Front Drive Shaft 1996 Grand Cherokee

[blazinid]

HELP...trying to remove my front driveshaft in a 96 grand cherokee AWD. This shaft has the CV style on the front end with the dust cover (see picture). When I remove the bolts oil begins to drip out....I figured there would be grease inside not oil? Second after removing all the bolts I still can't separate the joint. What gives??

[The Swiss]

There was a blueish grease in mine ('95). If oil is dripping, I would assume your front differential was leaking oil into the CV. It can give on two locations: Either as one unit or the the brass colored "lid" (lacking better term) will separate from the cup. This is what happened when I disassembled; I basically pulled on the drive shaft and the whole thing came apart, driveshaft, lid, ballcarrier and 6 or 8 balls. Then was able to get the cup out. It's a pain to put the CV back together but not that complicated either, just needs patience (and about 4 pair of hands to hold balls and carrier in place while inserting the shaft :p). Ideally the entire CV would stay together, but as I said, did not happen that way.

Hope this helps.

[blazinid]

Thanks for the help....we'll see how it goes

[K2ZJ]

Was it oil or dirty water? It should be grease, and swap it for a u-joint style while it is out. Mine has been gone for years but I think you want to take those bolts out from the diff side first. I may be wrong though.

[91exploringburban]

i would swap the yoke for a cherokee yoke and drive shaft

[The Swiss]

Was it oil or dirty water? It should be grease, and swap it for a u-joint style while it is out. Mine has been gone for years but I think you want to take those bolts out from the diff side first. I may be wrong though.For regular driving duty, the CV is just fine, no need to be replaced, except if you swap in a Hemi and 35s :D. I don't think there are any bolts from the diff side.

[K2ZJ]

For regular driving duty, the CV is just fine, no need to be replaced, except if you swap in a Hemi and 35s :D. I don't think there are any bolts from the diff side.

Ask BigDave how many he went though on his stock rig. They are crap and expensive, swap it out for a cheap and easily replaceable/fixable part. A u-joint is over the counter, that cv is going to be harder to find.

As for the bolts, I am probably wrong.

[91exploringburban]

Ask BigDave how many he went though on his stock rig. They are crap and expensive, swap it out for a cheap and easily replaceable/fixable part. A u-joint is over the counter, that cv is going to be harder to find.

As for the bolts, I am probably wrong.

ya the stock cv jointed shafts are junk even in stock form trust me when it leaves you stranded in the middle bfe you will think about how you should of swapped it lol

[BigDaveZJ]

Ask BigDave how many he went though on his stock rig. They are crap and expensive, swap it out for a cheap and easily replaceable/fixable part. A u-joint is over the counter, that cv is going to be harder to find.

As for the bolts, I am probably wrong.

I went through 3 stock. Then put in a u-jointed shaft 8-9 years ago and still running the same one.

[The Swiss]

I guess we are doing something wrong then; we have two '95 ZJ in the family, both with well over 150 kmls, they are both DD and we take them both occasionally on easy trails. Have not broken an CV yet. But then, also the Dana 35 on the I6 WJ was supposed to be junk, I had my WJ with 3.5" lift and 32s on pretty decent trails and suffered some trail damage over the years, but never broke the junk Dana 35 either.

I'm not saying the CV joints are bullet proofed and - if my son breaks it - we will replace it with a U joint. But until then ...

[FishPOET]

On my 96 my driveshaft flexed out of the CV joint on the trail. Went to a U-joint and never looked back.

[getlost4x4]

Funny. I was under my GC and it has u joints already. I thought it had cvs in the driveshafts