Hi, please help me

I was replacing my u-joints on my rear driveshaft and broke this steel ring that was around the yoke of the front part of the rear drive shaft. This is on a 2000 F150 4x4.

It is about 5 inches in diameter and is about 1/2 thick. The steel ring was pressed on and has/had a rubber ring between it and the yoke. I hit the ring with a hammer (dumb) trying to get the u-joint out and it cracked (I dont own a press so banging seemed the thing to do). It then started to slide off the yoke.

I talked to a couple shops and they called it a "vibration dampener". I figured it to be worse to leave it on and risk it pulling of (while driving) and it banging around on the drive shaft, so I removed it from the yoke.

I test drove the truck and there does not seem to be any new vibrations without it on the drive shaft front yoke, but I am worried about its importance.

Could someone please tell me what it is, is it important, and what kind of damage could I be causing with it missing???

Thanks!

 

They told you right, that ring will probably grenade through the body if it lets loose at highway speeds.

I dont know if theye are replaceable or not. If you remove the ring and reinstall the driveshaft without it, you may or may not have a vibration. Just dont drive with the ring broken.

Good luck.

 

So, what is the exact purpose of this part?