98 ram, 4x4, 5.9l, dirveline front drveshaft remaval
 

HI! Man, I cant get the drive shaft off to get to the top of the transmission. It's in the way so all I want to do is remove it from the front, not the rear, and let it hang with a hanger.

For some reason though, after I removed the 4 little 10mm strap bolts(2 on each side)I can't seem to get it off. I know theres a couple of more bolts but I dont anymore. I'm tired of trying to figure it out so I had to suck it up and ask for assistance, actually help, but assistance implies I know what I'm doing!

Are you talking about removing the rear driveshaft from the transfer case, or the front driveshaft from the transfer case?

It kind of sounds like you are trying to remove the front of your rear driveshaft, or your front driveshaft from the transfer case.

It looks like that I might am supposed to just beat the crap out of this large, middle round piece that has snap rings and a wire piece connected to the 2 snap rings going through the middle of the yoke?
I just don't want to break somethin. I'd really be all over the place here at that point, bothering y'all for days for help!

Ready for a really stupid question? Would it help if I jacked it up to get tires off the ground? It's a 4x4. has 33 1/2 tires so it's up high in the air, making it easy to get under it just fine without jacking up nothin! I def like that. I really like the truck. Wish I'd have gotten a bigger truck now a long time ago!(prob would'nt be bothering y;all today!)

So, anyway, sorry for such basic lack here but I've just never really worked on a 4 wheel drive. .
Thanks for any help!

Yes Sir! Thats correct 97JollyGreen Giant! It is the front of the drive line's drive shaft. THe front of it that goes into the transfer case. Yes! You're correct. I only need to remove it out of there to let it hang lower, just a little. It;s in the way of the area I need to get to, to replace a leaking trans seal. That round piece is letting trans fluid leak and this shaft is in the way.

Four bolts, then pry it off the drive flange. Shouldn't take much effort.

I took four bolts off. They were 10mm little bolts and were holding this metal strap thing. One strap thing on each side, 2 bolts in them, a 10mm bolt in the top and bottom of it.

Now Pry it off? Or am I missing something else?

I think its called the "single cardan"? Not the double I dont think. But hey, what do I know at this point!

Is that on the t-case, or on the front differential?? Things may have changed over the years..... (nah, they wouldn't do that....... :) ) But essentially, yes, just pry it out. Careful with the caps on the u-joint though, lotsa little needle bearings in there, and you don't want them lost, or displaced. Wrap tape around it to keep them on.

Thanks a lot!
Yes, it's the one at the transfer case I'm pretty sure. But I'ts a 4x4. And its right in front of the part of the transmission the has the shifter link assembly mounted on it.
The throttle link I think is there on the top of trans, the shifter link assy is there on top of trans and this drive shaft piece is right in front of where those are, looking at trans from below drivers door.

Whats getting me is this, theres a snap ring on the cross piece(that big round thing, with what looks like might be caps at each end of it, whatever that piece is called. Then theres a snap-ring on both ends, these 2 snap rings have a wire attached to them. Its bent onto the middle of each snap ring, to what seems to me, holds the 2 snap rings from falling out or off of it.

I wish I could post a picture! Man, that'd show ya exactly what I cant describe well at all, and allow you to instantly tell what it is I'm doing! I assume we can post a pic. If not, sorry for not being able to describe what it is I'm doing very well(at all!)

Thx!

You can indeed post a pic. I think space for hosting them here on the site is somewhat limited.... so, uploading to someplace like imageshack, or photobucket, and then just posting a link here (image tags are your friend. :) ) is the hot ticket.

A picture is indeed worth a thousand words. :D

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...9ff8b280fa.jpg

the curved straps fit right there where it has the 2 holes for the 10mm, little bolts, to hold the strap on. Theres also a second one, on the other side, that cant be seen at this angle.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...bb93b47d55.jpg

The 2 little metal, curved straps, with those two 10mm bolts holding each one on are removed. You can see the groove the straps fit into, and the holes that the 10mm bolts go into. If you look just right you can see the snap ring and the long piece of wire that goes to the other snap ring on the other side. Those are what I'm concerned about. Not sure what to do and didn't want to break nothing.


I hope I got these 2 pics on here right. But yea, this is what I'm worried about. Breaking the snap rings maybe, or hitting something to get it off and I wasn't hitting the right things(s) so I damage something important, or even end up having to buy a new driveline drive shaft because of doing something stupid.

Sorry about all this confusion. I think I'm being over careful.

I really cant tell where the separation is supposed to be at! Thats got a lottt to do with why I dont have it off yet.
Again, THANKS!