Can someone point me in the direction of how to remove the rear drive shaft on a 2001 Dodge Ram 4x4. Im pretty sure I have a bad u-joint on the shaft.

thanks

 

Go into the FAQ/DIY subforum and find the 2001 Dodge Factory Service manual. It will have everything you needed to know about your Ram. And it's free.

 

Take the four bolts out of the plate that attaches the end of the drive shaft to the rear end and slide it out of the transmission.
Those bolts have loctite on them so they'll be a little snug.

 

Sometimes you need a dead blow hammer and/or pry bar to get the flange to separate on the axle side. Have like a wood block or cardboard box or your body under the D/S to catch it so it doesn't slam the ground.

 

Set the park brake
Chock the tires
Put the truck in neutral
Mark the DS and the flange on the diff so it goes back in the same way.
Put a tub of some flavor under the slip yoke up at the trany end, this will catch what ever oil comes out.
Remove the four 10mm bolts (this is the size for strap bolts)
Pry out the DS from the flange
Replace cross-joint
Reinstall DS
Top off t case fluid with ATF +4

 

The driveshaft mounting style, or whatever you'd like to call it, for '01 trucks isn't with strap bolts. Ujoint is pressed into the flange. So he'll have to remove 4 bolts that connect the flange to the yoke on the diff housing.

...Just clarifying

 

Thats why it's posted as the strap bolt size not the flange bolt size. But thanks.

 

^all that.

rent a ball joint press from the local parts store to press the u-joint caps in/out of the yokes. it makes it a lot easier than bashing the hell out of everything with a hammer, or breaking the vise.

just be sure and seat the joint into the cap when pressing it back together, as the press puts so much force on the cap that if you snag a needle bearing it'll shatter it in a flash