Posted this in the Exploder section...should have done it here first.

My folks recently bought an '04 Mountaineer AWD 4.0L with a fairly decent vibration above 65 MPH. A few techie-oriented people have told them they thought it was a u-joint issue (the ONE time I was in it, that wasn't my impression...although I don't know yet what it IS). Regardless, I pulled the front driveshaft this afternoon per my father's request...strange bugger. No rear u-joint on the front shaft...some kind of funky CV joint?

Anyway, the u-joint on the front shaft isn't in the worst condition I've ever seen, but it does feel like it could stand to be replaced. I just have a hunch that changing it isn't going to fix the problem. The rear joint doesn't feel like I'd expect, either...it kinda feels notchy when you wiggle it around, where I'd think it should feel smooth.

OK, enough rambling...my question is this: can the vehicle be driven without the front driveshaft in place? I'd like to take it for a spin without the driveshaft in place, to see if the vibration still exists or not. The two things that concern me about trying this are that funky flange on front of the transfer case (center differential?), and the fact that it's AWD and has four-wheel ABS. I can't imagine that the latter should matter much, but would that flange mysteriously fly apart at highway speed or something?

Sorry for asking what I think are stupid questions...but better safe than sorry. I'm 41, and 99% of what I've owned has either been RWD or 4WD, so some of these things (CV joints, axle shafts, and unitized wheel hubs) are kinda foreign to me.

Thanks,
Pat

 

should not be a problem ,,the flange is bolted in so it can't go anywhere..

 

its probly what they call a "double cardan joint" it shouldnt hurt a thing to run it without a front driveshaft, you may have to put the transfer case seletor switch in "4wd lock" (or maybe it says "4wd hi") postion otherwise the center diff in the transfer case will try to power the front axleshaft flange alone and you will just sit still like your in netrual. the abs sytem wont care or notice that the front driveshaft is missing. you could even pull the rear driveshaft, put t-case in 4wd lock/hi and run off the front axle only and see if you have any change. i wouldnt run it off the front axle alone for a long period of time, the c.v.'s and front axle probly arent ment to have the full vehicle load on them for a long amount of time. ive done that with a old jeep back in the day (twisted off the rear driveshaft at the diff) but it had a fairly heavy front driveline and u-joints at the steering knuckles instead of the c.v.'s of today.

 

What you have is the pancake type CV or Cross and ***** type of Constant Velocity not a Double Cardan. The Double Cardan is two U-joints connected together by an H yoke. The Cross and ***** type looks like plates sandwiched together. The flange is held on by the splines and a nut and will not just sling off.