Rear Driveshaft

I just picked up a rear driveshaft from a '99 XJ
After I brought it home, I looked at the front part, the slip yoke, and saw that the splined hole was completely through, no bottom, open all the way to the U Joint.
That surprised me because I am pretty sure that last time I had the driveshaft off my '96 and I was greasing the splined hole there was a bottom to the hole.
Did the slip yoke design change some time between '96 and '99?
Normally I'd crawl under the Jeep and check the '96, unfortunately I can't, I just hurt my foot.
So, I was hoping that somebody can give me the information so I won't have to wait till the foot gets well.
Thanks.

I just crawled under my 96 and looked.
The rear driveshaft slip yoke is not open on the U Joint side.
There is a disc looking plug sealing the splined hole.
Anybody familiar with it?
Did the design change in later models, or did I get a wrong part.
Can I get a plug somewhere?

You just got a shaft with a blown cap. It was probably over greased and cycled through its full range or travel. The grease will hydraulic and either blow out the seal or the cap. Any driveline shop will pop one in for a few bucks. The grease will probably be contaminated and full of grit so clean it out. If there is no shop near you, you can make a small disc to cover the hole and tack it in with a couple of tack welds. Drill a 1/8" hole in the center of the disc to allow a place for air and/or grease to purge when the shaft cycles through its travel.

gcam said:

You just got a shaft with a blown cap. It was probably over greased and cycled through its full range or travel. The grease will hydraulic and either blow out the seal or the cap. Any driveline shop will pop one in for a few bucks. The grease will probably be contaminated and full of grit so clean it out. If there is no shop near you, you can make a small disc to cover the hole and tack it in with a couple of tack welds. Drill a 1/8" hole in the center of the disc to allow a place for air and/or grease to purge when the shaft cycles through its travel.

Click to expand...

I went to a local driveline shop and they will get one for me in the next couple of days. Is it something that they should install, or something I can press in place?
I appreciate the help.

Well... You've probably got this done by now, but they are pretty easy to install. They are convex when new. You drop them into position, then strike the center of them with a light hammer to flatten them, or simply dimple the center by striking with the ball end of a ball peen hammer. When you do this the edges of the plug drive outwards and seal into place on the yoke.

Geoff

Learn something new everyday. Thanks.