Replacing front half-shafts

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:18 pm

I'm getting things together to replace the front driveshafts and today I recieved my recycled parts from Pam's Auto. Looking at the right hand shaft I see a smooth surface that looks like it's going to go thru a bushing or something. I wasn't aware of this part of it so I'm wondering exactly what it is.

uvalax236 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:26 am

Could you get a bigger picture please?

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:01 am

Hi Richard,

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=12/34905590442.jpg&s=x11

I uploaded a higher resolution image to PutFile. Is this helping or do you need a zoom in on the area in question?

Thanks

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:10 am

OK, That didn't help at all. I took another picture.

uvalax236 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:43 am

I could be wrong (correct me if I am please!) but I think your right in saying that it goes through a bushing.

bighause · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:58 am

I believe there is a bearing that that it will slide into to hold it centered while it spins at who knows how many RPM's.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:54 pm

Yup, just a set of bearing in the front end tubes. I would say that thing hits insane rpms.

skrracing · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:31 pm

the right side axle has this long axle stub shaft. It isgoes into the front diff housing and the shinny area you see is where the roller bearings are in the end of the front diff. Some times when you pull the right side shaft...the long stub does not come out. If that is the case...just remove the long stub from the exchange part you have and install just the joint. Hope that helps.

Just FYI. the drivers side is a very short stub and is made on to the axle shaft.

later...Clint

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:48 pm

Thanks for the replys. I will post an update as soon as I get a chance to change them out. I suspect that bearing is shot though because if memory serves me correctly, there is quite a bit of radial play at that point.

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:40 pm

OK, I looked at it again after my last post and the bearing was fine. The movement was where the CV axle couples to the driveaxle. Today I finally got around to changing it out and it was very obvious that this has been a source of vibration for some time. What I can't believe is that a shop that specializes in CV repair told me my axles were fine a few months back. I guess sometimes you just have to do things for yourself. This is the right driveshaft and the pictures will show the axleshaft as well as the joint on the cv shaft where it couples to the axleshaft.

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:43 pm

I had the lift installed over two years ago by a local shadetree guy and I kinda wonder if he had to separate these parts during the lift, if maybe they weren't completely snapped back together, maybe maybe. I just can't figure out how it got loose enough to have the play necessary to do what it did. I didn't see an o-ring or the lock ring on the old one. Pretty screwed up.

krazz1e · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:06 am

wow that is stripped good... glad you got it all figure out.

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:32 pm

Replaced the driverside shaft today. I had ordered them both to be sure I solved any problems associated with them. It looked fine though compared to the passenger side. Drives good. Me happy.

Only special tool I used was a balljoint separator rented from Napa. The driveaxle on the passenger side was a booger to remove. The book called for a special tool that Napa had never heard of. You see how worn out the tip of it was. I grabbed the end of it with a pair of channel-locks and my son pried it out. Took several tries and I wasn't sure it would work. Driver side was no problem as Clint said the axle is an integral part of the half shaft.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:23 pm

Why did you replace your cv axel. I am getting noise at 70 and above and have cancelled out it being the tires. I am thinking it is my cv axel.

Wade in Burgaw · **Posted:** Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:27 pm

I had a vibration. Checked the passenger side axle one day and found it was coming apart, or so it seemed, where the inner joint mates to the driveaxle. As it turns out, this was definitely the vibration source.

Replacing front half-shafts

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