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Need help removing front drive shaft

cloudswimmer

cloudswimmer

NAXJA Forum User
Location
So.Cal.
Does anyone happen to know the exact size wrenches to remove the front drive shaft on a 96 XJ?My wrenches are either to small or to big, and I don't want to strip those little bolt heads.Also any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks.............Chris
 
I thought they were 5/16ths (or 8mm) on both ends? At least they are on my 2000. I would recommend using a 6 point socket as opposed to a 12 point. Your much less likely to strip it out or round off the head on it.
 
8mm will NOT do! Don't ask me how I know :doh:

8mm is great on the CV shaft end if you like rounding off bolt heads, otherwise, use 5/16". Pick up a 5/16" GearWrench for that end, a ratchet doesn't fit very well between the dust slinger and CV yoke and a regular box wrench takes forever.

The axle end is much less picky, you can get away with either an 8mm or 5/16" there, I usually find that a deep well socket lets me be a bit lazier.
 
FWIW, older XJ/MJ's used good 'ol hex head bolts at the TC end. You can toss those smaller head ones and replace them with 5/16"X24 tpi bolts with a 9/16" hex head on them. NAPA carries fine thread fasteners in my area.....all the others, not so much.

Jeff
 
Yep... that .0025" actually does make a difference. I rounded four bolts, on two different junkers, being EXTREMELY careful, and was late to work because of trying to pull a damn driveshaft. The next day I went back with a 5/16" and pulled the first one I aimed for with no problems at all.
 
So how quickly can one get the front DS back in with practice.Since my offroad adventures are down to about twice a year now, I'd like to keep it out and just put it in when I need it.It rattles above 55mph but does fine offroad, and I don't have the money to fix the front end properly.
 
If the vehicle is on wheels, not sitting on the ground on its axle housings in a junkyard? Five or ten minutes max to install or uninstall. Takes me about 15 minutes to pull one at the yard these days, and that's with having to flip the 4wd lever on and off for each bolt so I can break them loose and then rotate the shaft to get to the next one.

EDIT: all you really have to look out for is not losing the ujoint caps on the axle end. Pull that end first and compress the slip joint fully, wrap some duct tape around it to keep the caps in place and start working on the other end.
 
kastein said:
Yep... that .0025" actually does make a difference. I rounded four bolts, on two different junkers, being EXTREMELY careful, and was late to work because of trying to pull a damn driveshaft. The next day I went back with a 5/16" and pulled the first one I aimed for with no problems at all.
Click to expand...

So you're saying, at .062MM difference in size, half the width of printer paper, it makes that much of a difference?

Not saying you have junk tools, but poor quality tools are not very exact. Sockets can be slightly wallowed out from useage. My Craftsman and Snap On sockets in both sizes fit the bolts perfectly. Been using either size for the last 8 years. Guess its just the luck of the draw.

:confused1
 
Wouldn't be surprised. I was using a Craftsman 8mm box wrench I've had for probably ten years when I rounded them off, and a brand-spankin'-new GearWrench the next day. It probably was the wear as you said :anon:

Also, we have a pretty significant amount of rust up around here, so the bolts on the driveshaft probably were a bit undersize and rounded just from that.

All I know for sure is that it was extremely frustrating to have two different driveshafts 75% removed from the vehicles they were in, after having dropped 20 dollars to get the first one put up on a stand, and leave the yard covered in dirt and late for work, empty handed :roflmao: just that alone will keep me from ever trying an 8mm on a driveshaft bolt again.
 
Bolts made at the small end of the specs, then a little surface erosion, add in rust, then add a wrench that isn't the correct size to start with, and it was made a little on the big end of the specs, and it has been used for a long time: recipe for failure.

"Close enough" should be reserved for hand grenades and naval gunfire.
 
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