Topic: Well, now I got a problem...

[CTENG in KS]

My nice marlin springs are starting to settle and there is less and less spline showing on the driveshaft...guess I should have factored in more sag than I did...anbody got any advice for someone going wheeling tomorrow who will prob be bottoming his driveshaft over every rock?? 

[Willy Mammoth]

    I hate it when that happens. What you need to do assuming you have a Mig welder, Remove the shaft, take a flexable straight edge and draw aline around the tube on the slip end next to the weld. Measure from that how much you want to remove. Then use a straight edge to draw a line from one U joint to the other so you have a line to get the phasing right. Now use a cut off wheel or hack saw to cut the tube next to the weld on the first line, just through the tube about 1/8" deep and knock the slip off. Now cut off the piece you are going to throw away. Now put the slip back into the tube and line up the mark. Put the shaft back in and spin it by hand to see how true it is. Tap it with a hammer till it is true. Tack weld it in 4 places and recheck for being out of round. If true, weld it up and go wheeling.

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

I would but its midnight and I have to be there in a couple hours...   \
Gonna have to drive NICE and EASY I think.

[Willy Mammoth]

Ok the then just change the air in your tires and you will be good for another 5000 miles.

[Rocksurfer]

Why would your driveshaft bottom out, the springs are settling not the bumpstops. Did you hit the bumpstops before or will that be a new thing for you. On the subject of the driveshaft bottoming though, that could get real ugly, a friend of mine had that happen and the driveshaft re-arranged his t-case. Punched a big hole in to be precise.

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

No matter now...my front end is done, no wheeling for me.   

[BUBBA]

What happened to ur front end?

[wa4x4]

Yeah im curious what you did to ruin the front end, and pics?

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

No pics yet, I haven't opened it up...I am guessing right now, but I think it may be a broken bearing cap.  That toasted the backlash and now the pinion skips every 5th or 6th tooth on the ring gear...I can make it skip by hand.  Good thing I anly drove it in 4wd for about 10 ft.  Hopefully I still have a ring gear.  I will find out next weekend when I rebuild the axle.

[wa4x4]

Sucks man, but it could have been worse. At least you could get out in 2WD.

[CTENG in KS [OP]]

You missunderstand, I never got farther than the parking lot...SCRAAAAAAAAPPPPPPEEEEE!  Oh !