My 94 extended cab 4.0 5 spd ranger has 93000 miles on it
I pulled driveshaft to inspect original u-joints, 2 were stiff I replaced them.
My driveshaft has a carrier bearing on it so the rear shaft has a splined
section with a boot it was not free to move so I removed boot and had to pound it apart. The splines have a blue coating on them and it is gone in a couple of areas so the shaft sticks badly in that area. What are my options?
how much to replace or can I just replace whole drive shaft with a different year ranger driveshaft? My brothers 2000 ranger has a 1 piece driveshaft.
Trying to keep cost down, This is just transportation to work and back
I bought it new and this is the only real bad thing that has happened to it.
THANKS

 

I would take a small brush and paint the splines with a good grade grease. Just a light coat and slide it in and out and coat it untill it slides freely. I think the coating may be teflon or something like it. I did that a lot on semi trucks and the drive lines never fell out or locked up. It needs to slip when the axle goes up and down.

ATTENTION: be sure to align the yokes correctly when you slide the shafts together so you don't get a vibration in the drive line.

If you have a carrier bearing you should have three Ujoints, you should have replaced all three. Does the original Ujoint have a zerk fitting to grease it? Did you grease it? If not keep and eye on it cause it will fail as the others did. I hope you got joints with zerks. The zerks go toward the center of the shaft, their easier to grease that way. Also, try to align them so you don't have to rotate the shaft to grease them.

 

the blue coating is worn off in a couple of places and it was still greased when I pulled the boot off to inspect.

I did put grease on the splines but it still has a tight spot, real tight.
Thats why I am interested in a possible replacement or a change to a one piece driveshaft if its possible.

 

that blue stuff is suppose to be there. I did the mistake of cleaning it all off and it will wobble real bad. If some is missing you might need to have a new spline welded on with the coating. They dont sell that stuff either so you will need to have a new one welded. Go to your local driveline machine shop and they will do it all for you.

 

Some wear of the coating is going to be expected at high mileages, especially if the splines haven't been kept greased. If there isn't excessive slop (and only you can tell what's too much for you to stand) then keep it greased with a good wheel bearing grease. And be sure to align the yokes when you re-assemble everything. The yokes along the entire length of the shaft should be aligned with each other.

 

When the drive line is in and the wheels on the ground will the shaft be in the tight spot or is it only when it is shoved all the way in??

 

when you install the driveshaft into trans then bolt down carrier bearing you must collapse driveshaft to get alligned with pinion you cannot push in without the use of a hammer It is that tight in fact it will push bearing out of carrier rubber before collapsing. My thoughts are since the rangers for the most part are Identical why not update the driveshaft to a 1 piece.
It would be cheaper I think to just move that carrier crossmember since it would be in the way. But thats why I am asking for other opinions. Thanks!

 

I don't know why it's a two piece but I suppose you could go to one piece. All you have to be aware of is the shaft has to slip in and out of the tranny if it's a one piece and it is moving in and out as the trk bounces merrily along. You have to be sure it don't bottom out when the rear end is against the spring bumpers and don't fall out of the tranny when the rear end is hanging down fully extended.

A drive line shop can make you a one piece drive shaft.

You may try this. IF the tranny end yoke is not all the way bottomed out in the tranny you could move the caarrier bearing forward and remount it.

Here is the problem with that---you are reengineering a part that should work if everything is right and that may be a mistake.

I don't like to tell people to do this but here goes. Take the drive line out. Put duct tape around the caps to hold them on the Ujoints. Lay the drive line on the ground and put a oak 4"x4" under the sliding parts so the female part is laying on the block and the male spline is inside it. Now take a 1 pound hammer and mildly hit the female part from end to end and all around the circumference. Your not trying to beat the hell out of it, your trying to loosen it up and the hammering will expand the female part and sometimes let the parts slide. It may or may not work but when I had to get a piece of equipment running I had to to what I had to do.

The only other choice is to take it to a drive line shop and replace the two sliding parts. Or they may take it in the back room and do as I described above.

 

I cleaned up the splines and inspected it and found the female slide joint has a dent where the splines are wider or it looks like one is missing. But it definetly has a dent that prevents full engagement. I just don't know how it happened, I don't off road or anything like that.
Anyone got one besides the dealership? THANKS for all of your input
and suggestions!!!!

 

Some where in St Louis there should be a drive line shop. They can replace just the bad part for you. It will have to be cut out with a lathe and a new one aligned and welded in.

 

The one spline that is missing , is usually for indexing the 2 shafts.
It is supposed to be like this .

 

I have 2, 1-piece aluminum driveshafts for 99 2wd extended cabs, not sure if yours is 2wd.
John

 

Well after 2 trips to driveshaft shop I ended up replacing female yoke on rear driveshaft. replacing all u-joints. Replacing both tubes so basically I replaced my driveshaft for $400 Now I am going to sell it and move on. The truck that is