Front drive shaft??

jeremesh · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:14 pm

Ok, for the past two weeks or so I have been hearing a noise which sounds like something metal loosely scraping on something else metal as I drive. I knew my brakes were due so I assumed it was that, I went and got new brake pads and installed them and I still got the sound. Been really busy and havent had time to check it out closely but today, I started to get a thump thump thump as I drive. Not always, sometimes louder while I'm turning. It definitely increases in rythm as I speed up. So I crawled under the jeep to have a look and there is no rubber boot where the front drive shaft comes out of the differential... I'm thinking that is bad, no?

So what kind of trouble am I looking at here and how much to fix it? Can I just pull the front drive shaft as a quick fix until I can get the parts to fix it properly?

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:22 pm

common problem boot seems to dry out and soon is MIA!! yes you can remove the front driveshaft and run it anywhere you want, juust don't take it down some old logging road :lol:

jeremesh · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:29 pm

does the front driveshaft spin even if it isnt in 4 wheel that would account for the noises I'm hearing?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:33 pm

I don't know if it's the noise, but it does spin in 2WD.

jeremesh · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:34 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

I don't know if it's the noise, but it does spin in 2WD.

Thanks. Any good writeups on here about removal?

jeremesh · **Posted:** Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:18 pm

Ok, so I got the driveshaft out and that solved the scraping sound but I still have the thump. It seems to be more pronounce when I turn left and it is a solid thump that I can feel. Any suggestions?? Ball joints maybe?

KJ04 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:33 am

How to check balljoints.
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... php?t=4348

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:59 am

jeremesh wrote:

Ok, so I got the driveshaft out and that solved the scraping sound but I still have the thump. It seems to be more pronounce when I turn left and it is a solid thump that I can feel. Any suggestions?? Ball joints maybe?

I would check both your CV half shafts. You might have a bad CV. Check the boots for any rips or tears and greas spots.

Chances are you have a bad drivers side CV. Aftermarket about 100.00
MOPAR 350.00 and up Easy job if you done it 5 times (LIKE MY SELF)

Drassis · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:31 pm **Posts:** 182

Jeep Dawg wrote:

jeremesh wrote:

Ok, so I got the driveshaft out and that solved the scraping sound but I still have the thump. It seems to be more pronounce when I turn left and it is a solid thump that I can feel. Any suggestions?? Ball joints maybe?

I would check both your CV half shafts. You might have a bad CV. Check the boots for any rips or tears and greas spots.

Chances are you have a bad drivers side CV. Aftermarket about 100.00
MOPAR 350.00 and up Easy job if you done it 5 times (LIKE MY SELF)

Make sure you go with OEM ones JBA has them for around 150.00... DO NOT BUY NAPA CV AXLES!!!!!! I just went thru hell with theirs

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:59 am

You can buy CV's from NAPA, just make sure you buy the remans not the Chinese stuff.

jeremesh · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:18 pm

OK, call me stupid. The lugnuts were loose on the driverside front tire.

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:57 pm

Drassis wrote:

Jeep Dawg wrote:

jeremesh wrote:

Ok, so I got the driveshaft out and that solved the scraping sound but I still have the thump. It seems to be more pronounce when I turn left and it is a solid thump that I can feel. Any suggestions?? Ball joints maybe?

I would check both your CV half shafts. You might have a bad CV. Check the boots for any rips or tears and greas spots.

Chances are you have a bad drivers side CV. Aftermarket about 100.00
MOPAR 350.00 and up Easy job if you done it 5 times (LIKE MY SELF)

Make sure you go with OEM ones JBA has them for around 150.00... DO NOT BUY NAPA CV AXLES!!!!!! I just went thru hell with theirs

yea the napa stuff is not good.

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:58 pm

jeremesh wrote:

OK, call me stupid. The lugnuts were loose on the driverside front tire.

see that,,,,I was the only one that said something about checking drivers side........LOL

jeremesh · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:08 am

I assumed that the front drive shaft had two boots on them, one near the axle and one near the t-case. When I pulled mine out, there was only one boot, near the axle. The end near the tcase was all gunked up with what I assumed was dried grease mixed with dirt and sand (lots of beach driving).

Now that I have been looking for a new drive shaft, all the pictures I see

only show one boot. So was my assumption that I am missing a boot on the rear of the driveshaft wrong? And if so, what can I do to service all that gunk so it doesnt sound like Im sharpening something on a grinding wheel when I drive? Can I just scrape all the gunk out of there and pack in some heavy grease or something?

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:19 am

There is a boot on the rear as well if yours is missing then you need to get a new shaft or rebuild the one you have. Pictures do not show the rear boot as it doesn't look the same as the front one. Its more of a concave deal that sits back in

jeremesh · **Posted:** Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:42 am

any idea where to get that part, other than the dealership?

Front drive shaft??

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