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Front drive shaft wobble

Fish'nCarz

Fish'nCarz

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Victor, ID
Had my jeep into the shop for some work and in lubing the front driveshaft they noticed that the seal on the front diff was leaking. Replaced that and now front shaft has wobbles. Probably going to get it rebuilt (?) and wondered how tough it is to remove?

TIA

Brian
 
Did they replace the front end drive yoke? If so, is it the right size for your u-joints? Is the drive shaft installed properly into the yoke? U-bolts tight?

FYI, very easy to remove if you have the correct size open/box end wrench. I can't remember the size off the top of my head. Seems to me 6mm rings a bell on my 99.
 
Last edited:
bwinter1946 said:
Seems to me 6mm rings a bell on my 99.
Click to expand...

They're 5/16 to be exact. And the large nut that holds the yoke is 1 1/8.

OP: Also look into having it balanced if you're taking it to a shop to be rebuilt. Make sure they rebuild the "ball" inside also. It doesn't seem to hard to rebuild one yourself, I'm about to start on mine and there's quite a few writeups about it.

Luckily I have some of those pages open right now haha:
http://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/ujoint2/ujoint-1.htmhttp://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/ujoint2/ujoint-3.htm
http://www.myjeepxj.com/cherokee-repairs/front-drive-shaft-rebuild
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/cv-driveshaft-rebuild-part-deux-345170/index2.html

and heres the part numbers for the ujoint
http://www.actionmachineinc.com/5-153xu-joint.aspx
 
Last edited:
bwinter1946 said:
Did they replace the front end drive yoke? If so, is it the right size for your u-joints? Is the drive shaft installed properly into the yoke? U-bolts tight?

FYI, very easy to remove if you have the correct size open/box end wrench. I can't remember the size off the top of my head. Seems to me 6mm rings a bell on my 99.
Click to expand...

They din't change nothin. Going to take it to Valley Truck parts and have it rebuilt for about $60. They'll balance it and .... Pain in the behind, but suppose nothin lasts forever.
 
snail said:
They're 5/16 to be exact. And the large nut that holds the yoke is 1 1/8.
Click to expand...
X2, and NEVER use an 8mm wrench, it's only 2.5 thousandths of an inch larger but makes all the difference in the world... the difference between a round bolt head and a LOT of cursing, or a successful driveshaft removal. Also only use good quality wrenches for these. A GearWrench is great for the TC end because of yoke clearance but any socket wrench works on the axle end.
 
i dont know why they would do it but check if they pulled the female end of the shaft off where its splined inside cuz if it was put back on not inline with the opposite ends ears it will cause problems
 
Fish'nCarz said:
Had my jeep into the shop for some work and in lubing the front driveshaft they noticed that the seal on the front diff was leaking. Replaced that and now front shaft has wobbles. Probably going to get it rebuilt (?) and wondered how tough it is to remove?

TIA

Brian
Click to expand...

Brian, who replaced what?
I read that as 'you replaced the seal'. Is it the yoke which is loose, or the slip joint that has play.

Kastein, Using a hand wrench, whether a 5/16" or a 8mm, open or closed, hasn't worked out for me. The only positive way I have found not to slip on yoke bolt is to use a long socket. I usually use a 8mm. and it works fine.
 
Interesting. I've had great luck with a 5/16 deep socket on the strap bolts at the axle end, but I can't get a socket + ratchet in between my transfer case and the back of the CV yoke without badly mauling the dust slinger so I use a gearwrench. Has worked every time except once recently when I gave it a bit too much torque before getting the wrench fully seated.
 
Funny how mind pictures work ;) All the while I was reading that, I was thinking yoke side. Yah, I have never been able to get a long socket in on the Transfer Case side either. I just use a 8mm 6pt box end.

I'm really wondering who replaced the seal, and if there is play in the diff yoke that he may be mistaking for a sloppy drive shaft. And if it is the drive shaft, what he perceives as being sloppy.

Yah, I'm probably over thinking it ;)
 
1990heepxj said:
i dont know why they would do it but check if they pulled the female end of the shaft off where its splined inside cuz if it was put back on not inline with the opposite ends ears it will cause problems
Click to expand...

So the ears on both ends need to be oriented the same way?
 
Zuki-Ron said:
Brian, who replaced what?
I read that as 'you replaced the seal'. Is it the yoke which is loose, or the slip joint that has play.

Kastein, Using a hand wrench, whether a 5/16" or a 8mm, open or closed, hasn't worked out for me. The only positive way I have found not to slip on yoke bolt is to use a long socket. I usually use a 8mm. and it works fine.
Click to expand...

Dealer replaced seal in front diff. Play is in slip joint.
When they first gave it back Jeep had near-death wobble. Took it back, talked to the mechanic (he drives a 98 XJ) and he said he probably hadn't torqued something-I-forget-what properly. Worked well when I got it back except for the wobble that he attributed to the slop in the front drive shaft. Didn't wobble before seal was replaced, so I'm now wondering if the eccentric rotation of the front shaft might have wallowed out the seal?

Whatever, should I take the shaft off and get it rebuilt or get a new one or just pay someone to do it (shudder!!). I've not worked on that area of the jeep yet, and if it takes some finesse and experience with drive trains I'd probably better farm it out.
 
Zuki-Ron said:
Funny how mind pictures work ;) All the while I was reading that, I was thinking yoke side. Yah, I have never been able to get a long socket in on the Transfer Case side either. I just use a 8mm 6pt box end.

I'm really wondering who replaced the seal, and if there is play in the diff yoke that he may be mistaking for a sloppy drive shaft. And if it is the drive shaft, what he perceives as being sloppy.

Yah, I'm probably over thinking it ;)
Click to expand...

We were just in the UP camping last week. You coulda run up and looked at it!

 
How do you test the yoke for correct fitment and tightening?
 
Long drive to the UP to look at someone else's Jeep ;) :D

Grab the yoke.

There should be zero side to side or up and down deflection.
There should be zero in and out deflection.

The preload should be set so there is a few in/lbs of torque needed to turn the yoke with new bearings. The number 30 in/lbs comes to mind, but it has been a while since I set one up.
 
Zuki-Ron said:
Long drive to the UP to look at someone else's Jeep ;) :D

Grab the yoke.

There should be zero side to side or up and down deflection.
There should be zero in and out deflection.

The preload should be set so there is a few in/lbs of torque needed to turn the yoke with new bearings. The number 30 in/lbs comes to mind, but it has been a while since I set one up.
Click to expand...

But it was soooo cool up there last week when the wind was pushing up 6' - 8' waves on Lake Superior!

It vibrated like hell when I first got it back. Would incorrect preload torque cause that, and would close-but-not-quite-right still produce wobble like an out of balance tire?

I just know that when I take it back to the dealer they are going to want it to be anything but their problem.
 
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