• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Angry Sparrows AFTER changing U-Joints!?

Wolfpacker441

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indian Land, SC
99 XJ with 220,000 Miles. Changed all three U-Joints on my front drive shaft last week, plus a new centering ball kit. After driving about 20 miles, I'm getting a super loud squealing from under the front half of jeep (I had my wife hop in so I could look under Jeep and she drove up and down driveway and it sounds like squeal is coming from double cardan side of front driveshaft). Squealing persists while rolling with Jeep in neutral and is synced with speed of vehicle. All signs point to that newly re-built drive shaft. Drives fine. No abnormal vibrations or other symptoms, just the noise.

I did grease all three U-Joints during re-build (they are the Moog Greasable ones). I did NOT see any sort of grease fitting near the centering ball housing. Did I miss it? I stuffed some grease into the shaft where the spring goes, but that was it. I basically followed these instructions exactly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQl68ZbMWrM&t=418s

I just crawled underneath Jeep to try to remove front D/S again to see if I could find a grease fitting for centering ball and of course immediately rounded off one of the D/S bolts on the double cardan side of the shaft...sheesh...Now I'm pretty much stuck as far as the tools that I have to work with. I've heard the "easy outs" work pretty well with removing bolts like this?

Any advice at this point?

Thank you in advance!
 
Some of the centering balls are greaseable, some are not. I know mine wasn't. As far as getting the bolts out, I'd start with a pair of needle-nose vice grips and go from there. Most EZ-outs are for removing bolts that have snapped in half, not ones with rounded off heads. (Plus, you have to drill a hole in them, not an easy prospect with the T-case where it is.) I have also heard of sockets that are like damaged lug nut removal sockets, but smaller. Might try a set of those.
 
Ok thanks. I got the DS out (PB Blaster, BFG, and Vice Grips). My centering yoke is NOT greasable. Should I just pack it full of grease before pressing in the new centering ball? There a tiny pin hole on the back side of it. No way I could get a grease needle in it though without taking the whole thing apart again.

Someone on Jeep forums said the greasable and non-greaseable aren't interchangeable. Different lengths or something?

Otherwise id just grab on of these and call it a day:

MOOG 608 Centering Yoke https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M2G890/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_clamBbJ139XYM
 
That noise is common if you had one of the needles fall down and end up in the end of the cap instead of along the outside walls.
 
I've had the front output shaft seal squeak before, especially at low speed.

Once you get the shaft off, try spinning the yoke by hand. Otherwise, with the 242 and no front shaft, you can put it in drive with your foot on the brake and spin the front output with the case in full time. Of course, don't put it directly into park when you're done listening, but just shut it off and wait a moment first.

If you still hear the noise, it's probably that seal.
 
Back
Top