U-Joint replacement - what did I do wrong?

Set out today to do the supposedly easy job of replacing the rear driveshaft U-joints on my 99. Problems started when trying to press out the old U-Joints (alternating using a ball joint press and socket/BFH). I could never get enough clearance to push the U-joint cap all the way out of the inside of the yoke without great effort and crushing the other side of the U-joint against the inside of the opposite side of the driveshaft yoke. Somehow with all of the banging and pressing, I managed to chip off the lip on the propeller shaft U-joint yoke that the retaining clip fits underneath (yes, I did remove the clips first). So, the retaining clip now won't stay in place. So I guess I'm in the market for a propeller shaft, and I wonder if I've damaged the drive shaft too. Can anyone explain what I did wrong? Where to buy a propeller shaft?

Looks like you didnt remove the c-clips!
Yes,you now need a new or rebulit driveshaft!

good lord, how the hell did you do that??? is that on the slip yoke end? :shocked:

:roflmao:

Drop by the junkyard and get a another drive shaft from a Cherokee that has the same rear axle and transmission as yours.

Use penetrating oil like PB Blaster after you get the caps to move a little bit. A bench vise or a vise grips will help pull the cap all the way out of the hole. You can then press or pound on the exposed part of the u-joint to get the other cap loose. If the u-joints are stuck pretty good you may have to go back and forth a few times, adding some more PB Blaster, to get the caps out.

Looks like you need a new slip yoke now. When you press the joints out, the caps never come all the way out. When you get it as far as it will go, then you grab the cap with a vise or visegrips and pull it the rest of the way out. Then you push the cross back in to push out the opposite side cap.