| Just Changed the Prop shaft on my CTS
Or driveshaft if you prefer. Pretty easy job. Take off the exhaust and then remove the shaft assembly.
This is for an '03 3.2.
The exhaust is really easy but you might want to have new gaskets on hand. Just remove the little cross-tunnel brace and then unbolt the pipes from the cats. Pull the system toward the back of the car to free it from the studs. Whilst supporting the system, free the three rubber hangers on the rear muffler (single exhaust) and lower it down out of the way.
As for the prop itself, it's three bolts at the front and three at the back. DO NOT unbolt the flex disc from the shaft. Rather, unbolt the flex disc from the transmission flange in the front and unbolt the flex disc from the diff flange in the rear. Unbolt the center bearing and slide the shaft rearwards, lower the front and slide the whole thing forward.
Pretty straight forward. Installation is just the opposit. Make sure to re-use the center support shims in the same location.
Now the real issue is that when I bought the car (used) it came with a 90 day warranty. I took it back and told them it had too much play in the prop shaft and that the rear trans seal was leaking. They told me the prop was fine and that yes, I needed a new rear trans seal but it was not covered under warranty and that it now cost me $90 for them to re-tell me what I told them (i.e. that the rear trans seal was leaking). So the biggest clue to this whole thing is that the service records show that the PO had already had the trans seal replaced. I paid them and left refusing all work as they were clearly incompetant.
So what was the issue? Well when the guy that works in the service department (I won't call him a technician because there are GOOD technicians out there and I hate to associate them with this idiot) change the trans seal he had to remove the prop shaft. When he reinstalled it, he didn't get one of the flex disc bushing into it's counter bore in the transmission flange. It is clearly evident that he tightened it out of position by the way the flange and the bushing are distorted. I forgot my camera so I didn't take pictures. Anyhow, my theory is that that bushing was out of position and thus caused the disc to separate from the bushing which in turn caused the propshaft to have run out. This then ruined the pilot bushing in the end of the propshaft.
So none of those parts are serviced separtely so I'm out the cost of a new prop shaft (list $618) and the cost of the rear trans seal because of this guy. I suppose I should also partially blame the second service department guy that claimed there was nothing wrong with the prop when I brought itin under warranty even though there was not only excessive lash and a high speed vibration (it blured the cars in the rear view mirror at 80MPH) but you could actually move the shaft up and down at the front joint maybe .060"! I'd also like to blame the service write-up dork for totally discounting my input and charging me to tell me what I told him. I even told him I was an automotive engineer that worked in driveline for 15 years.
In conclusion, I'd think twice about taking your car to Suburban Cadillac in Troy, Michigan for service. Try to find a good technician or do it yourself if you can.
Anyone think Cadillac would give me anything out of this? I have the parts and the write-up telling me the prop was fine. | 
