Sheared U-Joint Strap Bolt

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Since it was so nice out Tuesday, I decided to drive the Cherokee to get it up to temperature and stretch its legs.

Noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Later that night , while backing into a parking spot at Moes, since there were no open parking spots, I figured I would put my Jeep to use and back up onto a snow bank.

As soon as I hit the snow bank I heard banging on the floor. Couldn't figure out what I had backed into.

Conveniently there was someone right there and told me that my driveshaft "fell out".

Glad it didn't happen driving down the highway!!

The driveshaft and u joint is fine! Just have to get the broken bolt out of there.

Anyone else ever have this happen?

1010852_755108077223_241504964_n.jpg
 
Very common with Dana 35's.

Rusty's sells a yoke kit which replaces the straps with u bolts, but I have repaired others by drilling their existing yoke (thus saving from having to pull it) and drilling out the threads to accept the u bolt. IIRC, I had to grind a bit on the backside so the bolt could spin.

It was a pretty easy fix.
 
Never done it myself, but I've seen it happen. Dana 35 (ABS) on your Jeep? Happens more with them than with the Mopar 8.25. But then EVERY kind of breakage happens more with the Dana 35... :-/
 
I haven't seen this, but because there is no road salt in Florida, that may explain it. I often see RWD driveshafts with all their original parts and still working fine.
 
I have the 8.25 rear axle.

If the pinion yoke is salvageable I am going to do the U Bolt conversion. The u joint may have moved around and egged out where the joint mounts.

Of course it happens the night before the biggest snow event of the season. Oh well.

The only time I have seen something similar happen is when people go with huge lift blocks and get serious axle wrap - but then it's the entire pinion yoke that breaks!



Originally Posted By: Thermo1223
Figured you meant Moe's Southwest Grill...

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/03/restaurant_inspections_by_the_12.html

I hope you didn't at that one!


That's the only one in the area I have not eaten at. However, I didn't eat - just met up with some people.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88


Anyone else ever have this happen?



LOL yeah twice...one fell down on I-77....the spark shower took about 10 years off the life of the guy behind me because it happened at night.
lol.gif


Do the conversion and don't forget blue loctite on the bolts
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Miller88

Of course it happens the night before the biggest snow event of the season. Oh well.



LOL of course....Mr. Murphy would have it no other way...
lol.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I have the 8.25 rear axle.

If the pinion yoke is salvageable I am going to do the U Bolt conversion. The u joint may have moved around and egged out where the joint mounts.

Of course it happens the night before the biggest snow event of the season. Oh well.

The only time I have seen something similar happen is when people go with huge lift blocks and get serious axle wrap - but then it's the entire pinion yoke that breaks!


The only time I've seen the results in person it was a big 1968 Dodge Polara convertible with a stoutly built-up 440, 4.10 rear end, and running well over 90 mph "testing" 60-100 mph acceleration on the back roads one night (FTR: I wasn't there at the time, just saw the parts breakage.) Well, that's just askin' for it! The cure for that one was U-bolting the yoke also- its just much stronger no matter how you slice it. I really should U-bolt my '69... one of these days.

The Jeep XJs are kinda hard on the rear driveshaft U-joints (and transfer case output shaft bushings) in spite of their light weight just because the angles are sharpish, and because they don't have an in-line slip-yoke on the rear driveshaft. Hence the popularity of "hack-n-tap" slip-yoke conversions, which do a heck of a lot to ease the loads on that rear driveshaft. If we did any offroading at all with my daughter's XJ, I'd slip-yoke and U-bolt the whole rear driveshaft assembly. I might even do it this summer "just because."
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I have the 8.25 rear axle.

If the pinion yoke is salvageable I am going to do the U Bolt conversion. The u joint may have moved around and egged out where the joint mounts.

Of course it happens the night before the biggest snow event of the season. Oh well.

The only time I have seen something similar happen is when people go with huge lift blocks and get serious axle wrap - but then it's the entire pinion yoke that breaks!


The only time I've seen the results in person it was a big 1968 Dodge Polara convertible with a stoutly built-up 440, 4.10 rear end, and running well over 90 mph "testing" 60-100 mph acceleration on the back roads one night (FTR: I wasn't there at the time, just saw the parts breakage.) Well, that's just askin' for it! The cure for that one was U-bolting the yoke also- its just much stronger no matter how you slice it. I really should U-bolt my '69... one of these days.

The Jeep XJs are kinda hard on the rear driveshaft U-joints (and transfer case output shaft bushings) in spite of their light weight just because the angles are sharpish, and because they don't have an in-line slip-yoke on the rear driveshaft. Hence the popularity of "hack-n-tap" slip-yoke conversions, which do a heck of a lot to ease the loads on that rear driveshaft. If we did any offroading at all with my daughter's XJ, I'd slip-yoke and U-bolt the whole rear driveshaft assembly. I might even do it this summer "just because."








I'll be doing the slip yoke conversion in exactly 10 days! At which point, there will be zero angle on the axle end - all of the angle will be at the transfer case end with the Cardan joint and HD Output bearing / fixed yoke. Right now there's 4 degrees on the rear u-joint and 3 or 4 on the front. Passed the limitation of the standard driveshafts.

If I am not able to extract this one, I will buy a new yoke and do a UBolt conversion. If it *does* come out, I'll run it with the straps then convert it next month.



Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: Miller88


Anyone else ever have this happen?



LOL yeah twice...one fell down on I-77....the spark shower took about 10 years off the life of the guy behind me because it happened at night.
lol.gif


Do the conversion and don't forget blue loctite on the bolts


Well that sounds exiting! I am very glad it happened in a parking lot and not driving down the road.
 
Saw it happen once. A long, long time ago. It was a spring day. I was working at the service station. All the local guys with their "hot" cars were out for a cruise. They ended up in a line stopped for the red light in front of the station. The light turns green. The first guy revs his engine, drops the clutch and lays rubber. SHOW TIME! The second guy, revs his engine, drops the clutch and lays rubber. The third guy revs his engine, drops the clutch, then there's a bang, the engine way over-revs. The car leisurely rolls forward and the driveshaft leisurely rolls out from under the car and into the gutter. Broke both u-joints! I still chuckle thinking about it.
 
Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
Saw it happen once. A long, long time ago. It was a spring day. I was working at the service station. All the local guys with their "hot" cars were out for a cruise. They ended up in a line stopped for the red light in front of the station. The light turns green. The first guy revs his engine, drops the clutch and lays rubber. SHOW TIME! The second guy, revs his engine, drops the clutch and lays rubber. The third guy revs his engine, drops the clutch, then there's a bang, the engine way over-revs. The car leisurely rolls forward and the driveshaft leisurely rolls out from under the car and into the gutter. Broke both u-joints! I still chuckle thinking about it.

This makes me think of an article I read in Hot Rod Magazine. It was a list of repairs that cost $50 or less, but are still essential to make your car last. U-joints were on the list, and I think it mentioned straps.

I have never witnessed this, but I have heard of guys having a driveshaft come loose, then it would put several huge dents in the floor of the car as it spun around wildly.
 
Originally Posted By: asand1
Were you driving around in 4wd on pavement?


Not until the rear shaft popped out and I had no other option. I generally avoid using 4WD unless I'm off road or in the snow.

I think what happened was I spun a bit on the snow and caught traction. That caused the strap to stretch.

I am going to buy an extractor and try to get it out then do the u-bolt conversion.

Tried to back it out with a punch and hammer. No luck.
 
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