My son (a non-mechanic) and I (a shade-tree mechanic of very modest skills) are replacing the clutch and slave cylinder on our '93 Ranger. We are working very slowly, with lots of help from threads here (thanks!), a Chilton manual, and YouTube videos.

The truck is on ramps at the front, with the rear tires on the ground. With 16" wheels, this is giving us plenty of room to work underneath, at least so far. We have removed the four 12-point 12mm bolts at the rear end of the driveshaft. I expected at this point that the back end of the driveshaft would drop down, but it is still very firmly stuck in place. We have banged on it with a hammer, pried with a pry bar, and tried to use brute strength, with no visible results.

Is there some step in the removal process I have overlooked? Or is raising just the front end of the truck putting a load on the driveline that is holding the driveshaft in place?

Thanks for any help!

 

Regular cab right?
so just one drive shaft in the rear, no carrier bearing

MAKE SURE wheel are blocked, and trans is in neutral

Then yes, once the 4 bolts are removed the drive shaft should be able to slide forward enough for it to drop, bigger hammer, lol, parts are rust welded together.
I would mark it first so it goes back in the same place on the differential.

Thread here with pictures, includes front 4x4 drive shat as well but rear is the same on 2wd or 4wd, regular cab: https://www.ranger-forums.com/engine...-joints-20868/
As the title says it shows how to replace u-joints, which are not expensive and if you have the time not a bad idea to replace them if they are original.

And it is much easier to drain the trans oil while it is in the truck, and then refill it when it is out of the truck, so not a bad idea to do that as well.

 

Thanks for the reply, Ron...very helpful!

I put the rear axle on jack stands to level the truck, which did seem to relieve pressure holding the driveshaft in place. Your comment about a bigger hammer gave me the confidence to bang on the end bracket a bit harder, and it came off rather easily.

Thanks also for mentioning the u-joints. I suspect they are original, but I was going to ignore them for now. Having seen the post you linked to, I'm going to do the smart thing and replace them also.

What a great forum!