I'm getting a CLUNK when coming to a stop with my truck.

If I shut off the overdrive while coming to a stop it doesn't do it. Or if I manualy shift it down a gear.

I read on here it could be a U-joint or the yoke or something and maybe something needs greased.

Anyway I crawled under the truck and it looks like I need a special socket to remove the 4 bolts holding the driveshaft to the rear end.

What type of socket it this?

No grease fittings on my U-joints.

Any idea what's causing this CLUNK as well?

 

I would bet that it would be your u-joints, or the slip yoke...in either case you will need to remove the 4 bolts you describe. I've used a plain ole 1/2'' box end wrench (if memory serves me right, may have been a size bigger or smaller), with lots of wd-40 with great success. If you can find a normal socket with the same type of pattern, that would work even better.

Make sure that you mark every thing before removal.

 

Is the slip yoke the part that the drive shaft bolts to and goes into the rearend?

Thanks.

 

The slip yoke is on the end that mates to the transmission, you cant see it until you pull the driveshaft off. When you remove the bolts, tap that same flange with a hammer (to knock it off the rearend), and the swing the driveshaft down and away from the rear axel, and then pull the drive shaft towards the rear of the truck and the driveshaft and slip yoke will slide right out of the transmission end.

You need to be very careful not to drop the slip yoke once it exits the tranny as it could damage it.

Once out, you can re-grease the slip yoke and examine the ujoints....IMO, if you have the means and tools to change the u-joints, I would do it wether the joints are good or bad, for the simple fact that you have the drive shaft off, and the u-joints are relatively cheap.

 

what year truck is it you may need a 12mm 12point socket for the head of those bolts and you better get a 1/2 inch drive the 3/8 will snap ,they are very tight. try to do it with an impact gun if possible

 

It's a 1998.

Yes, the bolts holding the driveshaft on looks like a 12 point head on it.

I'm thinking I may have to buy this 12mm 12 point socket you speak of.

Or will the box end of a wrench work? It's 12 point isn't it?

 

A wrench will work but it will be very slow. The bolts have loctite on them and are usually tight to the last thread.

 

I used a wrench because I cannot stand to have a 12 pt socket in my tool box (I did not want to make a special trip to the hardware store).

I've found that it works quite well to have the axel up on jack stands, so that the tranny can be put into neutral, so that you can turn the drive shaft. This will allow you to rotate the drive shaft so that the bolts are easier to get at with a wrench. You may need to set the tranny in park, or set the p-brake, to bust the bolts loose.

IMO I wouldnt use an impact wrench to take them off or put them on, its way too easy to snap the bolts with a impact wrench, and besides we're only talking about 4 bolts.

A good set of hand wrenches and or sockets are your best bet.

 

I'll use a wrench and some elbow grease.

thanks.

 

If you have a mac tool distributor near, Here's a great tool to use with the 1/2 impact sc189r. Works great to get the bolts off on the driveshaft.

 

I am a Snap-On Dealer. forget mac or the other ones that will leave you with broken tools and a job not done. I service 3 full time transmission only shops they ALL are using 1/2 drive short impact 12point 12mm sockets on the guns. They don't break. some use 12mm 3/8 drive 12point swivel impact on the gun with an adaptor. do you want it to fall out on the road?????

 

Why an impact? He's only doing four stinking bolts! Let the shops who crank out this stuff all day long for a living buy that stuff! Besides, if he may not have the requisite air compressor.

 

Have You Ever Done Them??? They Are Very Tight If They Have Never Been Off Before.

 

yup, quite a few times.

 

I took the four bolts off with a 12mm wrench in about 1.5 minutes.

Slide the drive shaft out of the transmission.

I did not see this "Slip yoke". I think I don't have one.

The drive shaft is just the splined (on the inside) female end. Nothing else on it.

The tranny is just a rubber boot and inside of that the male splined shaft. Output shaft I think it's called.

A few drips of ATF dripped out and I did not see anything to grease.

Both the U-joints seem fine.

So I was upset I did not find anything wrong and put it together.

It still makes this CLUNK when coming to a stop if I don't shut the overdrive off or down shift a gear manually.

I'm thinking it's a rearend problem as I can almost feel the CLUNK in the brake pedal and feel a little clicking from the ABS.

I think I should pull the inspection plate off the rearend and take a look and fill with new fluid.

Or I'll take it to a tranny shop and see what they say.