How To: Change front driveshaft / change a driveshaft head

If your driveshaft boot looks like this its time to replace the head or get a new driveshaft, replacing the head is only 1/3 the cost so why not just do that.

first step is to hit up eric at automotivepartsunlimited.com and get your new head or driveshaft




Remove the 6, 8mm bolt on each side of the drive shaft. highlighted in green




pull the transfer case side of the driveshaft up over the transfer case yoke, pull the transmission side down and under.


Here is what a front driveshaft looks like


Here is what a dead boot looks like, it was full of sand and grit


use a set of snap ring pliers to remove the retaining clip


Now paint your driveshaft so it dosnt look like total crap.......just kidding i was bored. (and yes my coffee table is rhino lined)


slid on new boot and crimp the band


fill boot side up with grease, and grease the new head


Slid on the new head and install new retaining clip


Fill top side of head with grease and insert top plate making sure its flat on all sides


toss it back in the same way and have fun. I reused the 8mm bolts that were on the jeep because the new ones had larger heads that would be a little harder for my tools to get in there.

Thanks for the plug. Doesn't that grease stink? Looks like a good write up..can't think of anything he missed..

ya that grease stinks, i did it in my basement and it was interesting to say the least

WOW!!! This is a great "How-To" .. and the timing couldn't have been better.
My son just blew out the head & boot off of the driveshaft. He was taking the 4WD mode off onto 2WD .. while going 120KPH .. What was he thinking?!?!?
And, the local dealers do not have any in stock.

I have heard that I can remove the driveshaft AND still be able to drive around without it. Only thing is, I won't be able to use the 4WD mode albeit, minus the noise from all those blown up pieces.
Is that true?

Thanks.

yup thats true just dont toss it in 4wd

Thanks twack!!! Your "How-To" saved me a ton of guess-work.
I have the driveshaft removed and the KJ is back in operation (minus the 4WD option and noise).

The front head & boot is still in good condition. Curiosity got the better part of me and I removed both clips to take a peek. All I saw was a bunch of goop coming out. Looks like I will need to get new clips and goop for the front head.

However, the tail part is not so good. I will need the exact part that you have in that box (picture 2 & 3). What is that part called? It says "CV joint". I tried looking for it in automotivepartsunlimited.com. But, I could not see that part.

I have a 2005 Liberty 3.7L Rocky Mountain Ed. Does anyone know what part# that may be? And, where I can get one? Will they ship to Ontario, Canada? If not, I have an address in Buffalo, NY that I can use as a shipping address just in case.

Thanks.

Automotive Parts Unlimited, LLC
800-270-5224 ask for eric or [email protected]
Your source for drive shafts, bearings, axles, etc..
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Aut...20413477999893


or hes on here to

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/member.php?u=9584

it's not too hard to replace the joint, I got mine from eric a month ago or so, and it is working good, just got the first snow yesterday so got to test it out, no problems with the joint,

I would recomend geting a good snap ring plyiers, I first tried a cheap multi snap ring plyier from harbor freight, it broke and was a pain in the butt, I got a sears professional snap ring plyer

i got mine on with a cheap snap ring pliers but trust me a nice pair will make it much easier

gotta do mine in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the write up. I think I'm gonna paint mine too...good idea.

*EDIT* what type of grease do I need?

The rebuild kit typically comes with a packet of grease.

yellocoyote said:

The rebuild kit typically comes with a packet of grease.

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that smells hella nasty

Boot Clamp

What does everyone use to crimp the clamp on the new boot?

twack said:

You must be registered for see images

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Any info on those? Where to get,how much,name brand any other info? Thanks

its just a sideways wire cutters they can be found at pretty much any tool shop. dont know the exact name but there under $10

I am so thankful I found this forum and this thread. My wife has a 2004 Jeep Liberty and I am going to replace this cv joint this weekend. The question I have is how do you crimp the brass colored ends on the chrome joint? I've been to three tools stores and no one has the suppossed tool you do this with. The original cv joint had the caps pressed or crimped on to the joint. Is this necessary?

they just stuck that way over time, once bolted up that cap aint going anywhere

Thank you for the reply. One last questions. The kit that I got said to put some kind of sealant on the boot side of the joint. The cap end has a gasket, however, the boot side doesn't. I noticed you did not mention that in your instructions. Is that necessary? Thanks for your time.

ktmwoodsman said:

Any info on those? Where to get,how much,name brand any other info? Thanks

Click to expand...

hehe, I used hose clamps instead on mine. Mostly due to the clip breaking while I was putting it on...on and me bending the cheap A$$ tool from Autozone. I hardly put any pressure on the thing. Oh well. :icon_twisted:
Oh and FYI, it has been on there for sometime now...over a year and it is still holding strong with no grease escaping.