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CV Drive Shaft or Regear, which one should go first?

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Old 01-08-2011, 07:24 AM
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Default 3 inch lift

i have a 2dr with a 3 inch but got 3 and a half stock shafts 24k miles no problems yet makes a weird noise when i take off so i think i will change i this weekend
Old 01-08-2011, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by rhino4bs@yahoo.com
i have a 2dr with a 3 inch but got 3 and a half stock shafts 24k miles no problems yet makes a weird noise when i take off so i think i will change i this weekend
3" on a 2-door will cause the rear shaft to sit at a very steep angle and will pinch the cv boots. the sound you hear, is it like a ratcheting sound? if so, your joints are probably toast. check your cv boots to see if any grease has spit out - if so, the bearings inside are definitely done for.
Old 01-08-2011, 09:40 AM
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Both my shafts went the week after I had my gears done, but I'm a 2dr on +4". If you drive your Jeep around town more than smash it off-road I would do gears first. It'll be a lot more fun to drive until you can afford new shafts too
That being said, check both of your drive shafts like people have suggested before making a decision. Rotational clunking, squeaking, and play in the joints indicated my rear DS was bent out by 1/8th" and the front joint was shot.

Last edited by runit3; 01-08-2011 at 09:43 AM.
Old 01-08-2011, 07:32 PM
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Originally Posted by nthinuf
How long has the lift been on? What is the actual lift height? What are your driving habits? (mostly street, light trails, heavy flexing) Do you have adjustable ca's front and back? How long will you have to save to get whichever option you wait on?

Crawl underneath and take a good look at the tcase ends of both shafts. Do the boots look good? Or is there grease spitting out? (either on the joint or in an arc on the undercarriage above the joint)

If either are spitting grease, there's you answer. If you don't have adjustables, you will need a set for each shaft.

You have a 4door manual, right? Assuming that both shafts are still in good shape, and if you don't make a habit of max flex on a daily basis, I would guess that you will be safe going with the gears...
great reply, lot of factors go into making driveline changes....
Old 01-08-2011, 08:31 PM
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What's your current gear ratio... That will really make the choice easier.... Under 3:73..... Re gear 3:73 or 4:10 get the shaft.
Old 01-08-2011, 10:08 PM
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You can do damage to you clutch if you are dramatically over geared, so I say do the gears and save some money and get the driveshaft. A driveshaft is easier to change than a clutch.
Old 01-08-2011, 10:18 PM
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Gears first. Don't forget that your drive shaft will be spinning a LOT faster with the new gears for a given road speed. I'd worry more about getting the correct caster & pinion angle than I would a new drive shaft.

-Dawn
Old 01-09-2011, 03:29 AM
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Originally Posted by runit3
Both my shafts went the week after I had my gears done, but I'm a 2dr on +4". If you drive your Jeep around town more than smash it off-road I would do gears first. It'll be a lot more fun to drive until you can afford new shafts too
That being said, check both of your drive shafts like people have suggested before making a decision. Rotational clunking, squeaking, and play in the joints indicated my rear DS was bent out by 1/8th" and the front joint was shot.

So, how long or miles did your shafts last after you lifted?
Old 01-09-2011, 05:21 PM
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Thanks for the reply so far.

My JK currently is
unlimited X 4 door
manual
3.73 gear ratio
35x12.5x16 tire
3 inch full traction premium lift (adj front and rear upper control arm)
stock drive shaft front and rear
open differential front and rear

I collected all the information above and my current decision is
ge gear first, drive shaft upgrade second

I think the advantage of this order
instant gain in drive torque, so in town drive will be much more fun
drive shaft current is in good condition, no leak or barking so far

things I am not sure is:
the re gear will make the ring/pinion gear work great with current stock drive shaft

but what will happen if I change the drive shaft later, will it cause the ring/pionion
gear set some minor shift? such as pushing them too close or pulling them too far
away from each other.
Therefore make them do not work well with each other?



Thanks and please keep on your post with your precious opinion
Old 01-09-2011, 05:34 PM
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but what will happen if I change the drive shaft later, will it cause the ring/pionion gear set some minor shift? such as pushing them too close or pulling them too far away from each other.
Therefore make them do not work well with each other?
Take a look at the driveshafts. There is a slip joint in the middle. It lets the splines slide in and out to lengthen/shorten the shaft when needed.

This is a Woods, but they are all made the same. The stock shafts just have a big ugly boot over it.


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