Um, those are not the same axles...... yeah, the top one is longer.... but, is the stub shaft sticking out of it a separate part?? As the bottom axle does NOT have that.

 

ok this is for you heyyou...I have a question is there a place where you can buy extended cv joint kits that just needs the make model etc and the size of the one coming off? cause I have spent 3 days now searching for extended cv joit boot kits also etended v traviel kits and all I get is the same places and none of them seem to have this. this truck has a lift kit (I know nothing about this) but ive taked with people who own shops specializing in lifts and they all told me they have never replaced the cv axle as part of a lift kit so I believe this person who owned the truck before me used these because the tires are 20" and he needed more room to stretch the cv joint to it but I need a place that does these things....any ideas would be soo helpful!! Thanks in advance I will check back later to see if you read this and replied im still trying tofigure this out as far as the forum is there a way u can just chatwith someone (if they agree) rather than have to keep posting like this??

 

I found shops that supply 'high angle' axles, and various other custom iterations, but, they run 2500 bucks for a pair..... which I suspect is more than you want to spend.

Are your current joints shot? Could you *reboot* them, with fresh grease, etc, and use them some more?

And what about that little shaft poking out the west end of the upper axle in the pic??? What's that all about? Is that physically a part of the axle? Or does the little stub shaft come out?

 

the lil shaft I believe is the 4w.d. actuator I believe. I have 2 new ones of them already on truck and as u see the old axles are spent! I believe this idiot who did this used an axle from something else like a ram 2500. one thing for sure is this whole issue is not only giving me a tremendous pain in the Neck.....but im also getting a crash course on auto mechanics!! lololol

 

Might be interesting to take your axle to the parts store, and compare it to the 2500 axles...... I suspect that would be too easy though.

The shafts themselves look to be the same diameter though. could you pop the boot clamps, and just swap the shaft itself over to the new joints?

 

Did Dodge put IFS on the 3/4 ton trucks?? I thought they were all solid axles.

I didn't think the IFS had an actuator. Not with the IFS, the transfer case is what locks in the front wheels. Unless it's got it on the longer axle tube, but that would be on axle housing in the truck. What I would do is try pulling on that slip joint a little and see if it is the same length as the old one, as the NEW BOOT will likely pull it together as it's new. Just becareful not to pull the joint apart. Likely the lift will need more travel so it's going to use more of the slip joint than it would without the lift.
I ran into that stub shaft on a car, it came out with the axle, took it back with the new axle, and the parts guy pulled the stub shaft out, and stuck it in the new axle, I was adamant that it was the wrong axle. That stub shaft should come out of the old CV axle. Unless it is boxed wrong........I ordered three sets of intake gaskets from Edelbrock, and you could clearly see they were exhaust gaskets. With an intake gasket sticker with the correct part number, lol.

Looking at the pics again, it looks like whomever assembled it, stretched the boots when they put the clamps on, visually making the center shaft shorter. You could try moving the boot back and help it "relax" or compare them with another set of axles. On most ive seen there is a little groove on the shaft where the boot is suppose to be when clamped.

 

Good point. 3/4 and 1 ton trucks had a solid axle. I don't think there is a disconnect on the front axle either, but, no hard evidence for that.....

 

That's what I was thinking........ My 03 Dakota didn't have a disconnect. The splines on my stub shaft were wore out before the CV joints failed lol. But replaced both anyways. Open diff the stub shaft was spinning the opposite direction of the CV axle, made for a very noisy drive home........ But it looks to me like the boots need to be moved out, and I think those shafts will go right in. I've seen that before. The boot is pulling the axle together to make it look shorter. If he pushes the slip joint in on his old axle and then measure/compare it to the new one. Old sloppy joints compared to a newer stiffer joint. It's like pulling out a worn shock, and comparing it to a new one, the old one will be allot shorter lol.

 

Below is what the size of the 06 should be compressed. They don't show uncompressed, but by the looks of your old one - the inner cv joint might be extended due to your mechanic just pulling on the end when trying to remove it from the diff. The part on the left is a shaft the unit slips over and locks onto, that shouldn't have to be removed with the cv.

I did that job a few years ago on my old 04 1500, and I used a video like the one below as a guide. But I found I needed to remove the bolts from the upper control arm to allow enough room to RnR the cv axle. Not sure what is different in 2006 suspension wise, but my 04 front was a torsion bar setup.

 

o.k for all interested I believe and pray that I found it!! weird thing and I don't know whether its cause it is a quad cab or what but something the other night led me to a Napa site and low and behold their cv joint boot kit measured 25 3/16ths compressed I AM ANXIOUSLY AWAITING MY MECHANIC'S CALL TODAY AND I HOPE HE SAYS SHE IS ALL DONE!! its weird how some parts in different stores are bigger or smaller I always thought they should all be standard.. but either way I will follow up tonight and hopefully (and I'm keeping my fingers crossed) this is the right part....stay tuned......lolol