YJ: And there goes the pinion yoke...

[red baron 13]

So, here's the deal. I fixed my rear driveshaft/u-joint after talking with Randy and Kurt out at Coog Butt last week. I had had play in it for months (auto parts guy said that was ok!) I replaced u and straps and it was rock solid - just like the Kurt said it should be. Yesterday, I spun the thing out again. But, straps are in place, one bearing cap is busted but still in pinion yoke. My quick assessment is that I stretched the pinion yoke? Its a Dana 35. Now, I think its original and its an 89 - which is pretty good imo. So - here are my questions:
1. Does it sound feasable that I stretched the pinion yoke?

2. Do I replace pinion yoke and if so, re-gear while I'm dancing @ the pumpkin patch?

3. As Dirtman suggested; strengthen the rear -- do I buy used from a junkyard? I have priced new from places -- lookin' @ $2500. And, what would u suggest? D44? Ford 8.8? Obviously, the most affordable way is best, but I don't wanna just throw $$ at it either...

Any and all suggestions, opinions, comments are eagerly being waited upon...thanks in advance!!

[neilbyrd]

If you are staying with the 31" tires than the stock axles should be ok and I would just get a new yoke. You can get a new one from Tom Woods for about $55 with ubolts. If you are going bigger than I would put in bigger axles.

[red baron 13]

Neil - I have to take the diff apart to replace the pinion yoke, right? My Haynes manual only talks about replacing the pinion seal, nothing whatsoever about the pinion yoke. And, not able to really go bigger at this time, so thanks for the advice

[RAT]

Neil - I have to take the diff apart to replace the pinion yoke, right? My Haynes manual only talks about replacing the pinion seal, nothing whatsoever about the pinion yoke. And, not able to really go bigger at this time, so thanks for the advice

Nope you don't have to take the diff apart. If you have air and a good impact wrench it will take you about 20 minutes to change the yoke. It's possible to stretch the yoke but it's cast so it usually just breaks. But anything is possible. I'm not sure but I may have a yoke that will fit. I'll check and let you know.

[MY4D9WILLYS]

Take a look at your yoke and see if one of the small tabs that holds the u-joint centered isn't broken off.

[red baron 13]

Update

Butch - tabs are still there. Kurt, thanks - let me know. I'm getting ready to try to remove straps - heads of bolts are beat to hell - which leads me to these 2 things: 1. I noticed yesterday before it broke, that the bolts holding the straps had marks as if they went over rock (flattened edges on the head) -- but I'd only driven pretty tame dirt trails. ?? 2. With one tire in air - should I be able to move the pinion yoke? Right now, I can turn it in either direction -- maybe like an 1/8th of a turn either way.
Thanks...

[Mtbikbob]

Butch - tabs are still there. Kurt, thanks - let me know. I'm getting ready to try to remove straps - heads of bolts are beat to hell - which leads me to these 2 things: 1. I noticed yesterday before it broke, that the bolts holding the straps had marks as if they went over rock (flattened edges on the head) -- but I'd only driven pretty tame dirt trails. ?? 2. With one tire in air - should I be able to move the pinion yoke? Right now, I can turn it in either direction -- maybe like an 1/8th of a turn either way.
Thanks...

A couple of thoughts come to mind here, one, no you should not have an 1/8 of a turn on the pinion shaft. It sounds like it is not tight to the ring...or in other words the pinion nut is not tight.
Another thought here I see happen to a lot of leaf spring set ups, is axle wrap. Under a load the axle is wrapping up....or twisting upwards, to the point the U joint can no longer turn... so something has to give. This is more common in Jeeps where the axle is placed below the leaf spring. The leaf springs are not designed to be above the axle. One fix I have seen done is a truss bar custom made to keep the axle from wrapping... problem solved.
My two cents..... I sure Kurt will fix anything I messed up here in my diagnosis....
BobO

[red baron 13]

Bob- I did this trying to climb loose rock out in JV. Sounds like what ur saying could of happened. I know Butch just installed an anti-wrap sumethin or other last wknd. Thanks.

[neilbyrd]

Yes there are alot of companies that make antiwrap traction bars, just make sure if you go that way you get a shackle with the kit. Also just so you know it requires welding, and they limit flex a bit. I have heard that the ones with rod ends do a bit better. As far as the flat spots on the bolts I had that happen in the front before and it wound up being the bolts were hitting the yoke on the drive shaft as it turned. If you need help putting in the traction bar let me know I don't charge I'm just addicted to wrenching.

[RAT]

Butch - tabs are still there. Kurt, thanks - let me know. I'm getting ready to try to remove straps - heads of bolts are beat to hell - which leads me to these 2 things: 1. I noticed yesterday before it broke, that the bolts holding the straps had marks as if they went over rock (flattened edges on the head) -- but I'd only driven pretty tame dirt trails. ?? 2. With one tire in air - should I be able to move the pinion yoke? Right now, I can turn it in either direction -- maybe like an 1/8th of a turn either way.
Thanks...

That movement in the yoke is the backlash of the ring and pinyon. Doesn't sound like it's excessive. That is normal to be able to move the yoke a slight amount, even when both wheels are on the ground. You just ran CW and there are a lot of rocks that like to jump up and bite your bottom so to speak, so it's possible that you clipped a good size rock and didn't know it. Just to confirm, do you have the flat straps or u bolts to hold the u joint in the yoke? I think the one I have uses a strap.
Also, the anti-wrap might be a good idea. I know a couple of guys that run them and if you can keep them attached (Sergio) they work well. The spherical ends are better than the bushings.

[red baron 13]

Kurt, I have straps. Neil, thanks for the offer -- I'll keep ya n mind!

[jonah]

Hey, sorry to hear you are still fighting this problem. I thought there was something wrong with that yoke because the bearing cap on the U wasn't seating in the yoke correctly. It was tight on the sides and a visible gap at the bottom and the straps were all the way down. I though maybe it was worn from being loose at some point.
Anyway, sounds like you are on the right track for getting it replaced.

Take Kurt's advice and use a strong impact wrench. If you don't have one, get a really long cheater bar! That pinon yoke nut can be a tough one to crack.

[Mtbikbob]

......I'm just addicted to wrenching.

lol....thats become my problem of late... one day, I'll be just like Kurt and have a monster machine equal to his. (Well, I can dream anyway)
BobO

[Mtbikbob]

A word of caution, if you remove the Pinion nut and replace the yoke, you do not want to torque down the pinion nut. If you do then you change the settings of the crush sleeve inside, thus the preload. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will step in here, because I have only done one ring and pinion rebuild, but I would use the same pinion nut you took off, coat it with lock tite and tighten it down to the point of contact and just a touch more to insure contact. Again, my two cents.
BobO

[neilbyrd]

A word of caution, if you remove the Pinion nut and replace the yoke, you do not want to torque down the pinion nut. If you do then you change the settings of the crush sleeve inside, thus the preload. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will step in here, because I have only done one ring and pinion rebuild, but I would use the same pinion nut you took off, coat it with lock tite and tighten it down to the point of contact and just a touch more to insure contact. Again, my two cents.
BobO

Exactly correct, before removing the nut you need to mark the nut and the pinion shaft with a line to match up together and count the threads that are sticking out past the nut,the only thing about this is that I don't believe that every pinion yoke is exactly the same length. The correct way to do it is to get your hands on a inch pound torque wrench that has a dial on it and tighten the nut until you have about 8 inch pound of turning force to the pinion shaft, but you will have to remove the carrier to get this correct. Once again if you need help just let me know.