings and rest of the system. So.. wondering what my options are for slowing/fixing the issue. Since the engine side is pinned to the engine spindle, I think short of getting a new driveshaft ($500+) the only thing I can come up with is maybe lengthening the transmission yoke by welding a 1/2" or so more on the end? Which would require either moving the engine or transmission to get the driveshaft back on. Thoughts?