| Author | Message | ||
     Conor Furr (Conor) New Member Username: Conor Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2003 |
Ive run into a small problem while removing the front driveshaft. i got the diff end undone fine, but when i got to the t-case side, one of the nuts was stripped badly and in my attempts to take it off i have mangled it. i tried just about everything, heat, hammer, nut splitter, and i couldnt get it to come off. i accepted defeat tonight, and put it all back together, but would like to attack it again sometime soon. Any suggestions on how to get it off? This leads into my second question, and why i was removing the driveshaft. i noticed when i was greasing the sliding joint, that instead of the rubber boot filling up and bulging that the grease was coming out where the u-joint was. for some reason i didnt think that was right, is it? thanks for the help Conor | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1628 Registered: 02-2002 |
Conor: First off, there is a plug at the U-joint end to allow the grease to come out that direction too. As for the mangled nut/bolt, you'll probably end up needing to get in there with a grinder to cut it off. This is not at all uncommon as the clearance is so tight that most do not have suitable wrenches modified to fit the space. Paul | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 306 Registered: 02-2003 |
You could try one of those Craftsman "Stripped Nut Removers" things. They look like a reversed twisted socket. It grabs the nut no matter what condition it is in. The only problem I have with them is that I cannot get the nut out of the socket after I use it. You will probley have to buy a hole set of them. MAC makes them too. I have never seen Snap-On, but I bet they make them aswell. | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1629 Registered: 02-2002 |
D. There is not likely to be sufficient clearance for that mode of attack. Had clearance been more ample, these nuts/bolts wouldn't get mangled so often. | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 307 Registered: 02-2003 |
Without looking at it I dont know. It seems that if he had enough room to get a nut spliter on there he would have room for a socket. If not a grinder with a cutting wheel should be able to cut the bolt head off from the rear of the flange. | ||
| Bill Bettridge (Billb) Senior Member Username: Billb Post Number: 784 Registered: 02-2002 |
Rear of the flange (and bolt head) is inside the Tcase! Like Paul said - the clearance is very tight - you might have to get in there with a dremel worst case. Sounds like at this point the nuts is too far gone for anything else. Bill | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 308 Registered: 02-2003 |
I just went out and looked at my truck.The nut does look like it is in there a bit tight, but if he can get the shaft loose at the diff there might be enought play in the u-joint to where he can bend it up and get a socket on there. If not you can for sure get a cutting wheel on the bold head. Bill, I dont know what you mean by the bolt head being inside the t-case. On my truck you can see both sides of the bolt. | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1633 Registered: 02-2002 |
Where's Kyle when we need him? | ||
| D. Chapman (1hank1) Senior Member Username: 1hank1 Post Number: 309 Registered: 02-2003 |
 How hard is it to understand? | ||
| Conor Furr (Conor) New Member Username: Conor Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2003 |
thanks for the suggestions. the reason the nut splitter didnt work is because there wasnt really enough room for it to be on all the way. and i tried one of those stipped nut extractor thingys, but once again just not enough room. i did push the shaft up as i high as i could get it, but that still didnt allow for enough room. looks like ill be taking a grinder of some sort to it. also on that plug, is it suppose to be plugged, and maybe when i had my ujoints changed a month or so ago, for some reason it was removed and not replaced? Conor | ||
| Paul T. Schram (Paulschram) Senior Member Username: Paulschram Post Number: 1640 Registered: 02-2002 |
Conor: The end of the driveshaft has one bigger hole in the very center and a ring of smaller ones around the circumference. There is a rubber plug through the center, larger hole. As you pump grease intothe driveshaft, some of it flows along the spline to the end and is expelled through the little holes around the circumference. I ran without the plug, or the nut for the spline for several thousand miles with no problems. Don't sweat it. Peace, Paul | ||
| Conor Furr (Conor) New Member Username: Conor Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2003 |
Paul, thanks for the help. im still going to take it off so i can replace that nut and bolt, and i also need to replace the zirks on the u-joints. i forgot to give the mechanic the shorter zirks for the napa u-joints. i guess this is what i get for being forgetful. Conor |
