Rear driveshaft u joint bolts stripped

[erasedhammer]

Went to take out the rear driveshaft to do my flywheel replacement, but the u joint bolts immediately stripped themselves.
Truck doesn't run and I have no way of towing it anywhere. I am in a parking lot with only a Cresent toolkit.

It's kind of annoying that there aren't u joint bolts on the transfer case yoke-side of things.

Im not sure how to get this out of here now. Maybe drop the transfer case off the tranny?

 

[Barrman]

The bolt heads are rounded and you can't turn them to remove the drive shaft? Or, you stripped the threads out of the yoke removing the bolts?

Put the transfer case in neutral and you can tow it. Hack saw the yoke straps off and then replace them with the new bolts you already need to buy.

 

[erasedhammer]

The bolt heads are rounded and you can't turn them to remove the drive shaft? Or, you stripped the threads out of the yoke removing the bolts?

Put the transfer case in neutral and you can tow it. Hack saw the yoke straps off and then replace them with the new bolts you already need to buy.

I tried undoing on bolt and it immediately stripped the head. The other three are intact.

Unfortunately I don't have anything to tow it with or anywhere to tow it to. Most places I've talked to won't touch it, and if they do they'll either break something or charge me thousands.

 

[DeadParrot]

If the first one stripped/broke and you stopped, soak the other three in whatever thread break solvent you can obtain(Liquid Wrench type stuff). Go have brunch. Come back and try the other three. If they come loose, fairly simple to drop the shaft at that point. If the two on the side opposite the stripped one come loose, you can still drop the shaft, the one cup will stay behind. Deal with trouble bolt at that point.

If only the bolt on the broken side comes out, bend the clip out of the road and drop shaft.

 

[erasedhammer]

If the first one stripped/broke and you stopped, soak the other three in whatever thread break solvent you can obtain(Liquid Wrench type stuff). Go have brunch. Come back and try the other three. If they come loose, fairly simple to drop the shaft at that point. If the two on the side opposite the stripped one come loose, you can still drop the shaft, the one cup will stay behind. Deal with trouble bolt at that point.

Ah, didn't think about that. Yeah I suppose one bolt doesn't matter.

 

[cucvrus]

Get a good 6 point socket or a wrench. I mean Snap-On , Mac, or a salvage socket. Jack the back end up put it in neutral and get the bolts off one at a time by placing it in park. They are 7/16" hex headed 1/4" fine thread bolts. But 12 point wrenches and sockets have their place. Getting suborn rusty bolts and nuts off are not their place. I love challenges like this. I was just removed the lawn mower blades from my father in laws law mower. I told him 30 seconds and he always gets pissed about Metric bolts being junk. I don't get the deal. But I brought over my cordless Snap-On 3/8" impact with a 6 point 14MM impact socket and they were off in less than 30 seconds. They were hacked and rounded but they were off and new blades back on in about 2 minutes. He had a Harbor Freight and a Kobalt socket and they were rounding the bolt. I ask if he used a 9/16" he said he tried. I said that 9/16" is 14.1 MM. Good Luck. I think you have this nailed. Heat works well also if you have that available.

 

[tobyS]

Or take the u-joint apart. Take off the safety tabs with a sharp chisel and get a wrench or ratchet to take the cup retainers off. Then beat the shaft from one side until the cup (nearly) comes off and then finish it with a pry-tool. Then do the same for the other side and you can free the yoke. There is no way you are going to get those flange bolts off...take the U-joint's apart.

Of course, proper blocking first.

Am I mistaken about what you are calling the U-joint bolts being the flange attachment bolts?

 

[Barrman]

YAHOO!

You

Always

Have

Other

Options

That is what I thought as I read through some of the suggestions I didn't consider before my first reply.

 

[ehuppert]

As said above, 6 point good socket is the key! Map gas torch may be helpful also. Heat the flange near the bolt.... Once the other three are out you may be able to swivel the strap a bit to help loosen the stripped one....

 

[tobyS]

"Went to take out the rear driveshaft to do my flywheel replacement.... I am in a parking lot with only a Cresent toolkit."

Why would you start a flywheel replacement in a parking lot (not your own I assume) with only a Crescent tool kit?

 

[erasedhammer]

"Went to take out the rear driveshaft to do my flywheel replacement.... I am in a parking lot with only a Cresent toolkit."

Why would you start a flywheel replacement in a parking lot (not your own I assume) with only a Crescent tool kit?

I don't have anything else or anywhere else to do anything. Barracks life!

 

[erasedhammer]

Two of the bolts on one side have their heads stripped too. I guess I'm just going to have to disassemble the u joint

 

[cucvrus]

https://www.toolsource.com/index.ph...=1&inc_subcat=0&keyword=7/16in salvage socket

This socket will get it off. Salvage sockets work.

 

[erasedhammer]

https://www.toolsource.com/index.ph...=1&inc_subcat=0&keyword=7/16in salvage socket

This socket will get it off. Salvage sockets work.

Any local auto parts shops carry those sockets?
I'd be great not to have to wait 3 weeks to get this truck running.

Also disassembling the u joint seems a bit troublesome, they have rust-welded together pretty much.

 

[richingalveston]

heat it up with a torch, that slip joint is probably trash, once you sand it down, the seal will probably leak. if you don't sand it down, it will eat up the seal in the t-case.

 

[tobyS]

I don't have anything else or anywhere else to do anything. Barracks life!

Got it. My mistake. I had bigger truck in mind also.

It looks like a hard job without a torch and even then, fixing the broken off screws, drilling, easy out or ???, is going to be tough. Finish braking the other strap bolts and that yoke will give up it's u-joint. The other end will slip out. All the broken bolts will have to be removed.

Don't you have a place on-base to work on vehicles with some tools, jacks, welder, etc?

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

What base are you on? Most AD bases have an automotive shop for service members. I know they do at Travis AFB.
they supply tools and lifts. Your going to need a bit more then crescent wrench for this whore.
Floor jack, 15mm metric socket for the flex plate bolts, I think 16mm for the flex plate bolts on the crank.
trans and Tcase have to be moved backwards approx 2-3inches to get to all of it...
Here is a trick to make it easy, go buy some 3-4in 3/8 bolts, remove a trans housing bolt and insert the new longer bolt.
you only need maybe 4 of them long, remove the rest...slide it back, the bolts will hold the trans straight.
You still see the floor jack to support and slide it back.
threaded rod works well too...or get bolts that have full thread, screw a nut on the threads before you install the temporary long bolt, the nuts can be turned evenly to draw the trans back together.

 

[cucvrus]

Any local auto parts shops carry those sockets?
I'd be great not to have to wait 3 weeks to get this truck running.

Also disassembling the u joint seems a bit troublesome, they have rust-welded together pretty much.

View attachment 767718View attachment 767719

Why does that rear differential look so much different than the CUCV M1008/M1028's I seen? That looks like a Dana 60. I may be wrong. But just for the record that is a very rusty yoke. Get the spray/oil can out. Doing it dry makes it 10X harder. CLP will even help. Once you have the straps off soak it and pry it out slowly. Or NOT and scatter the U joint caps. Internally that U joint could be good as new. Good Luck. Thank you for the report.

 

[erasedhammer]

What base are you on? Most AD bases have an automotive shop for service members. I know they do at Travis AFB.
they supply tools and lifts. Your going to need a bit more then crescent wrench for this whore.
Floor jack, 15mm metric socket for the flex plate bolts, I think 16mm for the flex plate bolts on the crank.
trans and Tcase have to be moved backwards approx 2-3inches to get to all of it...
Here is a trick to make it easy, go buy some 3-4in 3/8 bolts, remove a trans housing bolt and insert the new longer bolt.
you only need maybe 4 of them long, remove the rest...slide it back, the bolts will hold the trans straight.
You still see the floor jack to support and slide it back.
threaded rod works well too...or get bolts that have full thread, screw a nut on the threads before you install the temporary long bolt, the nuts can be turned evenly to draw the trans back together.

Getting towed to the auto shop is problematic cause the base police aren't too keen on moving the vehicle.
Yeah I found a guys write up on the flywheel replacement, I have the bolts and I've rigged up something to support the t-case and tranny, so I think I'm good there.

 

[erasedhammer]

My rear axle is a Dana 70. M1028