Front Driveshaft

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

So does anyone like J.E. Reel make a front driveshaft that is better than the original?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:56 pm

Wasatch15 wrote:

So does anyone like J.E. Reel make a front driveshaft that is better than the original?

are you having problems with yours?
I can not see how they would go out ,U-joints will go out on any shaft
I run a front shaft from an XJ on the rear of my TJ
You could do the same thing I did ,but bring the ends that you want and have one built to your specs
how ever the U-joints will still be the weak link

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:00 pm

Are you wanting to know if JE Reel makes one or if someone has one and likes it?

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:34 pm

I think he's asking if JE Reel or another company makes one. I was wondering the same thing. I'm getting some wierd rotational noise in my front end somewhere. I'm wondering if it's the drive shaft.

Neatus · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:11 am

jason thompson wrote:

I can not see how they would go out ,U-joints will go out on any shaft
I run a front shaft from an XJ on the rear of my TJ
You could do the same thing I did ,but bring the ends that you want and have one built to your specs
how ever the U-joints will still be the weak link

Mine went out. They aren't U joints on the front KJ shaft they are CV Joint's and make that stupid shaft cost an arse load.

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

I have had a weird rotational sounds for some time now. I (and the dealership) thought the sounds were coming from the CV's or front wheel bearings. I even called All J's to ask about their experience with lifted Libertys, since I have a Frankenlift on mine. After that conversation I decided to pull the front driveshaft and guess what, no more weird sounds. This Jeep only has 25,400 miles on it and I don't wheel much at all (use ATV's). So yes, this shaft can and does go bad. Now I have to see if the warranty will replace it. I would like to know if JE Reel, or some other aftermarket company makes a better shaft so when the next one goes out I can upgrade. (Just Empty Every Pocket).

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:29 am

If JE Reel doesn't make one, try http://4xshaft.com/index.html
They build custom shafts for just about everything.

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

Just got off the phone with my stealership (Larry H Miller) where I purchased the Jeep. I asked to talk to someone knowledgeable on the Powertrain warranty to see if the front driveshaft is covered. He said the powertrain warranty only covers internally lubricated components so next was parts. They quoted me $499.00 for the shaft and had to order it. I think I'll look into aftermarket and see if there is something out there that is better. Wish me luck.

Ron

Milner · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:56 pm

Wasatch15 wrote:

So does anyone like J.E. Reel make a front driveshaft that is better than the original?

Reel, OnetonCV, Tom Woods, are really nothing special. they do make some specialty parts, but for a stock replacement, not really anything different then any DL shop can do. The big dif in DL shops is the quality of parts they use!! Cheap parts=bad performance. Stick with Spicer and other OE parts and you will have a quality part....

Your screen name is Wasatch, Are you in Ut? If so, Try Six States Dist for DL work.

All that being said, without major changes, nothing any of them build will be much better/dif then what you have stock....

Milner · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:01 pm

Ahhhh I see you are in SLC. Check with Six States on 300W and 1400ish South, right by Wally world. Talk to Eric. Or the six states in Orem is good too! They may be able to rebuild your shaft saving you some $$ I am not sure what the service parts availability is for the KJ stuff.

Tom Woods is up in Ogden, and actually started out working for Six States....

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

Yes I am in the Salt Lake area. I already talked to Tom Wood's today and was planning on stopping by Six States tomorrow.

Thanks,
Ron

scrambledKJ · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:00 pm

The factory butterfly joints in the driveshaft are a nice design for level shafts that turn in full-time systems. It only takes a few degrees to kill them. Jeep used them in the front of GC's for a while. We used to toss em and use yokes from XJ dana 30's. I would guess that you can source a transfercase front yoke from an XJ with Cv or a TJ with u-joint and replace one butterfly. I am not sure if you could do the same for the front, as Randy's R&P told me that the 30A pinion uses a different sline count. If I was having a DS built, I would try to eliminate these weak links.

Travis

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:45 pm

What did Tom Woods say? Does he make them? How much are they? I met him last June and he seems like he genuinely cares about his customers' satisfaction. He gave my buddy a really nice hat! I had to win mine a month later. :lol:

I really want to be able to say, "My shaft is a Woody!"

crash87 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:30 pm

My front shaft went out in January, I guess a stick/branch or something tore the CV boot. I have since been looking for other options for replacing it, I went to a drive shaft specialty shop in St. Louis, the guy at the counter took a look at it and said he can't rebuild it, but could probably do a custom job, which I neither had nor have the time and resources for. I ran across an article online somewhere in which someone decided fit a custom yoke to the D30a to make it accept a custom drive shaft with U-Joints, but seemed to be expensive and time consuming. Alas I have decided the best thing to do is to just buy the $500 OEM Shaft and a skid that will cover it to hopefully prevent anything from puncturing the CV again.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:32 pm

Just a thought and I may be reaching here
You could ,if you have a 231, pull the out put shaft and replace it with one from a wrangler or XJ or what ever
then fab up a bolt on job for the diff ,again with out looking I could be wrong and it is raining out right now

My thought is to make it so you can use a standard 2 pcs. shaft from a wrangler or an XJ
have it cut to length
any one got a pic of the pinion end of the front diff?

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:43 am

Dje Ryu wrote:

If JE Reel doesn't make one, try http://4xshaft.com/index.html
They build custom shafts for just about everything.

You Sure? When Jeepin' Al was running Jeepin' Al's, he was advertising a JE Reel front drive shaft for the KJ. It's not on Reels site, you have to call them.

Wasatch15 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:52 am **Posts:** 242

Troy at Tom Woods said he would have to see the shaft, measure it and have me get some measurements for him from under the Liberty. Today I talked to Jim at J.E. Reel. It sounded like a long time since anyone had a front driveshaft for the KJ built by them. Details were not available. He stated J.E. may have made 3 to 4 shafts in the past.

Ron

Front Driveshaft

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