Driveshaft / u-joint identification???

[Jerry Bransford]

It happens. I grease em up pretty heavily to keep the needles from falling over during install.

Just so ya know, Spicer advises against that on their sealed u-joints. Further, to avoid changing the precise amount of grease Spicer applied, they say to make sure the bearing caps go back where they came from. It's ok obviously to do what you're recommending on greasable u-joints, just saying it's not advised on Spicer's very popular sealed u-joints.

 

[jeep_boss]

Fixed the centerbal ticking / chirping, but I have a damned vibration now over 65. Had a feeling this DS rebuild was going to give me issues, I'll have to rebuild it again tomorrow and hopefully get it turning smooth again without spending all day on it.

I REALLY need to get out of the auto mechanics business soon. One way or another I will for sure.

 

[jeep_boss]

I sourced a Moog 354 locally because I was impatient to remedy the driveline vibes (I had to cut out the spicer off on the rear of the front shaft / DC).

This definitely improved things, although it isn't as smooth as it used to be. It is undoubtedly drivable again though, but I'll have to consider getting it properly balanced along with the wheel (I suspect that one of my rears is off), and possibly going back to torsion motor / trans mounts. The Jeeps are loud if things aren't exactly perfect.

 

[jeep_boss]

Well after the FOURTH tear down and rebuild of my fron DS, I realized that my new centerball yoke is the issue. I'm fairly certain that my process for pressing in the end u-joint in the double cardan (next to the TC) was improper, in that I was not keeping the centerball yoke centered each time. This was causing one or two bearing needles to break each time I reassembled, thus the vibrations.

I also broke one of the retaining ears on my centerball yoke. I'm not sure if that happened while driving on it yesterday, or while I was pressing out the u-joint on the end - the yoke on the end of my DC SUCKS... I can't always pull the bearing cups out of it and I have had to cut the last 2 out of 4 u-joints that I have pulled out of it. I had to brute force it tonight in my vise with a cheater bar, I heard a pop and actually saw smoke!

 

[jeep_boss]

Forgot to add that my driveline is smoooooth again!!! I have it dialed in once more, not a single vibration even with the poly mounts all around.