Front drive shaft

I

Illinoimike

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Nov 18, 2017
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Pontiac, IL, United States
I’m buying the u joint rebuild kit for the front driveshaft on my TJ.
My question is can I remove that driveshaft and still drive around town/highway without hurting it?
I don’t have to drive it but I might want to before I rebuild it.
Thanks.
 
I believe I remember @Jerry Bransford saying that all the TJ's can be driven with the shaft removed, and they won't leak fluid. Best to let him or someone else that knows for certain answer though.
 
Illinoimike said:
I’m buying the u joint rebuild kit for the front driveshaft on my TJ.
My question is can I remove that driveshaft and still drive around town/highway without hurting it?
I don’t have to drive it but I might want to before I rebuild it.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Absolutely you can drive it as long and as far as needed with either driveshaft out. :)
 
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Certainly you can. The front drive shaft is a double cardan shaft with a fixed yoke at the front of the transfer case, so you're good to drive it in 2WD for as long as you want. The rear drive shaft is a different story.
 
There is no slip yoke on the front of the transfer case. There is no reason you cannot remove the front drive shaft and still drive the TJ.
 
bobthetj03 said:
Certainly you can. The front drive shaft is a double cardan shaft with a fixed yoke at the front of the transfer case, so you're good to drive it in 2WD for as long as you want. The rear drive shaft is a different story.
Click to expand...
The TJ can be driven without the rear driveshaft in place too. Only the YJ will leak ATF out of the tcase if the rear driveshaft has been removed.
 
How much play is acceptable in the front drive shaft u joint? Mine play is very little, but not zero. Also, I have a mild chirp coming from somewhere up front. Should I replace the center ball as long as I have the shaft off?
 
I think some play is normal, mine has a little bit of play and always has. It's nothing excessive, just a little bit.
 
MikeO said:
Thanks. I now see that most of the play is coming from the splines. Not sure what to do with that.
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You're seeing back & forth play at the splines in your driveshaft, where its two halves slide together? There should be no play there. There should be play by where the entire driveshaft can be rotated slightly back & forth between where it connects between the axle and transfer case.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
You're seeing back & forth play at the splines in your driveshaft, where its two halves slide together? There should be no play there. There should be play by where the entire driveshaft can be rotated slightly back & forth between where it connects between the axle and transfer case.
Click to expand...
There is definitely play where the spines meet (under the boot). In fact, if I shake it hard, it seems to make the "mystery" sound I have been trying to locate. New drive shaft? Could this have happened when I added the SYE and CV in back and had the TC drop undone. Might they have torqued the spines apart?
 
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MikeO said:
There is definitely play where the spines meet (under the boot). In fact, if I shake it hard, it seems to make the "mystery" sound I have been trying to locate. New drive shaft? Could this have happened when I added the SYE and CV in back and had the TC drop undone. Might they have torqued the spines apart?
Click to expand...
That's not a common condition, I'd have the driveshaft rebuilt which usually costs less than a new driveshaft. Though Tom Wood's new driveshafts can be very competitive with rebuilt driveshafts www.4xshaft.com

If you want to price having it rebuilt locally, be sure to search out an actual driveshaft repair shop, don't just take it to your local 4x4 store. They'll just send it out to a driveshaft shop and mark up the cost.
 
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