Reading the horror stories on the forum about the front CV centering ball seizing up and ‘sploding transfer cases, I got paranoid about hearing “angry birds” chirping. Maybe I imagined them, but better safe than sorry. I ordered Denny’s TJ Rubicon Non-Greaseable Rebuild Kit for the CV joint, Denny’s Dana Spicer 5-793X Non-Greaseable u-joint at the yoke and new Denny’s Dana Spicer 2-70-18X Strap and Bolt Set. I didn’t order the $30 boot installation tool and (spoiler) I didn’t miss it.
I also learned that the factory Rubicon driveshaft used a nylon injection to hold the axle end u-joint in place. That was a fun first step. Applying heat to the yoke ear causes the nylon to soften and squirt out.
More heat and a small screw driver were needed to clear the rest of the nylon once the joint cap was removed.
The new joint installs with inner c-clips.
Moving to the CV end, the old centering ball didn’t look too bad from a lubrication standpoint, but there was a loose seal in the stud end. The boot was in good shape.
Comparing the new and old centering ball, you can see where the seal should be.
The new boot went on easily with a small screwdriver and a ball peen.
Once that was on, it was a simple job to reinstall the u-joints.
Fairly easy job. Driveshaft reinstall is always fun, especially when you refuse to drop the skid. The test drive was smooth and quiet and nothing went all ‘splody.