I posted this here because it seems like my '95 f350 are the few trucks that have the double cardan joint on the front drive shaft. My problem is...where do I find parts to rebuild it? My front shaft is making alot of grinding noise when in 4wheel. I use 4wheel just about every weekend, and need to get it fixed. I'm not familiar with the cardan joint and don't know diddly about what parts it has in it. I do know that the insides (centering ball)?? is completly gone. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Puretexn

 

Pure, I don't know where you are but Austin Drive train here in Austin has everything you need to rebuild that joint. What exactly is grinding? Is it one of the ujoints, or the pivot in the center? If you can change ujoints, you can rebuild it. There is really nothing to it. Let me know where your at and maybe I can point you in the right direction. If your close enough I would be glad to help.

RubberDuck

 

RD, I live down south in Ingleside. The grinding happends when the 4wheel in engaged. I can lock my hubs in and run 2wheel fine. I took the front shaft out and the ujoints seem fine. There is no centering pin or whatever you call it inside the joint. Cardan just "flops" around. Can I get the parts from AutoZone? I called them and the guy never heard of a cardan joint.

Thanks for the help
Puretexn

 

Pure, that's way too far south for me to come and check it out for you. But I have more questions. Are you sure there is not a center piece in between the ujoints on the cv? There's got to be something, or it would just fling around and tear stuff up. And only grinding when your are under power on the front axle makes me think something else. If you think the noise is coming from undernieth you and not at the front axle, I would think xfer case bearings, or something in there. If you can pull the shaft and nothing binds up I would rule out the shaft. Need more info brother.

 

RD, there is nothing between the u-joints. I can see that there was something at one time, the inside of the cv joint is shiny like something was rubbing in there. I'm running down the beach tomorrow and I'll try 4wheel with out locking in the hubs to see if its the axle or not. But I'm sure it's the drive shaft.

thanks
PT

 

Okay, that shinny piece you see, does it have a nipple in the middle of it. Is it dish shaped? If so that is where the pivot ball used to ride. Drive shaft companys will call that a seal. Let me ask you this when you lifted your truck, did someone do driveshaft work? Most likely (hear me out) what happened is this. Truck was lifted, driveshaft was binding. aka, wouldn't make the angle. Technician pulls the seal out of the cv to let it flex more. I have never hooked a cv shaft up to see it run without the pivot ball/ seal. I automaticly assumed it would just go crazy and break. maybe that's not the case. But there is something missing for sure. Maybe there is some slack in those joints now that wasn't there before and that could be the difference in running smooth and making a grinding vibration noise. How about the slip yoke. does it have pleanty of grease? And if you are running in sand, I would just pull the whole shaft apart and clean and regrease it. i.e. Pull each cap off each ujoint, take out the needle bearings, clean them in gas and put them back together with new grease. Pull the slip yoke apart and do the same. Basicly do what I call a grease rebuild. Sand will get into everything. And if your sure it's the shaft, that's the only solution I can come up with short of just buying new ujoints. I don't know if any of that helps, but I definatly want to know what you find. If you have any other questions, just shoot.

RubberDuck

 

The shiny piece, is not a piece, The inside of the cardan has been polished by something that was rubbing it from the inside. I put the lift on myself 3 or 4 years ago and had no problems till now. It started as a "chirp" and progressed to grinding. what is inside the cardan joint? and what does it do? There is absolutly nothing between the 2 u-joints.

Thanks
PT

 

I guess my question is, can I buy a rebuild kit for the cardan joint? and where can I get one? My internet seaches have been coming up short.

PT

 

Was it chirp,.........chrip, ....chirp,chirp,chirp? Accelerating with speed? That sounds like a classic ujoint failing. And yeah, after time it will turn into a grinding sound. Is there ANY red dust around any of the joints? If there is, that's your problem. A rebuild kit for the joint? I'm not sure, but I can buy all the components to do it from Austin Drive Train. And I'm not saying I'm 100% correct, but isn't it Cardigan joint/ constant velocity joint? Maybe that's where the parts stores are getting caught up. I'm going to try and remember all the parts to it. The shaft coming from the diff should have a complete loop that the first joint rides in. In the center of that loop oposite the shaft there should be a raised dish with what looks like a small vaccum tube sticking out of the center. (it's not a vac tube, just trying for the visual.) Kinda like a freeze plug with a small piece of fuel hose standing on end in the center of the dish side. That tube holds a spring. next you would have the collar that connects the two joints. Then the seal before the next joint. the seal looks like you cut the ears off a yoke and tapped what was left for ujoint straps. In the center of the seal facing the dish is a ball with a hole in it that the "vac tube and spring rides in. What it does is keep the rotating mass of the collar centered. next is the second joint in the collar. then you connect it to the xfer case with bolts that come in from the xfer side of the yoke to bolt to the seal. I'm sure that's clear as mud, but that's the way 99% of all ford cv's are built. There are some chevy designs out there that are a little different. But not too much. As far as where to buy a rebuild kit.....On the internet, I would look at Drive Train Direct, Drivetrain Specialists, Driveshaft superstore, High Angle driveline. Any place around you that works with gears or drivetrains specificly. Like a place that does axle rebuilds, hell, there has GOT to be someone close that makes driveshafts. That's it, I'm going hunting for you. I can't stop thinking about this now. Yer Killing me brother!!! If I find something, I'll let you know asap.

RubberDuck

 

I found someone close to you that should be able to solve this.

Alamo Driveshaft & Clutch Co
(361) 882-6069
3209 Agnes St
Corpus Christi, TX 78405

Let me know what they say. Good luck brother.

 

ok pure your centering ball in the cardan joint is shot. they will make noise like you describe when they dry out the start to self detruct. you could have greased it when it was chirping and got away with it for a while but now you need to replace it. assuming the grinding has not destroyed the end of the driveshaft you can get a rebuild kit at napa. thats where i get them for customers vehicles. can you take pictures? that would help me tell you if the drive shaft is still any good.

the parts stores may also call this joint a CV joing or constant velocity joint or a double cardan joint.

 

Alamo Drive Shaft does not answer the phone, and NAPA guy said he does not show a rebuild kit. Dang it, so close.

 

pure i will get you a part number for napa tomorrow! most counter people are idiots. i will only talk to the owner or the manager at our store. they have them they just don't know it.

 

TJ, thats true about the counter guys. When I was talking to him about my front drive shaft, He asked me if it was 2wheel drive or 4wheel. Should have known right there I was not finding my part....lol

PT

 

well PT your not gonna like this much. just talked to napa here and the ball only comes with what they call the centering yoke which is near $60. normally you can get the ball seat kit seperate but it in not looking good for this one. part number is 608 and the line code is PUJ you may not need the line code depending on how stupid you napa people are. hope that helps if not write back. btw if your going to do this your self get the u-joints too and do them all. sometimes you have to torch the old one out the get the joint apart.