A couple of tips I can give anyone that has not removed a driveshaft before is to park on a level surface and rock the truck forward by hand slightly while kicking a chock under the back wheel to relieve the bind on the driveline. Make sure you can twist the driveshaft by hand after that. The other tip is to try to end up with the yoke clocked in such a way that the bolts are opposite from right to left. This will make it much easier to get your socket on them.
+ +
+ +like this I wanted to use the blue stuff from the dealer just to be safe, I forget why it is recommended, maybe more shear strength?

 

The shear strength is one and the other is that water will not wash it out.

Those tips are great.

Another tip is to make sure that you index the shaft to make sure that you put it back exactly the way you took it out.

I did a write up a while back about this problem. I cannot find it now, but it was regarding drilling a grease plug and cutting a groove around the shaft. It takes a little time to do it but once done, you can grease the shaft with a regular gun filled with the Ford silicone.

I am going to do this to my SD in the near future. When I do it, I will photograph the process and post the photos.

 

Does anyone have a detailed write up or a set of pictures put together outlining the steps for how to get the splines lubed? If you can share that with me, I'd sure appreciate it.......

 

Mike: It is a simple process.

1.) Mark your driveshaft at the rear yoke (and front yoke if applicable).
2.) Apply rustbuster to the capscrews at the rear yoke and if you have a split shaft with a carrier bearing, to the bolts at the carrier bearing and the bolts at the rear of the transmission.
3.) Remove the driveshaft.
4.) Split the shaft or pull it out of the transfer case
5.) Clean the splines (both female and male).
6.) Apply a thin coat of Ford Silicone Grease only to the male part of the shaft.
7.) Place a shock bushing into the female end.
7.) Reverse removal procedure.
8.) Enjoy "No Clunk" on takeoff or stop.

NOTE:

DO NOT FILL THE FEMALE PORTION OF THE SHAFT. IF YOU DO, THE SPLINED MALE SHAFT WILL NOT PENETRATE DEEP ENOUGH INTO THE SHAFT (GREASE WILL HAVE NOWHERE TO GO).

 

Ask and you shall receive: http://www.eurekaboy.com/f250/slipjoint.htm

 

Thanks to both of you!

 

JT: Just installing a grease fitting will not solve the problem. These two pieces fit tightly together. The pictures are great at showing removal, but without doing the following, it is only a band-aid approach. It will return with time. Might as well solve the problem once and for all.

If you are planning on installing a grease fitting, you will need the services of a milling shop or a very steady hand. A spiral groove needs to be cut on the male portion of the shaft from the end to the shank and at least three of the splines needs to be removed in equal distances around the shaft. Drill the fitting on the female side. This will allow the grease to be pumped into the inside and pressure will force it around the spiral and missing splines and go completely go through the area.

 

I know that on my truck at least, one of the splines is missing (I think on the female side) completely. Do you not feel that this would provide an adequate place for any excess grease to to. This is in reference to your post, #19, not the one above.

I understand the point of cutting a spiral to ensure grease would go completely around the spline. Something I would not have thought of. A thought though, rather than removing 3 splines completely, wouldn't 3 spiral grooves around the shaft accomplish similar results? I'm just afraid of removing straight splines as I fear it would weaken the connection. I think 3 spiral grooves would not weaken it as much. There's just a lot of torque sent through the shaft, especially if the truck is modified, and I would want the connection to be as strong as possible.

 

With the only one missing spline, the grease would not be able to travel around the shaft. This is what we are after. It is my understanding that Ford put the missing spline there for the overzealous mechanics packing the shaft to let the excess grease flow out.

I am sorry, I should have been a little clearer in the spline removal.

Only remove enough to get at least 3/64" (dang what is that in clearance .050?) of clearance and only do it on the male shaft. The female is not strong enough.

Also, in thinking about it, you could stagger the splines a little. In other words, where the spiral cut is, remove a little on both sides of the cut. That would be enough to let the grease flow though. I think three spiral cuts would make the shaft weaker.

Hey, lets hear some torgue specialist in here on this. I am treading on new ground with what JT has suggested.

 

I guess I should clarify a little too. When I say 3 spiral cuts, I'm thinking 3 very gradual cuts, that only wrap about a third of the way around the shaft. Like taking one cut from a 12:00 position at the back around to a 4:00 on the front, then 4:00 back to 8:00 front, and 8:00 back to 12:00 front. And do only that, not removing any more material.

 

I have several old shafts and housings at home. I like that idea. I will give it a try, tie strap it to the normal position and then fill it and see if it will work.

If I come up with a good combo and the assembly stays tight, I will photo what I did and post them with the procedure. Who knows, Ford watches this site and may use it.

 

Could you extrapolate a little on the red part? As it is written, this sounds a lot like putting an obstruction into the female end to prevent the spline from bottoming out, but that would put pressure on the shaft and jam it out too long.

 

That is an old mechanics trick that I have been using since the 70's. The shock bushing will compress and absorb the load if the shaft is put under extreme conditions where it will bottom out (overload). It will save the shaft, the housing and especially the tailpiece and seal. It will not let the rough section of the shaft go past the seal. It will also help stop that dreaded driveshaft clunk on takoff as it will absorb the impact. If the driveshaft is set up properly, this condition will never exist. It will also absorb some of the harmonics in the shaft.

 

Hmmm, ok, thanks for the explanation.
No disrespect intended, but I still don't like the sound of it. It will push pretty hard on the flanges on each end of the driveshaft and they weren't designed for that sort of load.

 

If you talk to a lot of the old Ford Mechanics, this was a repair that they used when Ford had a severe problem in the early and mid 70's with the F-Series, LTD's, Galaxies and Torinos. I was told that the shaft and the housing was made by two different companies and that there was a little slop in them and as the miles were put on, the slop got worse. The only repair at that time other than replacing the shaft and housing (yeah right, Ford Warranty in the 70's sucked, they listed it as a drivability problem with the owner and would not cover it, been there done, that on several vehicles) was axle grease and the bushing. They did not have the silicone lubricant at that time.

The next time you are under your truck and have the end housing loose from the driveshaft, try this simple test. You will be surpised. Just push the housing over the shaft until you see the seal passing the inner extreme wear point and/or feel strong resistance. Then drop in a bushing (only use the one that that fits on the shaft, not the eyelet) into the housing and do the test. Most of the time, you will not feel the bushing until you are just beyond the inner wear ring. If you can feel the bushing before the inner wear ring, your driveshaft is too long and it is pounding the shaft (no good). There should be at least .850 inch clearance (to allow for lubricant) when the driveshaft is in a complete compressed (rear axle on stop bumps). Most shock bushings, including the washer **** is .875 inch. The **** will compress along with the bushing to a height of about .845 inch. There will be no bind.

I do not haul the weight that you do, but I know that U-Joint service is due on my truck. It still has the factory joints. When I do the service, I will drop a bushing into the housing as I have been doing since the early 70's.