Have an 02 4.0 4wd Ranger. For a while I had this rattling noise from the truck, narrowed down to the rear drive shaft, noise coming from within it. I pulled it off today, and split the shaft to find a plastic cap that is the source of the noise. How do I get it out of there? What's the point of this cap? I am thinking of getting a sawzall blade that really long and cutting it in half to get it out. What do you guys think?

 

I need pics of this.
In over 40 years I have never seen an intact driveshaft that you could see inside of.

 

pics

 

I had the same problem it used to be a shield to keep grease from going down the shaft on the slip yoke. They like to break off on the alum driveshafts just break it and take it out. I think we used a sawall and or a torch on it, it's been a while I don't remember.



Then for 40 years you have never seen a driveshaft on alot of 4x4 vehicles that have a slip yoke in them you usually should grease them too.

 

same thing here i grabed mine with a piar of long plyes and melted it out with a torch

 

Yup, that's what I ended up doing. Sorry, no pictures.