Yes 3 and 5 are pics of the same part. Pic 2 is the front of the shaft which shows the u joint. The part you stated having no boot is the aft side, leading towards the back of the truck. So at the end of that shaft is a cv joint? I'll go and look at all this tm. Definitely looks like dirt/dust/rocks just about anything could've easily hopped in there and dried up the grease and worn it out quicker. Is that shaft supposed to move at all while i have the truck parked, it has some give.
Thanks for the help and suggestion, once i get into it, i'm sure i'll have plenty of questions.

 

So I finally pulled out the front drive shaft and damn was that PITA!! Granted I used a 15mm and a 7/16 and that was it. Gotta go buy some more tools. Well after pulling it out and looking at it, I'm almost 100% positive that this is the reason my 4x4 is making the knocking noise.
I have the shaft in my hand and spun the cv joint while counter rotating the shaft itself, and that thing is not wanting to spin. **** is falling out of the joint like its snowing.
So anyone know how to take apart the cv? and can it be put back together easily so it can go down as a core when i buy my new one. I'll post pics of the shaft later as well. Im going to wash the truck, its like 40 something here and im going to take advantage of it.

 

hey man i just did the same thing earlier this week and same result, i took mine apart by poppong the caps off to inspect the inside it was trashed, as for a core i know u can turn in the whole shaft but rebuilding that cv end is like 200 bucks for the kit, didnt u say that the replacement from napa has two u joints for yours? thats awesome i can only find one so far i am trying to get more feed back on it. good luck let me know what u do.

 

Yeah the one napa offers is a double u joint. I have cv and u joint on the one I took off. It just seems weird, and hopefully its just an upgrade to the way it was. Just looking at the transfer case and where it receives the shaft, seems kinda weird imagining a u joint there. Oh well, I'll find out tomorrow.

Oh and yeah I can trade in the core towards the new one. Its like 360 for the new one and 300 with the core traded in towards it. So its whatever....as long as this fixes my 4x4 issue. I need it!

If I were you I'd bite the bullet and get a new one, hopefully your not in a bind. Also we're you experiencing the same issue as me? Noise after you engage 4x4?

 

thats good for you , i will prolly go ahead and get the double u joint one instead of another cv one it just seems kinda cheesy to have something like that, what was dodge thinking, for now im just ridin without it no more crappy weather here hopefully but im getn antsy to play in the mud, and yes as soon as i put it in 4wheel it was cluckin like a chicken, boot was ripped and inside was mud and water

 

Im pretty sure you can do that just about anywhere, if you up for trading in your new one. How long you been riding without one and if its been a good amount of time, have you noticed a diff in mpgs?

And that puts me at ease a little, seeing how you had the same issue. That'll be cool, getting our stuff fixed and be able to do what we want like we want. Mudding, driving in the snow just anything.

 

I still think it is weird that the NAPA you went to only offered a double u joint. I bought mine at NAPA and they had the right one.

 

It is weird, I looked online told them that I thought it was weird but he wasnt sure himself. He knows his stuff, but the system had a manual listed with the replacement being double u-joint and an auto with a cv and u-joint.

I checked other sites and its the same way, its all just weird.

 

the one i will end up getting is form ebay its a custom fab shop in vegas selling it only 250 though, i still like the double u joints on it thats why im getti that one and no i have not noticed a increase in mileage i guess i havent been paying attention

 

Gotta link to it?

And it's kinda cool we're doing this at the same time. Guess we'll be out using it around the same time as well..you muddin, me running through snow. Be sure to take some pics if you can