Am i running out of time on my oem front drive shaft? I have heard of mixed reviews on the matter in regards to how much lift i can run on stock front shafts. Some say you're good if you stay at 3" or below, some say you're good if you have a manual trans, etc etc. I have read many of posts on this topic and i haven't really gotten anywhere? I started noticing that the boot at the output shaft is leaking small amounts of lube. The boot is not torn and it is not making noise at all when driving? It is leaking small amounts under the metal clip of the boot. Is this normal at 3" or is it just a matter of time? I've been to several shops/dealers over the past few weeks. One shop blew me off completely and said they would fit me in but, never returned my emails or voice mails? Another shop an hour away from me told me that they felt no vibes and the front shaft is fine? And last another shop said they lift jk's all day long with 3" lifts and never heard of such a thing? I have my doubts on these opinions because, of what i have heard and read. I have a jk unlimited, lifted 3", manual trans, running adjustable front lowers set to spec per instructions, and the last time i had an alignment was about 2 months ago to check caster after install of lower front arms. i was @ 4 and 3/4 degrees of front caster. I just need someone to chime in that knows what they are talking about.

Thanks in advance!
I gotta get back to work now! lol

 

If it is starting to sling grease, then its days are likely numbered... for how long is the question though! It seems to vary greatly from jeep to jeep. Once it starts making noise or vibrations is when you know the end is nearing.

To be safe, I would either start looking at after market drive shafts or keep an eye out for a stock takeoff you can keep on hand as a spare (aftermarket of course would be the better long term solution).

 

So one of the first things I did with mine was throw on a 4" lift and stuck with the stock DS. My first run I tore the DS boot and tore off the cover where the DS expands in the center when it hit my stock transmission skid. That was nearly 2 years ago and it's just been recently been starting to make some noise. Fortunately, brown Santa showed up with a nice new Coast DS yesterday. I don't think leaving it for 2 years is a good idea for most people, but I also drive pretty low milage and low speeds. I drive MAYBE 5-6K miles a year and its all surface streets unless I'm going wheeling which is 1-2 times a month. With that said though it's survived easily 20+ wheeling trips in that state and had no issues. Borrowed time...sure, but it's not an emergency either.

 

I replaced mine with one from 4WD.com they had the best price.

Be careful when you order one, they asked me how much lift I have and I told them 3" + 3/4" spacer. I don't think I mentioned stock control arms. When I got the DS it only had about 1/2" travel. When it was on the lift with all 4 wheels off the ground the slip/travel went down to zero. I think it got better when I put on the drop lower control arm brackets.

 

You will get a lot of opinions, based on personal experience, saying 'yes, you will need to replace'. And you will get a lot of opinions, based on personal experience, saying 'no, you will be fine'. And they will all be correct, based on their specific situations.

There are too many variables for anyone to give you a definitive answer on whether 'your' driveshaft will fail. It depends on how much grease has already spit out, total lift height, the angles the joint is operating at, (typical daily driving, your offroad usage, whether you disconnect, how long your shocks are, etc). The further the axle can droop, the steeper that angle gets and the more 'pinched' the boot around that joint will be. If it retains some grease, it will be ok for a while. If it loses too much grease, it will dry out, make noise, and eventually fail.

If you don't want to replace, the best you can do is to crawl underneath and check it on a regular basis.

If you do want to do something about it: Some people have had luck using a needle zerk thingy to shoot some grease in there. Quadratec sells a rebuild kit for that joint. (expensive, and if it failed once it's probably just going to keep failing...) Or find a cheap take-off shaft from someone who has upgraded. Or go aftermarket.


The slip joint isn't nearly as big an issue as the joint at the tcase. You can rip the cover off and drive fine, then just pull the driveshaft apart and clean and grease yearly. (more often depending on usage/weather/needs)

 

Qtec sells a rebuild kit for the boot, but at that price you're coming up on just buying a custom built shaft or someone's take-off's.

http://m.quadratec.com/products/prod...pid=52302+0013
$110

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