robfg67

I owned a 2003 Rubicon and it was a great truck. I would look very closely at the mileage. It is very easy to disconnect the odometer from behind the gauge cluster. Look at the srews that hold the gauge cluster. If they look pristine, you should be ok. If they looked hacked (they have been taken in and out a lot) ask why that is? There aren't a lot of reasons for going back there.

grommets & bushings

I should have mentioned that. All 4 shocks changed 5 months ago. There really is no noise coming from the front end unless I flex-out the suspension. I suspect it's the passenger side coil. I'm hoping someone can recommend a stock suspension replacement kit that includes all of the "soft" parts. Obviously, the coils would need to be replaced as a set.

Ok the truck is almost 20 years old and it appears as if the front suspension parts are original, so I know this is expected. I greased all the fittings when I bought her 5 months ago, but it will still squawk when flexed. None of the rods, bars, or links are bent. How would I diagnose where the noise is coming from? Should I just replace the grommets & bushings one by one? What is the shelf life of the stock coils? I have 208K on the meter. Is there a supplier who sells these replacement parts as part of a kit?

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/car/643787329.html

If he doesn't take it, I might. What size bed is it? I'm looking for the short bed. I'm in Massachusetts and willing to drive for a clean bed.

Hey justinquilliam, get in line. I've been looking for a "clean" bed for 3 months now. The best bets are Craigslist, your area bone yards, this site, or www.car-part.com Let me know if you find two!

Is there anything funky about removing the front drive shaft? Does the front DS side just slip out of the TC like the rear DS does?

AAAH, the sweet smell of SUCCESS!!! 2 hours to change both u-joints for a newbie ain’t bad. The banging noise from the back is gone. Thanks for all your help.

I don't plan on bringing her off-road anytime soon, but that is not good news!

Jim, I have the u-joint displayed on this page and described in the last bullet point: http://federal-mogul.com/en/Aftermarket ... hU-Joints/

I did a little more research on this u-joint. There is a screw hole in one cap and one screw in the package. The manufacturer instructs the proper way to grease this u-joint is to use a needle nozzle adapter and then put the screw back in the hole. I have a grease gun, but now I have to buy the needle nozzle. http://www.drivewerks.com/catalog/ShopC ... 54_pg5.htm It's never easy!!!

Thanks CW! I'm looking forward to this project.

My buddy also sugested I clean the yoke/flange assembly with an emory cloth 'til smooth and add some white lithium grease around the outside of the caps to help the u-joint go back in.

..and I'm changing both u-joints. It's late now, so I will go back to NAPA tomorrow and get a couple of zerks and resume this project after work.

Oh, I do have a good sized vice to hold it all in place.

NAPA lent me the press kit. I had to leave a deposit of $375 on my credit card. I'll get the full amount credited to my card once returned. I buddy just told me that once I have the bolts & straps off the axle end of the DS, I should take a large screwdriver against the yoke and force the DS forward towards the TC. He said this will allow the DS to move about 1/4 inch towards the TC and the rear end will release. The DS can then be pulled away from the TC. I will have a pan ready for any fluid that drops from the TC. Lastly, he reminded me to make chalk marks on both ends of the DS so I can put it back in the SAME position it came out. He added that I need to buy zerk fittings for the holes in the cap and fill them with grease after they are installed. If he were'nt 70 years old, I'd ask him to come over to help.

Yes, my rig is stock. So once I remove the 4 bolts and 2 metal straps from the axle end of the DS, do I just need to tug that end down until it dislodges? Once dislodged, the DS should just pull out of the TC?

So do I need to add more grease to each cap? And how does the DS remove from the transfer case end???

Oh, and one more question... The drive shaft has four 5/16 bolts that hold it in place near the axle. The front on the shart nearest to the transfer case does not have those bolts. How does that disconnect? Do I need to press the u-joint out of that side the shaft to release?

I picked-up a set of Federal-Mogul Precision Universal Joints from NAPA today to replace the old u-joints in the rear drive shaft. I haven’t done this before, but I’ve read a few write-ups on this project and it doesn’t seam too difficult. But right out of the gates, I have these questions: 1. Inside one of the box flaps it reads: NOTICE: This unit must be fully lubricated upon installation. There is no grease fitting on these u-joints, but the caps are layered in grease. What does this notice mean? Do they want me to put more grease inside the caps? 2. One of the caps has a little hole in the center of it. You can see the grease oozing out of it. Why is that? Does that cap need to be in a particular position? 3. Each box has a package with 4 new rings and one small screw. This screw has a head on it that I have never seen before. Does that screw go into the cap with the hole in it? What type of head does it have? I know the guys who have done this before must be laughing your a** off, but remember this is my first time!

I suspect a vacuum leak on my 4.0 engine. I've seen posts on using an unlit propane tank or a can of starter fluid and then listen for the engine to race. Would compressed air work as well?

After reading all the reply's on this post, I think I'll wait for a larger axle with better gears. It doesn't make sense to go through the hassle of swaping axles for one that is only marginally better....UNLESS the final bidding price of that axle is low. Like I said in the original post, I live about 20 minutes from Rhode Island, so I don't need to pay for shipping.

Got it-thanks JeepcoMJ. What do you think is a fair price for this rear axle? I live 20 minutes from the seller, so the shipping cost is irrelevant.

Yeah, I understand that, but could I also put a larger set of tires on her if I leave the front axle stock?