'86 Rear driveshaft CV-Joint or U-joint?

[DevilDog]

I'd like to apologise if this has been answered before, but I didn't see anything when scimming through the thread titles.

Like many here, I've had problems with my Bronco. First it was the engine cutting out, after about $600 worth or parts and labor it turned out to be a little fuel cup and clogged filter. Luckily my dad worked on it, so the labor wasn't actualy charged, but it would come out to around that or more at a shop.

Now to my current problem and question.

I bought my Bronco two years ago from a little body detailing shop for about $500. It had been in a crash because the front driverside fender was off a ranger, but the pain looks pretty sharp save for the scratches and chips I've done while out wheeling. I noticed, a few months after I bought it, that it did a wierd clicking noise when I would go heavy on the gas. I thought it was just the muffler hitting the frame or something unimportant like that.

I decided it wasn't a the muffler or something small like that so I decided to try gassin it in 4WD, and the noise would stop, so I decided it was something with the transfer case. My dad and I decided it was something within the transfercase not disengaging all the way and should be a easy fix with some linkage adjustment. About 2 weeks ago it got real bad. This was the same time when I had the engine problem so the clicking too a back seat.

Now that my fuel problem is fixed the clicking has become a squeeking and vibrating when taking off in first gear. My dad said it was a U-Joint problem because he's had a few go bad before and the same thing happened to him. I've read a few articles online about U-Joints and CV-Joints, and they all point to mine going bad too.

Woo wall o'text. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

My question now is, do '86 Bronco II's have U-Joints or CV-Joints on the read drive shaft where the drive shaft bolts to the rear-end? I went down to Autozone to buy a U-joint or find out where i can get one locally and they didn't know anywhere where I could get one. The Hanes manuel I have says B2's have CV-Joints in the back, but at Autozone and Checker they said they've never of that before. I'll try to post pictures or both drive shafts just for clarification.

Also would anyone know the size of bolt that bolts the drive shaft to the rear end and transfercase? I was told it was a 12mm, but that didn't fit and a 1/2in. barely fits but can't be torqued to or it'll strip the bolts. <_<

 

[Knight]

The 1989 had CV shafts, an experiment that Ford failed at. I went through 6 of them before I found Drive Shaft King in Dallas Texas and they made me a custom split-yolk shaft with U-joints. I never had a problem again. You can tell if your CV is going out, it will ***** shake and rattle like **** (if it is bad enough, it can explode and your shaft will drop to the ground, not fun). To find out if you have a CV or U-joint is easy, just get under there and look. The CV shaft will have a rubber boot on both sides of the shaft. The U-joints will be visable, most of the Rangers and F-150's share the same joints, not to mention oil filters, alternators, some starters, eletric window controls, cruise controls, brake components and a few other parts (the mustang and thunderbirds also share some of the same parts but they will have different part #'s). If your u-joint is bad, take it out and take into a parts store and have them compare it to other ford u-joints.

Since you have 4x4, you can take out the rear shaft, put the bronco in 4 wheel drive and drive on the front wheels. To remove the bolts, if they are stock, you will need a 12 point socket, a 6 point will not work and will strip the heads of the bolts. EBAY is a good place to look for B2 parts.

Another thing that can cause a rattle is the heat shield on the cat converter, remove that sucker if it is loose or has broken welds on it. The rear springs also tend to make some noise like squeaks and rattles, this can be fixed easy and cheap by installing spring clamps to the rear portion of the rear leaf springs. You can tell if this is your problem by looking at the leaf springs, if they have a shift off to one side, then that can cause noise as well as driveshaft problems.

I put up a pic of my custom shaft.

I have a set of 4" rear lift blocks and a set of 2" front shock extenders if anyone is interested.

 

[DevilDog]

Thanks for the reply!

So then it is a CV-Joint. I'm pretty sure it's shot as it has some play in it when i have it parked in hear, not to mention some of the rubber boot is ripped off and there is a small metal ring that travels out of the boot very easily.

I wish I could show some pics of all of this, but right now it's a bit too late to go crawling under there. <_<

Also, would a 12mm wrench work? A socket and rachet wouldn't work because there's not enough room. [-(

 

[BLADE262US]

Knight hasnt answered yet so Yes a wrench (12 point) will work just fine more that likely youll need to add to the length with a piece of pipe or something because they will be tight . The CV kind was a bad idea . There are like 3 different kinds of driveshafts for the B2,s . I had a guy bring his over one day told me it was making grinding noises and would stop moving mind you he drove it over here . He messed with it forward and reverse till it stopped moving and he said see its got to be the T case . he crawls under it while running with it in gear looking at it . I looked under there saw the driveshaft going around and a slight click click from the CV . I told him why dont you get out of there before that shaft catches and runs you over . So the shaft can be shot and still make the vehicle move but like Knight said they usually come flying out of the vehicle . /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[DevilDog]

Knight hasnt answered yet so Yes a wrench (12 point) will work just fine more that likely youll need to add to the length with a piece of pipe or something because they will be tight . The CV kind was a bad idea . There are like 3 different kinds of driveshafts for the B2,s . I had a guy bring his over one day told me it was making grinding noises and would stop moving mind you he drove it over here . He messed with it forward and reverse till it stopped moving and he said see its got to be the T case . he crawls under it while running with it in gear looking at it . I looked under there saw the driveshaft going around and a slight click click from the CV . I told him why dont you get out of there before that shaft catches and runs you over . So the shaft can be shot and still make the vehicle move but like Knight said they usually come flying out of the vehicle . /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Thanks for the reply.

I figured out the part with the wrench and pipe after about an hour and a half of spraying WD40 all over the bolts and pulling with all my might lol.

I know 4X4's can be driven with the front wheels engaged while the rear drive shaft is taken off, but anyone know how far and fast before the front bearing start to go. The reason I ask this is because the only place that has CV-Joints like mine is over a mountain and about 60 miles away, well 75 if I go around the mountain but that involves driving on the freeway. And we all know people on the freeway don't like people only doing 45 on it. <_<

 

[yusuebronko2_86]

You can drive it in front mode, but beware of any ***-holes or speed bumps, this will destroy your setup, and don't go over 35, bad idea (voice of experience and new driveshaft). also, the AutoZone there must be full of real DIPS, because I can buy a CVU shaft for my old (but sadly wrecked) B2 here in Uvalde, TX. The bolts used for the shaft are a standard industrial bolt, you can find one at an industrial or agricultural supply store (especially if they fix/sell tractors) if you need any more.

or i can send you my old one from my '86, it should hold up long enough to drive to a store to get a new one. but the best case would be to get the custom u-join split shaft conversion, much stronger.