Front drive shaft issue.

[AksoBruce]

Greetings Everyone.

I have a problem and am wondering if anyone else has experienced the same issue.

1997 4wd Eddie Bauer. We have owned it since May of this year.

When we bought the truck, it had worn out ujoints on the rear drive shaft. As this model has a Cardan joint which can be difficult to deal with, i took it to a local driveline shop to get repaired. I reinstalled it and everything was good. That was back in May.

Fast forward to late August and I am hearing the faint squeak of another ujoint going out, this time in the front. Front shaft is simpler to fix as there is no Cardan joint, but a little ( a lot! ) more difficult to get out. I have tools, so I feel confident I can attend to ujoints.

So, today I pulled the front shaft out which on this model is no small feat. The biggest problem though is the fact the slip joint is seized and I cannot collapse the shaft to get it reinstalled. I had to pry it out. Thought I could pry it back in. That did not happen.

The question is this: Has anyone else experienced a seized slip joint that will not collapse and if anyone has, how did you get it apart to fix it? I have seen several videos on YouTube about a worn rear slip joint causing a clunk when braking, but nothing specifically about the front slip joint not moving.

The truck will still drive without the front shaft as there are companion flanges at the front output of the transfer case and at the input to the front drive axle. No loss of fluid. I just have a 2wd truck.

I currently have the shaft standing up in a bucket of WD40 hoping that will soak in and loosen the slip joint. I will need to relube the ujoint on that end, but that is a small price to pay.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Had a seized slip joint on my Explorer front driveshaft. For me, it caused a vibration with it installed.

 

[Trainmaster]

Akso, sounds like you're doing what I would do, soak it. Then beat it, vibrate it, do what you can to try to break it free. If that doesn't work, bring it to the people who did your rear u-joints, assuming it's a driveline shop and see what they can offer.

I'd probably try taking a hammer drill with a chisel in it to the end and vibrating the heck out of it...

The last choice would be try to find a $40 junkyard replacement that's not seized.

 

[AksoBruce]

Well, soaking didn't work. I even went so far as to chain it to the front tow lugs on Eddie and the grill guard on my Ole Red F150 and tried to snatch it apart. Only managed to knock my dentures loose when Eddie came to an abrupt stop at the end of the chain. Ole Red didn't move, the slip yoke didn't move, the chain didn't snap...

I'll make the call to Brazos Valley Driveline on Tuesday when the open back up and see what they can do with it.

 

[ExplorerTom]

I didn’t burn the calories trying to separate my stuck shaft. I got a new one built from my local driveshaft builder for a reasonable price.

 

[AksoBruce]

I finally got my front shaft back from Brazos Valley Drivelines yesterday. $350.00 with parts and labor. I had dropped it off Wednesday morning and they called that afternoon saying they couldn't get it freed up and they would have to order a new spline and slip yoke and it wouldn't be ready until Friday.

I had one of my co-workers actually warned me STERNLY to make sure I had it clocked correctly right when I put it back in because he had a problem on his "5 Nine" when he did his front drive shaft. He claimed he got it in a tooth off and the front drive wouldn't engage correctly and finally shelled out. I have never heard anything like that. It's also confusing to me why the Dodge guys always refer to their trucks by the engine family. Different way of thinking, I guess.

Anyway, I will get it put back in this weekend and move on to the next project.

 

[riphip]

It's also confusing to me why the Dodge guys always refer to their trucks by the engine family. Different way of thinking, I guess.

Same here. They don't want to say the 'D' word