Third time is a charm

ehingerce · Feb 27, 2005

Today was the third time that I've thrown a drive shaft in the last five months. Rear U-joints are starting to become expensive. 90 xj with 245000 miles.
This is my DD so any advice or ideas would be helpful. No I am not using u-bolts I'm using those little tab thingies. Luckily, I have a couple of old drive shafts around so all I have to do is replace the one that came off with another one. Then when I get a chance I put a new U-joint in the broke one. How do you tell if the drive shaft is balanced if you don’t feel or hear any vibration? (Note when it drops out the bottom, I have no way of knowing which way it was suppose to go back in.)

Thanks ahead of time but at 20-25 bucks a wack. As I said U-Joint are getting expensive.

CEE

Kejtar · Feb 27, 2005

ehingerce said:
Today was the third time that I've thrown a drive shaft in the last five months. Rear U-joints are starting to become expensive. 90 xj with 245000 miles.
This is my DD so any advice or ideas would be helpful. No I am not using u-bolts I'm using those little tab thingies. Luckily, I have a couple of old drive shafts around so all I have to do is replace the one that came off with another one. Then when I get a chance I put a new U-joint in the broke one. How do you tell if the drive shaft is balanced if you don’t feel or hear any vibration? (Note when it drops out the bottom, I have no way of knowing which way it was suppose to go back in.)

Thanks ahead of time but at 20-25 bucks a wack. As I said U-Joint are getting expensive.

CEE

How to check for balance? get it to a driveshaft shop.

Can you give a bit more info on your jeep? is it lifted? if so how much? do you have SYE? by your reference about replacing the whole shaft I'd guess it doesn't. On that note then, are you sure you d-shaft is long enough? could it be that it falls off from the tcase and then brakes the ujoint?

ehingerce · Feb 28, 2005

Nope no lift, everything is stock as far as I know. 4.0 L / automatic. I don't think I got an SYE eather since I don't know what that is. Good question thou about long enough. I'll have to check that out. On another thread someone said that a Dana 35 D/S is 5/8" longer. But I would think that the front of the shaft would be scuffed up if it was falling out from the front, And the tranny end looks good.

RichP · Feb 28, 2005

I'd start looking at things real close, next replacment have someone move it forward and back, see how much the pintle on the rear axle moves up and down. Broken pins or loose U bolts maybe ?

rockwerks · Feb 28, 2005

So how in the world can you loose the DS 3 time in that short of time? are you breaking the rear u joint? or pulling it from the trans mission? do you always use the same set of u joint straps or buy new ones. I put 150,000 miles on my 88 and never broke 1

It will not be out of balance enough to worry about if you dont have any vibs.

Bradlybob · Feb 28, 2005

The manuf recommends that you use new "strap thingys" every time. When you are reinstalling the DS are you torquing the strap bolts to the proper torque? You should also use some loc-tite on the threads, the new bolts in the kit will have thread locker on them. Kinda sounds like something is failing at the rear u-joint. I've never had real joy with parts store u-joints, even the $20+ ones. I found that you might do better buying genuine spicer u-joints from a transmission shop or DS shop.

Wayne Sihler · Feb 28, 2005

Check the yoke,it may have a piece broken out of it. And I,m getting Spicer 5-153x joints for $10 at a DS shop.New straps are only $7 .
Wayne

jfiscus · Feb 28, 2005

With a stocker and that many miles do you have really bad sag? (I do)
Would negative angles on the driveshaft be as bad as bad positive angles/ (like too much lift vs too low of height?)

rockwerks · Feb 28, 2005

jfiscus said:
With a stocker and that many miles do you have really bad sag? (I do)
Would negative angles on the driveshaft be as bad as bad positive angles/ (like too much lift vs too low of height?)

no because as it compresses to the bumpstops the length shortens

ehingerce · Mar 2, 2005

Well found what might be the problem. The yoke on the differential has a broken tab (or ear) that holds the bearing cup in place. Took a wire brush and looked it over real good. Next question. What do I have to watch for when I get another one (for instance are there different lengths, etc?) or anything like that?

Thanks
CEE

Third time is a charm

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Kejtar

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