Temporary front driveshaft disconnect

Jeff d

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Messages
41
Location
Louisiana
2000 TJ Sahara. My daughter had an encounter between the front left wheel and a concrete barrier. The other issues have been fixed but the front driveshaft got a small dent in it from contact with the exhaust. I’ve got a vibration above 55 mph regardless of engine speed, gear, or clutch state. New wheel and balanced tire and I feel it in the body/chassis, not the steering wheel.

I’d like to disconnect the front driveshaft temporarily. Assuming I keep it in 2wd is it safe to just disconnect at the differential yoke a strap the shaft up to the frame (or something)? It sure would be a lot easier to just do that vs. take off the rear to remove the whole shaft.
 
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Interesting...I usually dent my exhaust and not my driveshaft...you sure the driveshaft isn't kinked or bent and the axle moved that much...how do the control arms look? Driving straight ish? Measure the wheels to make sure everything is roughly in the right places?

-Mac
 
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If you suspect the front shaft is the cause of the vibration due to damage, I'd just remove the whole thing. It's not that much more work.
 
Success! Sorry, I’m very mechanically inclined and this is my third TJ but I really didn’t want to overlook some mundane detail (obligatory Office Space reference). I ran her up to 70 mph with no vibrations. I’ll remove it completely now and get a new driveshaft.

To answer some other questions. Yes, she bent the control arm and mangled an axle bracket. I had my son (2 semester community college pipe welder) cut off and weld on a new bracket. I replaced the control arm with a fresh Chinesium knock off and it’s been driving great except for the vibration. The vibration was the last remaining known issue.

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Oh, also, I’m 6 weeks out from surgery, in the final days of nursing a full AC joint separation on my dominant shoulder (mountain bike crash)… hence wanting to put forth minimal effort to eliminate suspects. I’ll get my son to complete the removal of the driveshaft on the transfer case side.
 
a small, unmentioned detail 😆

I also didn’t mention how much my son grunts and moans when I ask him to help me diagnose something I’m unsure of. Now I’m sure and can give him specific instructions and walk away. He’s capable of doing the job, just not yet capable of doing the diagnostics. Anyway, I was able to confirm the driveshaft using only my non-dominant arm here.
 
Oh, also, I’m 6 weeks out from surgery, in the final days of nursing a full AC joint separation on my dominant shoulder (mountain bike crash)… hence wanting to put forth minimal effort to eliminate suspects. I’ll get my son to complete the removal of the driveshaft on the transfer case side.

You sound like our kind of guy. 🙂
 
You sound like our kind of guy. 🙂

I've had TJs since Y2K was threatening to end the world. I used to post a lot on JeepJournal back in the day, then switched to JeepsUnlimited. I think I'm recalling my Jeep forum lineage in correct, chronological order here. Then I had a bunch of kids, went through a couple of minivans, got to 7 kids and had to get the maxivan. Anyway, I've been back in the Jeep world for about 2 years now since my eldest children began driving.
 
I've had TJs since Y2K was threatening to end the world. I used to post a lot on JeepJournal back in the day, then switched to JeepsUnlimited. I think I'm recalling my Jeep forum lineage in correct, chronological order here. Then I had a bunch of kids, went through a couple of minivans, got to 7 kids and had to get the maxivan. Anyway, I've been back in the Jeep world for about 2 years now since my eldest children began driving.

Damn 7 kids o_O

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Have to drop the front drive shaft to get at the upper nut on the Cable Transfer Case linkage bracket. Do you pull the small hex head bolts to disconnect the shaft. Looks like that will leave the Cardan universal hanging free and possibly fall out. If that's the case should I take precautions to keep the u-joint from falling apart like taping it??
 
Have to drop the front drive shaft to get at the upper nut on the Cable Transfer Case linkage bracket. Do you pull the small hex head bolts to disconnect the shaft. Looks like that will leave the Cardan universal hanging free and possibly fall out. If that's the case should I take precautions to keep the u-joint from falling apart like taping it??
Yes, I taped the bearing caps on with purple electrical tape in the above photo. It went fine. I’ll proceed with removing the whole shaft now.
 
Oh, also, I’m 6 weeks out from surgery, in the final days of nursing a full AC joint separation on my dominant shoulder (mountain bike crash)… hence wanting to put forth minimal effort to eliminate suspects. I’ll get my son to complete the removal of the driveshaft on the transfer case side.

OUCH. I swear MTB accidents are some of the worst I hear about.