bad u-joint. Companion flange is not tight
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
bad u-joint. Companion flange is not tight
I was trying to troubleshoot this horrible shake around 40 and amplifies 45+mph. Noticed a u-joint was loose at the front of the rear drive shaft. I removed the rear drive shaft, where attached to the transfer case. I don't believe that companion flange is tight, seems loose. I can push it around a little bit. What do I need to do to tighten THAT up ?
#2
Registered User
Higher mileage machines often have loose companion flanges, even when the output bearing is still sound.
Now would be a good time to change out the output seal if there is any seepage at all.
Remove the large retaining nut, remove the flange, replace the seal, degrease the flange and output shaft splines, apply a little lock-tite to the flange and splines,
and torque the nut to 95-100fp. Don't forget to restake the nut. Then, you're golden as long as the bearing is good.
If not, more involved transfer case work is in order.
Similar measures are effective on the pinion flange side, although I often tighten that side to 130fp, or so.
Now would be a good time to change out the output seal if there is any seepage at all.
Remove the large retaining nut, remove the flange, replace the seal, degrease the flange and output shaft splines, apply a little lock-tite to the flange and splines,
and torque the nut to 95-100fp. Don't forget to restake the nut. Then, you're golden as long as the bearing is good.
If not, more involved transfer case work is in order.
Similar measures are effective on the pinion flange side, although I often tighten that side to 130fp, or so.
Last edited by millball; 10-13-2016 at 02:20 PM.
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Millball;
Thanks for the reply. I found a youTube video on staking the nut, but won't show the seals, where they are.
The "repair manual" shows something like 4 oil seals. I found another video for something else, guy says to just buy a new companion flange with the oil seals already on it.
Thanks for the reply. I found a youTube video on staking the nut, but won't show the seals, where they are.
The "repair manual" shows something like 4 oil seals. I found another video for something else, guy says to just buy a new companion flange with the oil seals already on it.
#4
Registered User
You just remove the nut, remove the drive flange and pry the seal out with a large screwdriver, or the like.
The new seal is carefully driven in with a block of wood and hammer. Sometimes a large socket can be used with a hammer.
The important thing is to drive the seal in squarely without buggering it up.
#5
if the nut is currently staked down, it probably hasn't loosened up, and if it's not leaking, i don't know that you'd gain anything by taking it off... the best you could hope for is that it wasn't tightened down properly.
this is a rear transfer case output seal: https://www.marlincrawler.com/transf...ar-output-seal
this is a rear transfer case output seal: https://www.marlincrawler.com/transf...ar-output-seal
#6
Registered User
[QUOTE=osv;52338511]if the nut is currently staked down, it probably hasn't loosened up, and if it's not leaking, i don't know that you'd gain anything by taking it off./QUOTE]
I have worked on more than a few trannys/t cases with more than 250.000miles on them where the flange was very wobbly, while the nut was still staked and the output bearing was still tight and serviceable.
All tightened up well with lock-tite and re-torqueing and the driveshaft was much happier without that slop.
Most of the ones I worked on also required the pinion flange getting the same treatment.
I have worked on more than a few trannys/t cases with more than 250.000miles on them where the flange was very wobbly, while the nut was still staked and the output bearing was still tight and serviceable.
All tightened up well with lock-tite and re-torqueing and the driveshaft was much happier without that slop.
Most of the ones I worked on also required the pinion flange getting the same treatment.
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
Osv;
Thanks for the information. Going online to try to get parts, autozone and pepboys has me confused since there appears to be about 12 different rear transfer case seals. The repair manual is vague at best: '
I want to tighten that nut down, and can't find THAT part / part #. ?!?!?
118 (1,200,87) ?!?!? How do I order THAT ?
Thanks for the information. Going online to try to get parts, autozone and pepboys has me confused since there appears to be about 12 different rear transfer case seals. The repair manual is vague at best: '
I want to tighten that nut down, and can't find THAT part / part #. ?!?!?
118 (1,200,87) ?!?!? How do I order THAT ?
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#8
mine was not high mileage like that, but it had been hammered pretty hard offroading... 4.70, dual cases, etc.
i just matched where it was tightened down before, maybe i should have tried using a torque wrench on it... roger says that there shouldn't be any up/down side-to-side play, there is a link in this thread to a seal replacement that he did: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/v...nverter-63016/
i just matched where it was tightened down before, maybe i should have tried using a torque wrench on it... roger says that there shouldn't be any up/down side-to-side play, there is a link in this thread to a seal replacement that he did: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/v...nverter-63016/
#9
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
When I took off the old u-joint, it looked like the person who put it in, did not push all the way down on one side. This non-uniform set in the u-joined was a cause of an offset joint. I imagine because of this, the driveshaft was orbiting, causing vibration, and make LOOSE this flange nut, and probably everything else attached to it. Yes I will have to check my pinion seal after I am done this, since there is actual oil seeping out the front of that. I had to fill the rear differential with 2 bottles of 75-90.
#11
Registered User
mine was not high mileage like that, but it had been hammered pretty hard offroading... 4.70, dual cases, etc.
i just matched where it was tightened down before, maybe i should have tried using a torque wrench on it... roger says that there shouldn't be any up/down side-to-side play, there is a link in this thread to a seal replacement that he did: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/v...nverter-63016/
i just matched where it was tightened down before, maybe i should have tried using a torque wrench on it... roger says that there shouldn't be any up/down side-to-side play, there is a link in this thread to a seal replacement that he did: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/v...nverter-63016/
#12
#13
When I took off the old u-joint, it looked like the person who put it in, did not push all the way down on one side. This non-uniform set in the u-joined was a cause of an offset joint. I imagine because of this, the driveshaft was orbiting, causing vibration, and make LOOSE this flange nut, and probably everything else attached to it.
the only way to fix it was to put a cv type joint in the driveshaft, like what is on the front driveshaft.
i've been nervous about the condition of both flange bearings ever since.
if you are gonna pull the front flange to re-torque it, better do the seal, like millball says.
#14
Registered User
If it's still excessive, the bearing is at fault.
Last edited by millball; 10-13-2016 at 05:39 PM.
#15
i compared side-to-side slop for front trans output against the rear trans output, they both had a little slop, unfortunately there isn't any spec that i know of for that, so i'm just running it, see what happens.
#16
Registered User
Ordinarily, if the slop is not so much that it wrecks a new seal in a short time, and the bearing still feels smooth without catching or making noise, it's still serviceable.
Of course, there are exceptions to this, but what we're talking about here specificly are the transfer case output ball bearings.
Of course, there are exceptions to this, but what we're talking about here specificly are the transfer case output ball bearings.
Last edited by millball; 10-13-2016 at 05:48 PM.
#17
Registered User
Thread Starter
I don't own a torque wrench and horrible freight is closed. I tried to chisel out the dimple in the flange nut, with no resolve. Just spinning the nut worked very easily. I tightened it up better then it was, I guess around 80 pounds. Chiseled another dimple in the nut. After I wrestle getting this u-bolt in, I will take for a test drive. If no death-shake, then I consider this job done, and go about the rest of my worries. If still happens, then I go check that pinion in the rear differential.
Unfortunately I made a terrible mistake and spun the transfer case flange around which looses my markings on where I am supposed to re-align the slip-yoke to the driveshaft. Is there a procedure to figure out exactly how to put the front slip back on those splines? I seen somewhere, how the greese fittings should all be on the same side. But that doesn't seem precise enough to match up the exact insert point to match the splines.
Unfortunately I made a terrible mistake and spun the transfer case flange around which looses my markings on where I am supposed to re-align the slip-yoke to the driveshaft. Is there a procedure to figure out exactly how to put the front slip back on those splines? I seen somewhere, how the greese fittings should all be on the same side. But that doesn't seem precise enough to match up the exact insert point to match the splines.
#18
Registered User
Why did you find it necessary to part the driveshaft at the splines???
Google driveshaft phasing.
If you have got it out of phase, you have given it a new and different reason to vibrate.
Google driveshaft phasing.
If you have got it out of phase, you have given it a new and different reason to vibrate.
Last edited by millball; 10-13-2016 at 06:35 PM.