driveshafts - R&R

[aboyandhisdog]

Well, I know I should probably know this but...I've never removed my driveshafts and would like to know how it is done.  It looks like there are two u-bolts on the rear of the rear driveshaft and four nuts on the front of the rear driveshaft.  The front shaft looks to have just u-bolts all around.  If I just remove the u-bolts, are the u-joints going to all stay in place?  Am I going to lose any bearings or anything else?

On a related note...are there any aftermarket driveshafts that have some sort of a "quick release" feature that can be easily removed?

Thanks a lot!

[athawk11]

Removing the drive shafts are one of the more straight forward things I have done.  Remove the u-bolts on both sides that hold the u-joints and front shaft in place.  The caps covering the bearings on the now exposed u-joint ends are fairly tight and the grease around the bearings does a pretty good job of holding the caps in position if you don't handle the drive shaft too crazy.  You can even pull the caps off carefully and inspect the bearings as they will stay in place if you pull the caps with care.

On the rear shaft, remove the u-bolts on the differential side and the four bolts that attach the drive shaft to the emergency brake drum.  

If you are pulling the shafts for towing, you can use an old sock, or something similar to tightly wrap and tie the caps in place for storing the shafts.

I am not aware of a quick release system for Willys drive shafts.

Tim

[Chasm]

I always take some black electrical tape and wrap several passes over the end of the end caps to be sure they don't come off in transit. This is especially helpful if you are just disconnecting rear end of the rear drive shaft for transport purposes. I do this and then use heavy duty cable ties to secure it up to the frame and out of harms way! �;)

[rocketeer]

I always take some black electrical tape and wrap several passes over the end of the end caps to be sure they don't come off in transit. This is especially helpful if you are just disconnecting rear end of the rear drive shaft for transport purposes. I do this and then use heavy duty cable ties to secure it up to the frame and out of harms way! �;)

What, no bungee cord? �:)

Larry

[macrisel]

Ditto on Chasm's comment with the black tape to secure the caps.  Trust me, one of the most frustrating things in the world is watching one of those caps fall to the floor and needle bearings going everywhere!  After it happening one time to you, you will always take the extra 30 seconds to wrap that tape around the caps.

[Gunslinger]

I think the most frustrating thing in the world is trying to put all those darn roller beardings back into the darn cap, and then realizing there was one you didn't find...

[aboyandhisdog]

You got that right, Gunslinger!  I appreciate all the input on this...unbolted the rear drive shaft u-bolts and was careful to not disturb the caps.  Black tape makes a LOT of sense on the caps and will 'bungee' up to hold.  Might get a bit of shock absorption with the bungee as compared to just wire.  Either way, thanks for the direction!

[Chasm]

Never use a bungee cord to hold anything on your Jeep. My last time using a bungee to hold up my tow bar resulted in a catastrophic failure... resulting in replcaement of my bumper. (Thanks for the "wink" Larry!)

Use wire or heavy duty zip ties to secure the drive shaft for transit. I use the ones that HVAC guys use on duct work.

[macrisel]

Chasm,
You should have read the owner's manual before using your Jeep.  The plow is supposed to go BEHIND the Jeep, not in front!  Hopefully no one was hurt....except your pride.