Drive shaft bind on stock 2a?

I swapped in new stock springs under my '48 2a yesterday and my while hooking up the rear drive shaft I noticed that the joint is binding up at the transfer case? The axle is hanging down all the way if I jack it up a little like 3/4" or so it the binding stops? Should I worry about it? everything is stock. I did pull this drive shaft off another stock 2A so I'm rather perplexed. The only way I can relieve the pressure is by grinding down the flange that bolts to the tranfercase but it's rather thin there already.

 

Seth, just jack it up on the axle-light and check. I think it will be fine-assuming there is actually more than 3/4" flex in a set of stock flatty springs I do not think there were any variations in driveshaft lenghts on the flatties-just the different types of joints used.

If you were planning on a lot of air time for it, I might be concerned with some driveshaft binding at full droop but there would likely be other more pressing matters of concern then.R)

 

Ya I hooked up the drive shaft then couldn't turn it by hand it was hitting on the yolk, stick the jack under the pumpkin and lifted it a little and it turns fine. Just didn't want to snap something I installed a loc-rite in the 41.

Another question aren't the axles and spider gears inter changeable between the 41 and the 44?

 

does the drive shaft have a sliding shaft that expands and contracts like on the 3bs it may need grease another thing to look at, another thought is check the yoke on transfer case side make sure its all the way in that would also cause that issue

 

My 3A did the same thing when I had it on the lift and was putting the driveshaft back in.

 

So is this normal? Jeep made a four wheeler that is designed to break if the rear wheels leave the ground? So does it have a limit cable that won't let the diff drop too far? Something is not right here.

 

sounds like just a case of your shaft binding when its at too steep of an angle. Since your springs are new and not factory jeep parts. Id bet they just have a little more droop than the factory ones. weather thats because they are aftermarket or just because they are new and havnt settled is questionable. Could also be the angle at which you have the diff set. To solve the problem on my spring over conversion i simply ground out the yoke a touch with a dremel and was able to get full droop.

 

ya it looks pretty close maybe I'll just grind it out a little more.

on another note I opened up the case to check out on my other 2A and found a bolt! Rotated the ring all the way around and found that two bolts have worked them self's out completely and one is half way out!! the diff. seams to work fine but I've never drove this one much. Good thing!

 

OO thats not good. I guess one disadvantage to having a diff drain plug is that you never have to pull the cover to inspect it

 

Yes, but remember the thrust block between 10 spline and 19 spline are different so you must use 10 spline side gears/axles with the 10 spline thrust block and 19 spline with 19 spline. The I.D. of the side gears is different enough to cause issues. Although, now that I think about it you might be able to use the 10 spline thrust block with the 19 spline side gears because of the smaller diameter of the 10 spline stuff....

 

Thanks Nick! I didn't realize the thrust block was diff.

 

Like Nick says the Dana model 41 pinion mate side gears the centerblock spacer and the 10 spline axle shafts are the same as early model 44.
However those same components are all different after late 1956 when the 19 spline shafts became the production standard for model 44.

 

The companion flange exits from the rear of the TC as the drive output.
Onto this mates the companion yoke which is the foreward part of the rear propeller assembly.
Companion flange yoke W/O # A 950 (same as MB) was used exclusively until 1955.
W/O apparently addressed the full droop binding issue when the CJ-5 came into production.
To remedy the Cardan cross binding W/O lengthened the companion yoke slightly.
Simultaneously they shortened the tube of the splined yoke weldment.
This kept the OAL of the propeller shaft assembly nearly the same while increasing the maximum operating angle.
In other words post 1954 rear propeller shafts from CJ-3B or 5, will provide increased operating angles unless they have been "GOONED".

 

Thanks Oldtime! This one has new joints. I do have a 3B and a few early cj5 ones around I'll have to investigate.

 

double post