I hate vicious circles

[stumiister]

It all started yesterday I was drving home and noticed the voltage guage in my truck was showing only 12 volts I wne t to the local O'reillys to have them check the charging system since them do it for free and I bought a altenator and regulator from them. They tested everything the regulator was bad so I replaced right there, that is all good now.
Today I was working on m truck
I got the a/c blowing good and cold.
I tried to change the king pins but aparently they have been in the truck for about 30 years so now I have to have a shop do it since the old pins need to get pressed out which means I will need new bushings for the indepent front arms, uggghhhh.
Next after all this I was driving home and noticed a wierd vibration it was at or above speeds of 63mph so I give towcat a call for his advice and he tells me I have a bad u-joint.
So I make it home before the driveshaft blows up, I get under the truck and check the drive shaft and notice that the slip yoke at the center bearing is bad along with the u-joint and the u-joint the transmission. Now get to spend $300 to fix the drive shaft.
Something positive did come out of the work I did today I successfully put a new altenator belt.

 

[79jasper]

Too bad your truck isn't zf-5 4x4, I have a good driveshaft from my 88 xc lb.

 

[stumiister]

Thanks
79Jasper but like you say it wont work.

 

[79jasper]

I wander if you could just use a solid one piece driveshaft?

 

[stumiister]

I think I could if it was a short box but being its a XC LB a single drive shaft I think would vibrate too much on high speed.
Im sure thats why all these trucks have 2 piece shafts.
My 1 ton gasser has the same 2 piece shaft but the tranny in it is a t19.

 

[79jasper]

Is it the vibrations or drive line angle into the rear end?

 

[stumiister]

My truck is stock 2wd not lifted or anything like that so the driveline angle is good I know its a bad u-joint and slipyoke at the center bearing
I put the truck in neutral and with one hand held one part of the drive shaft with the other hand I was able to twist the shafts and the slipyoke has alot of slop in it.

 

[79jasper]

I meant as far as using a one piece driveshaft.

Does your slip joint have a grease zerk?
I was just reading something the other day about adding a grease zerk and pumping it full to get rid of slop/clunking.

If you don't have a press or anything, rent one of the ball joint presses for doing the u-joints. I just did mine with one. Definitely beats using a bfh.

 

[stumiister]

Im sure it does, but the PO rode this truck hard and put it away wet and sloppy, it was a basket case when I got her but Im getting the isseues worked out slowly.