BlackBetty
Member
So, I've got a question about the longevity of the stock front driveshaft on a lifted Liberty.
When I received my parts Jeep for my 4x2 > 4x4 conversion, the front driveshaft had failed, so it was not installed on the vehicle. In my infinite wisdom, I installed the rebuilt front driveshaft backward (i.e. diff side on T-case and T-case side to diff). I thought to myself "No need to look up the orientation, this thing can only go in one way! Well wrong...
A few hundred miles in I began to hear a rattling/chain-like noise. I was concerned this was a loose T-case chain, but I found out it was one of the joints on the front drive shaft. I was on my way to a driveshaft shop when boom, one of the joints busted loose at 70 MPH.
Fortunately, everything stayed where it belonged, and there was no other damage to the Jeep. In doing some research I discovered that I had installed the drive shaft backwards. My question is if installing it backwards led to failure at ~1,000 miles on new joints, or if regardless of installation orientation these are just prone to failure on lifted KJs? I rebuilt both ends myself and packed them with plenty of grease. I used the crown joints on both ends.
I'm debating what to do next, so any input on the situation would be much appreciated!
When I received my parts Jeep for my 4x2 > 4x4 conversion, the front driveshaft had failed, so it was not installed on the vehicle. In my infinite wisdom, I installed the rebuilt front driveshaft backward (i.e. diff side on T-case and T-case side to diff). I thought to myself "No need to look up the orientation, this thing can only go in one way! Well wrong...
A few hundred miles in I began to hear a rattling/chain-like noise. I was concerned this was a loose T-case chain, but I found out it was one of the joints on the front drive shaft. I was on my way to a driveshaft shop when boom, one of the joints busted loose at 70 MPH.
Fortunately, everything stayed where it belonged, and there was no other damage to the Jeep. In doing some research I discovered that I had installed the drive shaft backwards. My question is if installing it backwards led to failure at ~1,000 miles on new joints, or if regardless of installation orientation these are just prone to failure on lifted KJs? I rebuilt both ends myself and packed them with plenty of grease. I used the crown joints on both ends.
I'm debating what to do next, so any input on the situation would be much appreciated!
