Break in Front Prop Shaft

['68OrangeSunshine]

'71 GMC JIMMY K/1500. 350, SM465, NP2O5...
I had this annoying tick-tick when decelerating.
I thought it was just a bad U-Joint. I got under and pulled out the bad U-Joint, but then noticed some breakage on the rear of the Front Prop Shaft inside the double-jointed CV unit.
Not sure how to fix it. Don't even know what it's called...
EDIT-- Double Cardan.
I dropped the prop shaft, but the 4 bolts that hold on to the rear U-joint are a hassle to extract. I will have to get the double-jointed part off so I can run in 4 x 2 mode until I get my Prop Shaft fixed or replaced.
.
[Can't load pix right now.]

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

'71 GMC JIMMY K/1500. 350, SM465, NP2O5...
I had this annoying tick-tick when decelerating.
I thought it was just a bad U-Joint. I got under and pulled out the bad U-Joint, but then noticed some breakage on the rear of the Front Prop Shaft inside the double-jointed CV unit.
Not sure how to fix it. Don't even know what it's called...
EDIT-- Double Cardan.
I dropped the prop shaft, but the 4 bolts that hold on to the rear U-joint are a hassle to extract. I will have to get the double-jointed part off so I can run in 4 x 2 mode until I get my Prop Shaft fixed or replaced.
.
[Can't load pix right now.]

I always end up pulling the hump. If you can get it off without pulling the hump let me know how, and how long it takes! Total hassle.

j

[kwmech]

I bent up a box wrench just for these years ago. Getting them loose and re-tighten is getting the wrench in place then turning the shaft with a long heavy screwdriver

['68OrangeSunshine]

Well I got it off.
Took two different days. The second day, I got comfortable with 3 black t-shirts on. [Carport concrete was cold.] Rubbed vasoline on my hands and forearms. Found a chunk of 4x4'' wood, for a headrest, and got down to it. Screws are 5/16-24 with a 1/2'' hexhead. I used a variety of 1/2'' wrenches -- a Craftsman stubby [~4''], a Pittsburg [5''], a Proto [8''] a Banana wrench with a 1/2'' box on one end, and after some clearance, a curved Gearwrench with ratcheting action. [On the last bolt, of course.]
With an old ball pien hammer handle thru the U-Joint brearing cap holes, I was able to reach around with my array of wrenches, and turn each bolt 1/6th rotation at a time. If I got cramped, I tried a different wrench.
I never thought of pulling the hump. With 2 jerryrigged bucket seats and the center console, and some ancient dark blue carpeting, that would be compounding the hassle.
The capscrews from the U-Joint mounted on the front of the transfer case are too long to come out. I took the severed head of the Cardan carrier into AutoZone and got some 5/16-24 torque nuts to match the female holes so the captured capscrews in the transfer case mount would be secured. While I couldn't find a way to get them out without messing with the transfer case, I wasn't sure they wouldn't be beaten to death if loose on a rotating assembly or otherwise work their way out and cause some FOD damage somehow.
This way, they shpuld be in good shape to reattach a new Prop Shaft.

Cheapest Prop Shaft assembly I've seen is RockAuto's Cardone at $290, they have another higher grade line at $390. Jeg's has a Yukon Gear part for $650.
For now I can only afford to limp around in 2 wheel drive.

[AussieinNC]

Have you considered replacing the yolk and the universal joints on your shaft? They are not that expensive thru Rock Auto....

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by AussieinNC

Have you considered replacing the yolk and the universal joints on your shaft? They are not that expensive thru Rock Auto....

Originally, my intent was only to R&R the U-Joint. The retaining clip had gone missing, and the bearing cup was working loose. I bought a Dana/Spicer universal at the parts store. After I got the old U-Joint off, an extra part fell out. A tin bearing cup, worn down diagonally and no bearings. Also the end of the Cardan coupler and the female end of the coupler on the NP205 TC end were really bashed.
I shot damage pix on my new smartphone, but don't know how to transfer them to the laptop's Pictures file, so I can post them on the furum.
I will have to reshoot with my digital camera to get clean images to post.
The old Prop Shaft's front Yoke to the D44 differential is good.

The damage was in the double-Cardan CV, which is included with whole-unit Prop Shafts. If the Double-Cardan Constant Velocity unit is available separately, I didn't see it.

[Accelo]

I shot damage pix on my new smartphone, but don't know how to transfer them to the laptop's Pictures file, so I can post them on the forum.

I use two methods to get the pictures to my PC.
Email them to myself.
or
I use an Apple phone. I back up my pictures to the Icloud.
I can log into icloud.com and there is a link that looks like a cloud with a down arrow in it. That will download the picture to "This PC, my downloads".
Then I can attach them to the form from there.

As a reminder if you didn't start the thread you will have to go to "advanced" to get the icon for downloading photos. It will not show up on the default page.
Cheers

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Accelo

I shot damage pix on my new smartphone, but don't know how to transfer them to the laptop's Pictures file, so I can post them on the forum.

I use two methods to get the pictures to my PC.
Email them to myself.
or
I use an Apple phone. I back up my pictures to the Icloud.
I can log into icloud.com and there is a link that looks like a cloud with a down arrow in it. That will download the picture to "This PC, my downloads".
Then I can attach them to the form from there.

As a reminder if you didn't start the thread you will have to go to "advanced" to get the icon for downloading photos. It will not show up on the default page.
Cheers

Phone is a Samsung A53 Android. I tried emailling the pix to myself, but my only other e-dress was on Yahoo. G-Mail to Yahoo. Then I tried saving the pix off Yahoo, but I cannot find them on my hard drive. Corrupted in transit, I guess.
I just got rid of my phlip-fone. I'm new at this Devil Mirror stuff.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

I always end up pulling the hump. If you can get it off without pulling the hump let me know how, and how long it takes! Total hassle.

j

I think I started at Two and when I got to Ace Hardware for four 5/16'' nuts, they had just closed at Six. So I went into the adjacent Autozone.
But to pull the hump, I'd have had to pull the Bucket Seats, Console and thick pile carpet. That's another all-day-sucker.

[franken]

The OP should be able to connect the phone to a PC via USB, then find the DCIM (or similar directory) then dig down to the pics. They can then be copied wherever.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Phone is a Samsung A53 Android. I tried emailling the pix to myself, but my only other e-dress was on Yahoo. G-Mail to Yahoo. Then I tried saving the pix off Yahoo, but I cannot find them on my hard drive. Corrupted in transit, I guess.
I just got rid of my phlip-fone. I'm new at this Devil Mirror stuff.

You have several options here. You can email them to your same Google account. In fact, you don't even have to send them. If you attach them to your draft and then close your draft, you can find them in the drafts folder on your computer.

You also have a Google Drive account if you have a Gmail account (which you do since you have an Android phone). Long-press on any of the pictures. That will open the selection window, where you can click on as many pictures as you want. On the bottom of that screen is an icon that says Share. Choose that, and one of the options will be Google Drive. Upload them to your Google Drive and you can access them anywhere.

Then there's the old stand-by, a hard connection. Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable. A screen should come up asking how you want to connect. Choose mass storage device and you should now be able to access the files through your file manager on your computer.

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

I think I started at Two and when I got to Ace Hardware for four 5/16'' nuts, they had just closed at Six. So I went into the adjacent Autozone.
But to pull the hump, I'd have had to pull the Bucket Seats, Console and thick pile carpet. That's another all-day-sucker.

I put in carpet over the summer, I used to have the rubber mat with mostly eroded horse hair. I could pull up the rubber and hump without removing the seat. Now, I'm in the same situaton as you... I'd have to pull the seat out and nicely laid carpet to get the hump out... a bitter pill for sure.

j

[jeffahart]

Originally Posted by kwmech

I bent up a box wrench just for these years ago. Getting them loose and re-tighten is getting the wrench in place then turning the shaft with a long heavy screwdriver

Looks like patience is a virtue, I will probably be needing to bend up a box end next time I pull the front shaft.

j

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by jeffahart

Looks like patience is a virtue, I will probably be needing to bend up a box end next time I pull the front shaft.

j

I found several ''banana'' wrenches [or Half Moons] at a used tool shop.
I bought a range of sizes, 3/8 -- 5/16, 7//16 -- 1/2, 9/16 -- 5/8, 11/16 -- 3/4.
Curved wrenches with a different boxed 12 point size on each end.
Later, I bought a full set of Gear Wrench curved ratcheting speed wrenches, when Sears was still open.
Sometimes the box end of the speed wrench is to fat to fit into the application, though.
Heating and bending a wrench ruins its metal tempering.
They're also handy when working on alternators.
I'll try to shoot pix tomorrow.
Had a union meeting today.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by truckster

You have several options here. You can email them to your same Google account. In fact, you don't even have to send them. If you attach them to your draft and then close your draft, you can find them in the drafts folder on your computer.

You also have a Google Drive account if you have a Gmail account (which you do since you have an Android phone). Long-press on any of the pictures. That will open the selection window, where you can click on as many pictures as you want. On the bottom of that screen is an icon that says Share. Choose that, and one of the options will be Google Drive. Upload them to your Google Drive and you can access them anywhere.

Then there's the old stand-by, a hard connection. Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable. A screen should come up asking how you want to connect. Choose mass storage device and you should now be able to access the files through your file manager on your computer.

Thanks. I just got the A53 smartphone in mid-December. Up until then, I had a flip phone with no texting. Getting more used to it day by day.

['68OrangeSunshine]

So today, I took my broken Prop Shaft pieces in to Precision Driveshafts to see if Tim could fix mine.
No way.
He said he couldn't repair it for less than I could buy a new one for...
So far, my options are:
A] JEGS -- Yukon Gear, p/n ZDS9321......$650.00
B] RockAuto -- TrakMotive p/n CMP044...$390.00
C] '' -- Cardone p/n 659321 [rebuilt]......$270.00
[Prices are rounded up.]

Anyone have any experience with TrakMotive? Know where it's built?
I've gotten Cardone stuff back on FLAPS-type ''Lifetime Warranties'' and was never impressed.
I know Yukon Gear is made in USA, but it's kinda spendy.
RockAuto also lists a ''USA Standard Gear'' Prop Shaft, but they're out of stock.
[Strangely, they use the same part number, ZDS9321, as Yukon Gear.]

Microsoft has stopped supporting my Windows 8.1 laptop, so I can't upload pictures. I bought a new HP Windows 11 laptop today, but it's still in the box until I can get it ready for set-up.

[pjmoreland]

For that big of a price difference, I'd sure be tempted by the Cardone.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

For that big of a price difference, I'd sure be tempted by the Cardone.

Yeah. And the fact that it's US-made parts rebuilt.
[Probably by Mexican orphans in a TJ sweatshop... What Pedro!? only 6 propshafts? You had all morning. No Taco for you....]
I looked up TrakMotive. They're a Redlands, CA-based distributer for Wohn Industries of Ningpo, China.
And RockAuto can't get their hands on USA Standard ZDS9321 prop shafts because they're being sold thru Jeg's for higher dollars under a Yukon Gear label.

Supposedly the newer part is an upgrade over the OEM. It had a sexy stretched steel shell encasing the Double-Cardan constant velocity unit. [With the 2 u-joints] Sexy and Bombproof -- except you could hardly get a grease gun on all the little Zerx nipples inside without extreme effort. If you didn't know what to look for, then spin the shaft into an attitude you could reach it with, you would probably skip pumping lube there.
And that's what burned out.

As long as I can get to work in 2WD, I can wait.

[And 919's got a bent one-piece prop shaft. But that's another Thread.]

[pjmoreland]

Would the front prop shaft from White Fang fit on the Jimmy?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Would the front prop shaft from White Fang fit on the Jimmy?

That thought hadn't ocurred to me. As if White Fang was sacred. I think I had it replaced in the Late '90s, after the front universal broke on Ina Road about 3 miles from my house. The prop shaft was digging into the road. Either I got towed home, or the front prop shaft was pulled roadside and I taxiied home slow. Dillon-Precision* rebuilt it. For about $150~? [*different outfit]
The Sub has an NP205 Xfer Case but the front end is the earlier Dana 44 with closed knuckles and drum brakes. The Prop Shafts might be the same. I don't remember if the configuration was the same. Might have been 23 to 27 years ago and in a hurry by the roadside at night. So my recollections are not the keenest.
This one [on the Jimmy] seemed to have different terminations, but I could be wrong.
Anyway, worth a look, once this spell of February bitterness blows away.

[mattfranklin]

It sounds like you're replacing it, which is extremely wise.

In the early 80s I had a '74 Cherokee with a bad Double Cardan, and being in my early 20s with more optimism and confidence than money, decided to fix it myself. It was a pain, but I got it. Or so I thought. It let loose Feb of 1984 and took out a chunk of my TH400. Not fun to lay in the slush of a freeway offramp at night in a Minnesota winter disconnecting what was left of the driveshaft so I could limp it home. I learned from that. Good luck with your replacement.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by mattfranklin

It sounds like you're replacing it, which is extremely wise.

In the early 80s I had a '74 Cherokee with a bad Double Cardan, and being in my early 20s with more optimism and confidence than money, decided to fix it myself. It was a pain, but I got it. Or so I thought. It let loose Feb of 1984 and took out a chunk of my TH400. Not fun to lay in the slush of a freeway offramp at night in a Minnesota winter disconnecting what was left of the driveshaft so I could limp it home. I learned from that. Good luck with your replacement.

You got it. BTDT. About 25 years ago I was about 4 miles from home when the front prop shaft on my '67 K/10 Suburban came loose from the D44 and dug into the pavement on a 45 - 50 posted road. It was night time, but the weather was not inclement. Before I had a cell phone, but a passerby let me use his, and I called a friend and he pulled my rig home behind his Jeep. Later I was able to pull the prop shaft and get it repaired locally. The price was reasonable IIRC. Another time [2010] the differential on this Jimmy lunched out. I was half a mile from the house. I was able to pull the rear shaft and limp home in front wheel drive on 4 Hi. We stole the good rear end off the Suburban, which had been lying fallow after an engine fire.
Anyway, the Yukon Gear product is expensive. So I'm running the GMC in 2WD just to get to work. Maybe later I'll get a front prop shaft for it.

A friend suggested cannibalizing the front shaft out of the Sub. Both have NP205s but the '67's Dana 44 is the older type. One is "Open Knuckle" and the other is ''Closed Knuckle." I'm not sure which is which.
Work schedule and the weather [raining now] conspire to keep me from crawling under to check it out. Also the drive shaft on my '68 C/10 Stepside is bent, and the driveshaft shop guy wants to look at it.

[Bigdav160]

If you have a grinder, welder and a method to square up the end of the tube, those double cardan yokes are not hard to replace.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

If you have a grinder, welder and a method to square up the end of the tube, those double cardan yokes are not hard to replace.

I don't weld. I asked the local driveshaft guy, but he said he couldn't compete with Rock Auto or Jeg's pricewise.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

Would the front prop shaft from White Fang fit on the Jimmy?

Tonight I peeked under the Sub. It looks like the same unit. Still has a label on it from the driveshaft shop that rebuilt it over 20 years ago. Not much mileage, but definately needs lubing.
After I deal with the prop shaft on 919 [and the Wx get warmer] I may do that operation.