my cross country was recently diagnosed with a bad propeller shaft due to a noisy front bearing. when the engine is cold, i get a very low hissing noise from under the center console. after about 15 minutes of driving the hiss goes away and is replaced by a pinging noise that is proportional to vehicle speed. the hollow pipe ping is very pronouced under engine load or when turning from trough intersection. as the speed increases upward to 60 mph or so, the pings become a buzz. my dealer claims that replacement of the propeller shaft assy with resolve the problem. reading another users story about a 'bruuump' as he called it, arrived at a similar diagnosis. seems the boot that protects the "CV joint" has dry rotted and will not stay lubricated.
in any event, my XC has 172k miles and i'm interested in minimizing my cost to repair. i love the car and i must admit that it has truly been one of, if not the best car i've ever owned! still, $1000 is alot. can anyone recommend a source for a used or reconditioned propeller shaft? thanks!!