SYE: Choices/Prefs

Quote from Keith_C

Is the front joint new?

It looks old.

Good eye! I had to go out and check to make sure but it is older than the rest. I installed it about a month or so before our trip back at the end of June. I checked to see if it had any play in it and I couldn't get any wiggle out of it.

Thanks for the info Aaron. I'll get that measurement tomorrow if I can get under the Jeep. It may have to wait til the weekend depending on the weather.

Alrighty... here's the latest on the driveline vibes. They are indeed coming from the rear driveshaft. I pulled it and ran on just the front driveshaft. Nice smooth acceleration all the way thru 55mph. I've never driven her so smoothly and didn't even know it was possible! While I had the rear shaft off, I took the angle measurements again.

This is the pinion measured off of the yoke face where the straps hold the ujoint:

This is the tcase with the angle finder on the face of the output shaft:

So if I'm reading this correctly, there seems to be about a 6* difference between the tcase and pinion angles. I also checked the movement of the upper joint (older of the 2) and it moves freely in all directions so I believe it's fine. How bad is 6* of angle difference? Is there a solution to the vibes even if temporary until I can go the SYE route?

Alright... let me see if I'm correct in my understanding here... the shim will push the pinion yoke down 6* so that it is closer to being level and matching the angle of the transfer case... correct? So that would mean that the thicker part of the shim would need to be installed facing the back of the Jeep closest to the fuel tank? Would I need to replace the leaf spring ubolts as well? Is there anything else I would need to do or buy going this route.

Only ones I could find on Qtec:
http://www.quadratec.com/products/52421_5200.htm

Better price w/ free shipping but why would I pay ~$5 more for a pair instead of buying them individually??
http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Lift-K…x?t_c=1&t_s=101&t_pt=5502

Quote from Tonka

Just for precaution (and cheap preventitive maintinence) I would make sure your pinion yoke bolt is torgued to spec. I would also change the u-joints in the shaft and check the yoke to make sure its holding the joint snug on each side. Sye and shims will definiatly make things better but the rough ride your describing also sounds like a worn/failing part somewhere in the driveline, if thats the case it will need fixed.

Thanks. I'll definitely check that as well.

Yesterday I disconnected the rear driveshaft at the pinion yoke. My intention was to check the torque on the pinion nut. The only torque spec I found was 205 lbft but my torque wrench doesn't go that high. So I grabbed ahold of the pinion yoke and tried to see if it had any play in it. Nothing that I could do by hand would make it move. I did rotate it 180* during my inspection before I reconnected the driveshaft. I went to drive up to autozone and noticed that the vibes were almost non-existent! In fact, I drove to Middletown and then Pike Creek helping a friend move and the only time I really noticed any vibes was going up the rt 1 bridge while accelerating. Maybe I didn't tighten the yoke straps down enough or they're warped... Dunno for sure but for the moment alls well. I'm going to replace the yoke straps just to be sure. I also still want to look into shimming the axle to get my angles right. Anyone wiling to edumacate me on shims?