Re-installingt front prop shaft

[rowdyraven]

Hey folks, just had the front prop shaft from my 01 D2 rebuilt using spicer u/joints. In talking with the shop folks at Oliver's Drive Shaft Shop they the front drive shafts often have water getting into the seal where the male and female ends meet causing corrosion. This water often comes from the A/C condensate while the vehicle is sitting still. This along with the heat from the CAT causes issues it seems with the front props.

So anywho, now I am trying to reinstall this front prop and after bolting it up to the TC I can not get the shaft to extend out so that I can bolt it up to the diff. Any suggestions? I have tried tapping on the front yoke with the handy dandy ball peen, but not luck. :banghead:

Thanks!!!
Rowdy

 

[I HATE PONIES]

Hey folks, just had the front prop shaft from my 01 D2 rebuilt using spicer u/joints. In talking with the shop folks at Oliver's Drive Shaft Shop they the front drive shafts often have water getting into the seal where the male and female ends meet causing corrosion. This water often comes from the A/C condensate while the vehicle is sitting still. This along with the heat from the CAT causes issues it seems with the front props.

So anywho, now I am trying to reinstall this front prop and after bolting it up to the TC I can not get the shaft to extend out so that I can bolt it up to the diff. Any suggestions? I have tried tapping on the front yoke with the handy dandy ball peen, but not luck. :banghead:

Thanks!!!
Rowdy

Does it have a grease zerk on the slip joint?

 

[helievacpilot]

Problems with front driveshafts? First I've heard of this.

 

[fishEH]

Does it have a grease zerk on the slip joint?

Because if it does you can probably pump grease into it and the driveshaft will get longer.

 

[lanceputnam]

You need to pull harder. There are multiple reasons it could be stiff. Too much of that blue shit they put on the joing there or some corrosion. I remeber on one of my first D2's I bought a TW shaft for it and I had the same issue. I got it to slide by putting on end on the ground while standing, placing my feet on the flange and then pulling straight up with my hands on the other flange. It felt a lot like trying to extend out a shock absorber but without the rebound. I would also take a scribe and put a line on both sides of where they meet just incase you pull to hard and it comes apart, then you will have a reference to line up the splines so that the balance isnt off when you put it back together.

 

[jhk07]

1 long heavy duty zip tie through 2 holes of drive shaft looped through 2 matching holes on diff. Next take nylon tie down / ratchet strap through the zip tie. Attach nylon strap to garden tractor and an 8 year old driving, have them pull slooowwwwly. Fasten the 2 holes with no zip tie, slowly release 8 year old.... cut zip tie. bada bing. (that may or may not work, I have never tried it) Proceed with caution, this actually sounds like a bad idea.

 

[rowdyraven]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I ended up taking the prop shaft back to the shop today and hopefully they had better luck than I did at getting it to separate. It does have the high pressure grease fitting on the tube. The guy at the shop said he had it apart while he was putting the new u/js on the ends. While it was apart he cleaned it up to some degree yet he noted there was corrosion and some gouging on the splines. We'll see what they have done tomorrow.