Well, on my way home I stopped at a 4 way stop, facing uphill. When it was my turn the u-joint at the rear of the driveshaft let go. I put on the emergency flashers then got out, grabbed a ratchet strap and secured the shaft. Then I started to roll the truck backwards, down the hill.

Now, what would you do if you were driving up the road and came across a vehicle rolling backwards down a hill with the 4 ways on? Go around the truck and continue on your merry way? Yeah, thats what I would do too. Not the people in this area though. About 1/3rd of the cars would pull up behind me then start backing up until I would stop, get out, show them the "retard" sign then the "broken" sign then point to the other lane and wave them around. I had to wave around about 15 cars. Morons.

So, when traffic gets lighter tonight I am gonna go back and limp the truck home in 4Hi with the rear driveshaft tied in a way that it wont bounce over everything. It is only a couple miles so I should be fine so long as I take it easy.

One of the little U-Bolts that holds the U-Joint in place is bent a little, but otherwise it looks like everything else survived the bouncing off the pavement. Will I be OK if I either flip the little U-Bolt or bent it back? If not where do I get a new one? I need the truck by Thursday morning so even I can limp the truck around on the bent one for a day or two that would be better than waiting an extra day to get a new one.

Anything else I need to know about swapping in a new U-Joint? I did one in my SVO once but it was very much a drunken, hammer-on-it-til-it-works kinda thing.

 

From what I've been told, Schmucks sells those U-bolt kits. Some Jeep guys buy them to convert their strap & bolt yokes to U-bolt yokes because they are stronger. Are the ends of your U-joint caps about the size of a nickle (1310 joints) or about the size of a quarter (1360 joints)? Jeeps use the 1310 size so I know that they sell that size. Dunno about the 1360 size...

 

I dunno about the joint size, the new one is in the truck right now. At least it broke in front of a Napa.

 

you better just take the shaft out while driving it, i had a shaft fly out from under the mustang once and it ruined the shaft. not a good idea.

 

Deleted, your 4X4

 

Does the shaft just slip out like from a T-5? ZI tried pulling on it and it extended then stopped.

 

you can get the u bolts from autozone, they usualy keep em in the back,, its an easy fix

 

Nope, you have to unbolt the u joint from the transfer case just like you do from the rear axle.

Neet thing is all the transfer case fluid will not run out the open hole after you remove the driveshaft.

Pull the shaft, throw it in the bed, lock the front hubs, 4 high and you now have a front wheel drive truck.

I have driven a long way like that, and I was not limping either.
Towing a trailer is not classified as limping.

 

Well, I got it home safely and uneventfully.

Not wanting to root around in the garage for the tools when I wasn't sure what exactly I needed I just decided to use the ratchet straps I had in the truck.

I ran one from the front leaf spring perches under the fuel tank exhaust and driveshaft. I ran a second one under the exhaust and fuel tank and over the driveshaft, then tightened both pretty snug. I had my girlfriend follow me home and I never heard the driveshaft make a single sound.

Tomorrow after work I'll fix the U-joint and check out the others and see just how much abuse the ratchet straps took.