Front Drive Shaft

BountyHunter · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:26 am **Posts:** 48

Im in need of a new front drive shaft. Cardones offers a 19inch and a 20inch prop shaft. Does anyone know what size for a 03. I emailed them and they said to measure weld to weld. I crawled under and really dont see were to measure from.

jimymc · **Joined:** Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:51 pm **Posts:** 248

Look at the sticker on the drive shaft. It will have a part number on the sticker. They should be able to cross reference the part number to get the right drive shaft. I am in the process of replacing mine. It is a 16.5" drive shaft with a part number that ends in 596AA. If yours is the same then it has been replaced with one that ends in 596AB for a new one, but you may be able to find a re-manufactured one of the 596AA's. They are not cheap. The stealership will want about $550 for a new one. You can find them new for ~$380 + shipping on the Inet at discount Mopar parts places. There was a place selling them for ~ $300 that you can find by searching here, but he has them on backorder right now. You can remove the driveshaft if it is causing problems until you can get another one and run without it if you want, but you won't have 4WD. That's what I did.

InCommando · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:45 am

Go to JKC and search out EricAutopart in the vendor's section

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:11 pm

Napa also has a replacement front shaft I saw around here somewhere

jimymc · **Joined:** Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:51 pm **Posts:** 248

InCommando wrote:

Go to JKC and search out EricAutopart in the vendor's section

Give them a call. They will be the least expensive drive shaft you can find, if they have them available. That is the guy I called that said that they were on back order.
tommudd gave me the contact info:
Automotive Parts Unlimited
800-270-5224
ericautopart@aol.com

If you are in a hurry Google Mopar Parts. There are a couple of places that have them brand new for $380 or $405.
One was http://www.wholesalemopar.com
Another was http://www.moparonlineparts.com/

Budke · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:52 pm

You can always take your front DS out and take it to a driveshaft place and have them weld on some u-joints.

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:20 pm

Budke wrote:

You can always take your front DS out and take it to a driveshaft place and have them weld on some u-joints.

then hold on cause its gonna vibrate like a bed time toy at 35 and anything over 65

BountyHunter · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:26 am **Posts:** 48

InCommando wrote:

Go to JKC and search out EricAutopart in the vendor's section

Called him last week none left they are on back order

BountyHunter · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:26 am **Posts:** 48

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

Budke wrote:

You can always take your front DS out and take it to a driveshaft place and have them weld on some u-joints.

then hold on cause its gonna vibrate like a bed time toy at 35 and anything over 65

Thats out of the question then. I do have a driveshaft shop within a mile of here. He said if I take it out and bring it to him he can make me a new one but needs he to see it first to give me a price.

BountyHunter · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:26 am **Posts:** 48

jimymc wrote:

Look at the sticker on the drive shaft. It will have a part number on the sticker. They should be able to cross reference the part number to get the right drive shaft. I am in the process of replacing mine. It is a 16.5" drive shaft with a part number that ends in 596AA. If yours is the same then it has been replaced with one that ends in 596AB for a new one, but you may be able to find a re-manufactured one of the 596AA's. They are not cheap. The stealership will want about $550 for a new one. You can find them new for ~$380 + shipping on the Inet at discount Mopar parts places. There was a place selling them for ~ $300 that you can find by searching here, but he has them on backorder right now. You can remove the driveshaft if it is causing problems until you can get another one and run without it if you want, but you won't have 4WD. That's what I did.

Yes my shaft ends with 596AA. Cardones only offers a 19 and 20 inch front shaft. If you drive around without the drive shaft wont water and dirt/sand get into the hole were the shafts go?

jimymc · **Joined:** Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:51 pm **Posts:** 248

No. The shafts that come out of the diff and transfer case are sealed. The driveshaft just mates with a flange at either end.

kskj · **Posted:** Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:28 am

You may not want to buy used but at Car-part.com you can get one for 100 to125 dollars. I have bought two there the first one lasted 30,000 miles and the last one is still going strong.

Lima.Charlie · **Joined:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:02 am **Posts:** 374

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

then hold on cause its gonna vibrate like a bed time toy at 35 and anything over 65

Not at all. You can take it into a Driveline/Clutch Service Shop and they will cut the pancake joint off and put in a U-joint. I just had mine done like a month ago and have driven back and forth from Dayton to Richmond, Indiana on I-70 more times than I can count, and not one time has it vibrated or anything. It was the best thing I have ever done. Saved me a crap load of pesos too!

swtwomyn · **Posted:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:14 pm

BountyHunter wrote:

Im in need of a new front drive shaft. Cardones offers a 19inch and a 20inch prop shaft. Does anyone know what size for a 03. I emailed them and they said to measure weld to weld. I crawled under and really dont see were to measure from.

Hello! I just purchased one from ebay...they had a couple more. Search ebay item 270571702298. If you go to the web site of the ebay seller(scroll down a bit), they tell you how to measure weld to weld. Good luck!! Tracy

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:34 pm

trobow wrote:

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

then hold on cause its gonna vibrate like a bed time toy at 35 and anything over 65

Not at all. You can take it into a Driveline/Clutch Service Shop and they will cut the pancake joint off and put in a U-joint. I just had mine done like a month ago and have driven back and forth from Dayton to Richmond, Indiana on I-70 more times than I can count, and not one time has it vibrated or anything. It was the best thing I have ever done. Saved me a crap load of pesos too!

chances are being that yours is an 02 it has the longer front drive shaft. I have had 3 different front drive shafts made for mine and the only one that has worked is the one from tom woods where we changed both the diff and t case yokes to tj yokes with a double cardon joint.

Lima.Charlie · **Joined:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:02 am **Posts:** 374

I would still take it to get the pancake joint whacked off!

KJWildman · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:47 am

trobow wrote:

I would still take it to get the pancake joint whacked off!

Def. sounds like someone from "Gayton" ! :ROTFL:

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:58 am

WTF is a pancake joint? There is a CV joint on it... The yokes are flat... Like pancakes... umm... Your a driveline specialist aren't you...

Lima.Charlie · **Joined:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:02 am **Posts:** 374

I just deleted my original post. No point of stirring the pot.

I called it a pancake joint because of how it connects together. And I am not a driveline specialist....I just stated my expierience with the FDS I have.

jimymc · **Joined:** Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:51 pm **Posts:** 248

Pancake may not be the most proper term, but it sure is descriptive of that joint at the rear of the front drive shaft.

Front Drive Shaft

Who is online