U-joints/driveshaft - Potentially stupid/not stupid question

[Aviatrix]

Hi - was hoping y'all could steer me toward a smart choice here - drop the driveshaft again to replace a theoretically brand new faulty u-joint at rear diff or do it with driveshaft in place? I think I just need to replace the rear one.

I wouldn't even ask, but I dumped a half bottle of threadlocker on the driveshaft bolts at 4am this morning when I was wrapping up the first u-joint install and I'd like to get'er'done as quickly as possible as I'm already 4 days overdue to leave on a trip.

City driving seems OK, but there's a horrific vibration at 65MPH, & pretty sure it's the rear u-joint of the pair I bought.



Here's the long version -

Had a he!! of a time getting the right u-joints - the lovely Spicers I ordered were 1330 series, as everyone, including Ford Parts, seems to think the truck takes. It does not, and I will punch the next person that tries to tell me it does (but I will send a handwritten note of apology shortly thereafter).

Turns out I have a 9.5 axle which *seems* to take 1350s (be glad to hear from some fellow 9.5ers on this topic).


Went to Napa and got 331s, which turned out to be one Spicer in a Napa box (yay) and one Hecho in Mexico Napa POS (booo-hissssss). The Spicer went in very nicely. The HIM-Napa, of obvious lesser quality, took a little pounding and such, but eventually went in, which I should have known was not going to work. Pretty sure it didn't and that's the problem.

They gave me a different series 1350 today that should theoretically fit better (I was told).


I've seen people gracefully pop them in with the driveshaft in place, and if the caps go in smoothly like Napa said they would, I can see it working without me having to wrestle my driveshaft at 2am (if I'm going to be wrestling anything at 2am, it ought not be a rusty driveshaft), however, absolutely nothing about working on my ride has gone as planned lately, so whaddaya think?


Thanks in advance, and if you have any insight about the 1330/1350 conundrum, I'm happy to hear more!



ALSO! Just FYI, I did a short test this afternoon to see what dissolves Loctite - Red the best. In order of efficacy:
1) PB Blaster
2) WD-40
3) Acetone nail polish remover
4) The searing 500 degree glare I have for my u-joints and driveshaft at the moment.

 

[Aviatrix]

Not stupid, but maybe not practical.

Turns out the PTSD of the original threadlocker on the bolts in removing the driveshaft was blown out of proportion compared to the serious f'n hassle of trying to pop a u-joint in with the driveshaft mostly in place.

Had the u-joint I was replacing been a better fit coming/going, it *might* have been a quick in and out, but it wasn't and I ended up dropping the rear of the driveshaft to get everything put back together.

There's minimal wiggle room there. Could probably be done if you had a gun to your head, but why? (Because you didn't like the bath in PB Blaster the first time around, actually.)

Even with the new threadlocker from last install, the driveshaft flange bolts came out 1000x more easily than the first miserable experience and with 100% less trauma to the knuckles.

Still in a conundrum with the u-joints. Not sure if the shaft yokes are a little out of round or if I just don't have the 100% correct u-joint. Playing make-do with the old one until I arrive at a definitive answer.

 

[1992explorerMi]

Did you mark the drive shaft and rear dif before removing the first time to make sure it went on exactly the same as it came off. I have heard of people skilping this and the not having it bolted back in the same holes and theg have the same problem your having