So ever since I bought this 01 250 5.4, I’ve had an issue with it idling a bit rough and then smoothing out with higher rpms…on the Highway, the truck will shift down and start to vibrate unless I hit the gas and force it to accelerate and then it smooths out…I have replaced all plugs and coils, as well as a bunch of other stuff…so now I’m going to try the u joints on my rear shaft, but on rock auto there are all these measurements like yoke length, which I can measure I imagine…outside lock up?? Outside diameter of bearings etc. this is where I need help…I’ve also taken two pictures of my shaft and I believe it’s a one piece..I’m also wondering how do I get the shaft out of the rear differential? Does it slide right out because that would be cool…any help would be greatly appreciated

Front at the transfer case flange…

Rear at the differential…

 

I would replace your joints with spicer, which are tried and true and what OEM uses. There are only like 2 different sizes of spicer joint I believe on these shafts. You probably can find an number stamped on whats in there. I think its like the 1360 or 1480 series or something. The difference is the diameter of the bearing caps and the width across. I would check your center support bearing if you have one. It is the rubber piece mounted underneath. They are known to wear out and cause NVH issues. Not sure if your one-piece shaft has a center support bearing though. As far as the rear, there are 2 "bearing cap brackets" and they are 12-point bolts, 2 for each bracket. When you remove the 2 brackets you can use a rubber mallet to break the joint loose back there and carefully pull shaft rearward removing the yoke out of the transmission.

 

I just looked harder at your first picture, I don't think you have a center support bearing with the 1-piece. Just replace joints on the shaft and you should be good to go. From the looks they might be original?

 

Do NOT remove the yoke from the differential to change the u-joint. It is held in place with a large nut, which is what sets your pinion bearing pre-load.
Separate the drive line at the u-joint right in fron of the diff, leaving the yoke in place.

EDIT: PS, the bolts take a 12 point 12mm box end wrench. Likely can’t get a socket on them.

 

right, remove the two caps which hold the joint into the rear yoke. Not complicated at all.

 

I bought my U-joints from RockAuto myself and was surprised to see the options. I used my digital calipers and measured the distance from bearing cup to bearing cup at about 4.20". The Spicer / Dana 51410X were listed as 4.188" and were used in all 3 locations of my 2 piece driveshaft. I've always been the one to buy the greasable type, but even my local drive shaft shop said to use the non greasable.

The rear U-joint at the diff is simply removed by unbolting the 4 small (8mm head) bolts that hold the bearing cups on the yoke. Great design as you don't need to deal with pressing out 2 of the bearing cups off on the U-joint!

The design of these U-joints made it almost impossible to fully remove the bearing cups. Usually you press the joint to one side and the bearing cup will come right off. Not on these. You can try using channel locks, vice grips, etc, but I did not have any luck. What I finally ended up doing is taking a nut splitting tool large enough to go around the bearing cup, torquing it down on to the exposed bearing cup, lightly setting the driveshaft in a vice and whaling on the nut cracker with a sledge hammer. Worked like a charm. Unfortunately the nut splitter is now just a dedicated bearing cap removal tool.

 

from the looks of the rust it may be difficult to get the u joints out, if I were doing ones that looked that rusty I would probably just go straight for the cutting torch and cut the joints in half, after removal from the vehicle of course.

 

Thanks for everyone’s input..I’m gonna go with two spicers and I’m gonna get a ball joint kit so I can hopefully get these rusty things out somewhat easily….probably won’t happen as everything on this truck I’ve replaced has been seized with rust…now that I know I don’t have to undo the u-joint at the rear diff I am relieved…I can’t imagine having to try and get the ujoint out while the shaft was under the truck!! I would really like to order mine first because then I know I have what I need when my drive shaft is removed so I’m going to look at them closely and look for a label and if I can’t see anything order two @ 4.188”…everything has been original on this truck and it’s about 250,000 miles now and running strong…ive done chronologically skyjacker hydro shocks, 2” front leveling kit, 2” rear blocks, right front wheel bearing and hub assembly, front driver caliper, rear brake lines, diff gasket and used epoxy to fill a pinhole in the diff cover!, new mile marker locking hubs (much prefer to the warns as they are fully stainless and the plastics wear out on the warns), water pump and gasket, intake manifold and gasket, new coils, new plugs, new wiper linkage, motor, blades and arms, about to do the washer fluid pump, starter solenoid and alternator as well as new battery terminals, there are spacers because the stupid wheels from the 07’ barely fit around the rotors(also new) 35” Kevlar Goodyear m/trs, 05-07 grille, leds all the way around, and switchbacks in the front turn signals…now I need to start doing body work!! Anyway thanks and I’ll hopefully remember to let y’all know how this turns out or ask for more help along the way!!

not bad for a 3,000 dollar truck!!!

 

be carefull when pressing out stuck u joints, you can bend the yoke ears if you use to much force and then you will not be able to get the retainers to seat properly

 

Unfortunately I don’t have a torch, but I do have a grinder…might take some more time but that’s always my go to for my rusty projects like cutting out my exhaust…

 

But if you simply cut the joints, wouldn’t it still be difficult to get them out of the yoke ears? And like he said, I definitely don’t want to do any damage to them

 

you do still need to get them out of the yoke ears but you are only dealing with one cap at a time and the heat from the torch helps a lot.

Hopefully they will come out with a press

 

So I got under the truck after the game and did some measuring…from the edges of the yoke ears, it was just under 4” and the caps of the u-joints are inserted into them a little so I’m pretty sure at this point that they are not the 4.188” length ones and they are 3 and whatever…I also see exactly how the rear shaft comes off which is great…the shaft had a spider label on it and some numbers that I couldn’t make out, but I think spicer is a part of DANA…

 

Using a shop press or a ball joint press along with the proper size sockets (to support the yoke ears) you shouldn't bend the yoke.

With shafts that crusty, watch the balancing weights don't fall off. If they do, wire wheel the crust off the whole shaft and get it balanced.

 

Keep in mind RA drops dashes in all part numbers so a 51410X is actually 5-1410 which in common man speak (which I prefer) is just "a fourteen-ten"