Help, please help, desperate!!!!

I just broke my rear u joint on my '98, grenaded the 8.25 pinion yoke also. It's a Currie/sixstates setup, it has the flange where the cv driveshaft mates to the tc. I disconnected the ds, it feels ok up to 55mph with just the front ds turning, though the steering is a bit weird. I have to find a place to rebuild the ds (the double cardan is in bad shape also) and order a pinion yoke from the local jeep dealer.

My question is, for how long, how far, and how fast can I drive around in part time mode with the 242 before damaging something else?

I beg, beg of anyone that can help me, thank you!!!

Mike/ny

member #300

mikeny59 said:

I just broke my rear u joint on my '98, grenaded the 8.25 pinion yoke also. It's a Currie/sixstates setup, it has the flange where the cv driveshaft mates to the tc. I disconnected the ds, it feels ok up to 55mph with just the front ds turning, though the steering is a bit weird. I have to find a place to rebuild the ds (the double cardan is in bad shape also) and order a pinion yoke from the local jeep dealer.

My question is, for how long, how far, and how fast can I drive around in part time mode with the 242 before damaging something else?

I beg, beg of anyone that can help me, thank you!!!

Mike/ny

member #300

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I wouldn't drive it for long, thoise 242 can be pretty sensitive. I know a guy here in Fresno who has been though three of them. Goodluck and try to find some kind of alternate transportation until you get your DS fixed.

The question is for how long and how far do you NEEED to drive it?

Across town to work everyday it maybe fine. I don't know anything about the 242, but in part-time i think it would act like a 231. I'ld cancel any trips for the weekend if it wasn't fixed by then though.

MikeNY59, your post is the classic example of why you should put your location in your sig. If we knew where you were, we might be able to recommend a good shop close by.

Tom, you're right, I never thought of that. I live in Bay Shore, NY, on Long Island. What is scaring the heck out of me now is that though I installed the currie sye and sixstates ds in '98 myself, I have no idea or tools to do the 8.25 yoke. I'm also at the mercy of the two driveshaft shops I found in the yellow pages, and to boot, I broke one of the bolts on the rear flange of the 242 currie sye, and now have to figure out how to pull it because the bolts on the outer flange are installed before it's inserted into the inner flange, and then figure out what the seal pn is. Talk about a confluence of individual nightmares.

I do appreciate all you guys responding so quickly, I have no choice but to limp around with the 242 in pt (I'm thinking that because there's no rear ds, binding can't be a problem, but I get the feeling that the first two replies warning me of driving too much in pt has something to do with the weakness of the tc). Is this the case maybe?

You have no idea how appreciative I am that you guys replied so quickly, I'm beside myself, panicking really, about what steps to take in the next 24 hours. God bless you for taking the time to help me!

Mike/ny, #300

Maybe some of the guys can answer the question on the 8.25. Does it use a crush sleeve or just shims? If it is just shims, swapping the yoke is pretty straight forward if you have an impact wrench available. If it is a crush sleeve, you can do it pretty simple also but you need to measure the free turning torque on the pinion before you pull things apart, then when you tighten the new pinion nut, tighten it until the free turning torque is about 3 foot pounds greater.

I'm looking through the fsm and where it describes pinion seal replacement, it specifies measuring rotating torque before disassembly, and then after replacing the seal, and reinstalling the pinion yoke, adding a bit of torque above the original measurement. It goes on to say that if this is done correctly, there's no need for a new collapsible spacer. Am I understanding this procedure correctly?

Thanks, Mike/ny, #300

Yes, you are understanding it correctly. Take a reading before removing the yoke to see how much torque is required to spin the gears. Obviously, this should be done with the brakes off. Do it first with an inch-pound torque wrench, because that'll give a more accurate reading.

Once you have that number, you can remove the old yoke, install the new one, and start cranking down on the nut. Take it up to 150 pounds and check the rotating torque again. It probably won't be up to the original number -- I would expect that you'll need about 250 foot-pounds on the pinion nut before you get back to the original preload. If the preload is way low, you can increase the torque on the pinion nut in 50 foot-pound increments until you get close, then go up in 25 foot-pound increments.

So I'm using the inch pound to get the initial reading, then using the foot pound to crank down on the new yoke/pinion nut, then back to the inch pound after I've torqued down the nut to spec.

Thanks,

Mike/ny # 300

mikeny59 said:

So I'm using the inch pound to get the initial reading, then using the foot pound to crank down on the new yoke/pinion nut, then back to the inch pound after I've torqued down the nut to spec.

Thanks,

Mike/ny # 300

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The inch-pound will be the important reading. The foot-pound reference is just how far you'll have to crank down on the nut to get the rotation torque the same as you have now. Just torque the nut down in small increments until the inch-pond reading is correct.
BTW, you're NOT at the mercy of local driveshaft shops. Call Mountain Driveline in Show Low, AZ. (928-532-8452) He can make you one and ship it out usually the same day, all for about $200. He does some nice work. He's built 3 for me during my various lift stages...

I found a shop this morning that I had forgotten about, the guy who owns it is the dad of one the kids I teach in school, he does a lot of difs and 4wds.

He said labor is going to be about $100, plus the cost of the yoke and having the cardan joint cut off and a new assembly welded on and balanced (sent out). He'll also fix the broken bolt on the currie flange, and replace the weeping seal.

The cardan joint was flopping around like crazy, he pointed out the pin that broke where this ball assembly sits in the middle of the cv joint, there was so much play that even I could see and feel it, that must of been making that bam-bam sound everytime I shifted from foward to reverse and vice-versa. I cannot tell you how bad the vibes had become right before the rear u-joint popped.

He said it'll be ready by this afternoon, even shuttled me home and is gonna pick me up.

Just for the record, I don't post much, even though I've been using this forum since at least 1997. You guys always come through for me, and please believe me when I tell you that I take very seriously the time, knowledge, and effort you guys share with someone (me) who usually only posts when I'm up the proverbial creek. I thank all of you from my heart for taking the time to help out this stranger...


Sincerely,

Mike/ny # 300

Hey Mike, don't worry about the 242. I have always driven around in FWD when I've had driveshaft work done. I've had it up to 75 mph before when checking to see if my front driveshaft was the vibration problem, and I was on 33's.

A few days should be fine. Just stay off the throttle. Look at it this way: people put on big tires and run in 4lo and the front driveline doesn't just instantly grenade. That's got to be a lot more stress than some basic FWD road use.

Sounds like you discovered your "clunk" problem when shifting into gear . Glad nobody got hurt when that thing gave way.

Nay