Reinstalling front driveshaft...

[nate_2k5]

when i bought my explorer the owner had removed the front driveshaft before the sale but included it with the bolts. the vehicle is a 97 ford explorer sport.

i am having trouble getting it back in place, it seems slightly too long, any ideas or pics of someone else's install?

 

[techieman33]

Put the rear in first, it should slide back far enough for you to get the front in place. On the front make sure the u-joint is sitting in the right spot between the 2 "tabs" if it's not it'll feel like the whole truck is going to shake apart at highway speeds

 

[jad2411]

My mechanic lost the mounting hardware
what would I need to get? can I just go to fastenal and buy some screws? or is there something else involved? sorry to hijack nate hehe

 

[nate_2k5]

Put the rear in first, it should slide back far enough for you to get the front in place. On the front make sure the u-joint is sitting in the right spot between the 2 "tabs" if it's not it'll feel like the whole truck is going to shake apart at highway speeds

how far is the rear suppose to slide into place? am i supposed to grease it?

 

[techieman33]

how far is the rear suppose to slide into place? am i supposed to grease it?

it will sit in the "cup" and then the shaft should slide back a couple of inches at the cv joint just in front of that. There's no need to grease the outside, but it wouldn't hurt to put some grease into the cv joint, there should be a little hole at the back of the drive shaft for that.

 

[nate_2k5]

is this supposed to be easy? this is turnin into a real *****, i need about an extra 1/2" but it won't go back any further. the cv joint feels a little loose, could it possibly be out of the joint and won't push back in far enough?

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Would reinstalling this make a difference if it was in the ground or in the air? Like on jackstands? I'm thinking maybe the weight of the vehicle is "compressing" it just enough so it won't go in? I know I sound like an idiot.

 

[gavin]

Would reinstalling this make a difference if it was in the ground or in the air? Like on jackstands? I'm thinking maybe the weight of the vehicle is "compressing" it just enough so it won't go in? I know I sound like an idiot.

nope, since the diff doesn't move with the suspension.

the last time I reinstalled my front shaft, I had greased the living hell out of it, and it was a royal PITA to compress it far enough to get the front onto the pinion yoke. It just took some persistance.

normally, though, without greasing it (or very little grease) it compressed easily.

with the shaft out of the vehicle, you should have some fore/aft movement of the cv joint.

 

[nate_2k5]

how much movement? it almost seems like the cv joint is too loose, it freely turns except in one position where it sits down a little further and even then i can't get the cv joint over the nubs.

 

[gavin]

certainly not a lot of movement, but if I were to guess... I'd say, oh, about an inch or a hair bit more?

 

[nate_2k5]

so whats a tell tale sign the CV joint is bad?

 

[gavin]

a hole in the boot.
clunking noises while driving, that go away when shaft is removed.
vibrations that go away when shaft is removed.

those are the major things you'd notice.

 

[nate_2k5]

the driveshaft was out when i got the truck so i don't have that benefit, there is no hole in the boot tho.

 

[gavin]

well... if it is, in fact, the correct shaft, but you cannot get it to compress enough to get the front u-joint onto the pinion yoke, then I would assume there is definately something wrong with it.

but that's only my opinion, based on what's been said.

 

[corasmommy99]

well I'm a total neewb to the board, but speaking from experience...
Mine just went in my 97 XLT 5.0, Ford quoted $670+tax, so I called salvage yards. Found one for $150, got it home and it wasn't fitting quite right... Lined it up next to it and it was about half an inch longer.
I eventually found the right one online for $250 new, but did find out the that 4.0L is slightly longer then my 5.0, which caused all my problems. When I got the right one, it went in with very little effort.

Not sure if that's what's going on with yours, but hopefully that's helpful?