Front Drive Shaft Update

[agcheck]

So there is a solution, which is highly likely not to "fail" catastrophically, but it isn't perfect, so it's not worth pursuing?

FWIW my Grenadier has slight driveline vibrations (and is unmodified). I chalk it up to being a quirk of the overall design and I put up with it as a tradeoff for the other design benefits.

 

[Dokatd]

No, when I say outer rim anywhere, I mean outer rim of the entire assembly anywhere until you see rubber. It appears too deep.

Yeah, it doesn't touch the visible metal rim. It contacts metal inside the boot assembly. You can't see the contact location without removing the whole boot assembly.

Don't stretch the boot. It will eventually tear at the point it's crimped.

That would be the only way to gain clearance. The entire mouth will open when you work over the internal portion of the metal collar. Not much but a little for sure. It's a terrible design period. These joints were made for ideal drive line angles with only occasional extreme operation.

 

[Dokatd]

Did my best to reconstruct for you guys. The black arrow points to where the boot pinches. The pinch happens there and possibly just out onto the outer lip a bit. It would take two mandrels, one on each side to open this up a touch. But then you are still limited to stock travel. No chance for a bit more articulation.

 

[Zimm]

hm. its folding in on itself there and in that case there would be rubber on rubber. do you ever see the rubber up against the metal with the arrow fail, or just the rubber on the shaft side... I haven't seen a pic of the rubber against the arrow that was torn.