Driveshaft help!

Prime8

New member
Not YouTube savvy, but I have a video of me shaking my rear driveshaft by hand. Please pm me your email addresses if you can help so I can send you the video. The whole shaft is shaking at the rear pumpkin, near that silver colored collar. Worried it might be causing damage. Any help would be appreciated.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
if it's shaking at the pinion, the pinion nut is most likely loose. you will want to tighten this to prevent leaking at the pinion seal and damage to the bearings.
 

Prime8

New member
wayoflife said:
if it's shaking at the pinion, the pinion nut is most likely loose. you will want to tighten this to prevent leaking at the pinion seal and damage to the bearings.

Haha, I already sent you the video. Check your email...
 

Prime8

New member
wayoflife said:
if it's shaking at the pinion, the pinion nut is most likely loose. you will want to tighten this to prevent leaking at the pinion seal and damage to the bearings.

Do you know offhand what the torque is for that nut? Do I just slide back that silver plate and its underneath?
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
okay, i just checked out the video and yeah, it looks like your pinion nut is loose. you'll need to use an 8mm socket to remove the bolts securing the driveshaft to the pinion flange and then, pull the base of it out. once removed, you should be able to see the pinion nut. if i recall, you'll need a 1-1/4" socket to tighten it but here's the trick, while the torque setting for this is 160-200 ft. lbs., there is a crush sleeve that may get crushed more and put more pressure on your pinion bearings and that will ultimately cause them to fail prematurely. being that you are getting rid of your jeep, i would remove the nut, apply some red lock tite to it and then just tighten it back to 160 ft lbs or there abouts. this should hold things in place.
 

Prime8

New member
wayoflife said:
okay, i just checked out the video and yeah, it looks like your pinion nut is loose. you'll need to use an 8mm socket to remove the bolts securing the driveshaft to the pinion flange and then, pull the base of it out. once removed, you should be able to see the pinion nut. if i recall, you'll need a 1-1/4" socket to tighten it but here's the trick, while the torque setting for this is 160-200 ft. lbs., there is a crush sleeve that may get crushed more and put more pressure on your pinion bearings and that will ultimately cause them to fail prematurely. being that you are getting rid of your jeep, i would remove the nut, apply some red lock tite to it and then just tighten it back to 160 ft lbs or there abouts. this should hold things in place.

Can I drive on it tomorrow for about 20 miles and fix it tomorrow night? Or should I fix it ASAP?
 

Prime8

New member
wayoflife said:
if you're not hearing any whining and aren't leaking any gear oil, you are good to go.

Thanks for your help in a pinch! That was the crunching and grinding I was telling you about. Thought it was front end, but realized all the noise was coming from the rear and the grinding was only felt in the gas pedal...
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks for your help in a pinch! That was the crunching and grinding I was telling you about. Thought it was front end, but realized all the noise was coming from the rear and the grinding was only felt in the gas pedal...

oh really? well, now that i now that, could be the bearings inside your rzeppa joint are toast. if so, that would allow for movement like that too. could mean you really just need a new shaft.
 

Prime8

New member
wayoflife said:
oh really? well, now that i now that, could be the bearings inside your rzeppa joint are toast. if so, that would allow for movement like that too. could mean you really just need a new shaft.

Crap... Don't want to put any money into it at this point, but I don't want it falling apart either. I'll try the other fix you detailed first and see how it turns out. I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow. Thanks Eddie!
 

The Wandering Jeeper

Caught the Bug
That little silver plate you are referring to is a pinon dust cover. When you take everything apart you can discard that thing. I learned that the hard way coming off the trail with a new driveshaft.
 

Prime8

New member
This doesn't seem like a typical wear-and-tear/normal maintenance issue... Did the shop that installed my new 5.13 ring and pinion last Sept screw up something?
 

Prime8

New member
Eddie, you sir are a savior! Tightened up that nut with some red loctite on it and no more shaking! Thanks again brother.
 
Top Bottom