I know someone whom I suspect is a compulsive liar, who claims he disconnected his rear drive shaft on his Jeep Cherokee and now drives it in4 wheel drive mode utilizing the front-wheel-drive capabilities. Is this even possible? This sounds impossible to me.

 

It possible but if you didn't have a sye you loose all your fluid. Also cherokee front axle wouldn't like you very much.

 

Exactly what I thought. I knew he was full of it.

 

It's not uncommon to do this on the trail if you break an axle, DS or u-joint. To do it all the time though is retarded. The front DS is not designed to be the primary and will eventually fail. Plus, why have a Jeep if you just want a FWD car?

 

Depends on the year. 96+ have the redesigned tailshaft & no fluid is lost when the rds is removed. Why would it bother the front axle? As long as it has an open diff. it is not going to hurt any thing. JIM.

 

I don't agree. I have been running a fds in the rear for over 2 yrs. with no problems. The fds tubing is a smaller diameter, but have a thicker wall. JIM.

 

you're running a shorter front drive shaft as your rear shaft? What did you do to fix that? As fas as strength sure it's strong enough but put serious strain on it and she's going to break. Besides, this is about running a 4wd Jeep as a front wheel drive.

On a side note, I notice my comment about the Patriot was removed. Shame shame. So much for the first ammendment. Democracy stops at the door of Dodgeforum I guess.

 

I have a RE H&T SYE. With an adapter flange from spicer the fds is the same lenght as my RE ds. The centering ball went out on the RE ds so I swapped in my spare. IF I break it I will swap the RE ds back in. JIM.

 

Just goes how versatile a Jeep can be. So are you only running your Jeep as a RWD vehicle or did you just have a spare ds? I guess that would help to increase the mileage....

Usually the guys who break ds - unless it happens to be on a new Dodge truck (see sig below) - are doing some hardcore stuff. I've been in some tough muck and never broke anything yet (crossing fingers) but I don't do any rock crawling. Now on my old 86 Cherokee, I beat the poop out of it but it's gone on to greener pastures. At about 250,000 miles, I traded it for a computer .

 

I had a spare fds. I aslo carry another fds with me . I do tend to try the harder stuff when I wheel. I like the rocks alot more than mud. When I go on a run I carry: spare f&rds, complete steering setup, rear axle shafts, front axle shafts & at least one front hub. I also carry a spare belt & an extra u-joint of each size. Along with my complete tool box. So far I haven't broke on the trail, but I have had the parts to get others back to camp. JIM.