question regarding the driveshaft with the center support...

[DaytonaBill]

On my '92 F350 Crew Cab, Long Bed, with EO4D and 4 wheel drive, I need to replace the Center Support Bearing and there is only one thing that has me stumped.

I've heard (don't know where from) that if the driveshaft between the transfer case and the center support bearing is pulled out of the back of the transfer case, things that depend on the transfer case yoke to hold it in place comes falling out of it's place inside.

Is that true or can I go ahead and pull the driveshaft out from the back of the transfer case?

Without problems?

Thanks,
William

 

[DaytonaBill]

For those with the same question, after spending valuable time, I think this will help the next person after me.

It is safe to pull the transfer case yoke out, thus enabling removal of the complete shaft from transfer case to the slip joint past the center support bearing. Just be sure to index it for correct re-installation. Or you are going to have drive line vibrations.

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Section 05-01: Driveshaft

1996 F-150, F-250, F-350 4x2, 4x4, F-Super Duty Chassis Cab, Motorhome Chassis and Bronco Vehicles Workshop Manual

DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY

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Center Bearing

Disassembly

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   CAUTION: Under no circumstances is the driveshaft to be clamped in the jaws of a vise or similar holding fixture. Denting or localized fracture of the tube may result, which may cause driveshaft failure.
   Place the coupling shaft/center bearing on a suitable workbench, being careful not to damage the tube.

1. Separate slip yoke from coupling shaft (if attached).

1. Remove driveshaft center bearing bracket (4A499) and retainer.

1. Remove the rubber insulator.

1. Press (using a suitable press) driveshaft center bearing support (4800) and bearing retainer off the coupling shaft.

1. Press the dust slinger off the coupling shaft.

Assembly

1. Replace with Center Bearing Assembly Kit D9TZ-4800-A or equivalent in all cases except for F-250 HD, F-350 and F-Super Duty Chassis Cab with the ZF transmission. For those applications use Kit E4TZ-4800-A. [Edited to add, from experience... Just make sure the ID of new bearing is 1.57", Don't ask...]

1. Install dust slinger. Install driveshaft center bearing bracket in the rubber insulator and press the bearing on the shaft with the turned-in lip toward the dust slinger (forward). The support bracket must be installed with the deep flange rearward.

1. Install slip yoke to coupling shaft. Tighten nut. Refer to Specifications.

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[DaytonaBill]

This thing has beat my a**...
The slip joint behind the center support is stuck!!!
I had to take the u joint past the slip joint off to get the drive shaft out.
I got it hanging from my bench vise with the slip joint facing down and sprayed power blaster in it until overflowing.

How do you get a stuck slip joint separated?

 

[ironworker40]

This thing has beat my a**...
The slip joint behind the center support is stuck!!!
I had to take the u joint past the slip joint off to get the drive shaft out.
I got it hanging from my bench vise with the slip joint facing down and sprayed power blaster in it until overflowing

Take a picture, but if it is the that seized up it may need to be replaced. Drive shaft shop will cut the weld on parts on bolth sides and weld on new ones, then rebalance.

 

[DaytonaBill]

I got it off this morning, it was the blue coating that jammed it. I'm sure glad I had a 2 lb BFH and a 20" bearing race punch. After about 15 minutes of pounding around the shoulder of the yoke, it worked it's way out.

Now that I have no transportation, I gotta wait until my roommate gets her car back from the shop. I have to go to Lowes to get some metal stock, to lengthen my gear pullers by 3".

Then I can get that bearing off and slap the new one on.

About the blue coating, I'm going to take a wire wheel to it and get it all off. Good grease will take care of all of the increased lubrication needs (just like they did before the Teflon coating), along with a brand new rubber 5 ring bellows to keep everything nice and neat!

I just wish someone could have chimed in at the beginning, it would have saved me some time... and worry...

I wish I had added some tags to this thread, so anyone with the same problem can zero in on this thread and gain the assurance he needs to complete this nerve-wracking job (fear of buying a new driveshaft to the tune of $700.00) and to learn what to expect during the process.

 

[mu2bdriver]

How did you know the bearing needed replacement? I noticed that the rubber bushing was wearing away on mine and when I looked further the bearing was just about falling apart from knocking against the retainer. I needed the truck for a trip in a week and usually like to research my work well in advance and after hearing the headache you, I'm glad I had a local place do it for me. Also check your rear yoke; if you drove on it with it banging around there's a chance that it loosened up the rear yoke like it did mine.

 

[DaytonaBill]

Mine did the same thing too! When I got tired of hearing and feeling a good clunk when shifting, that's when I decided to fix it.

Thanks for the heads up on the rear yoke!

What did they charge you?

 

[ironworker40]

Check the slop in the spine if you are going to remove the blue coating. It is some kind of teflon I believe and is supposed to be there. If you remove it I think you will find it is going to have play in the spines. When the coating is gone or peeling that tells you the yoke needs replacing. does yours have a grease fitting? If so it may be okay if you keep it greased. The bearing is a light press shouldn't come off or go on that hard. I use a piece of brass pipe the diameter of the inner race to drive it on. Clean shoulder where race fits with crocus cloth to remove rust and burs first.

 

[DaytonaBill]

Unfortunately, it's not the yoke that has the blue stuff, rather, it's the male end that goes in the yoke.

What that means is, in the somewhat near future, I'm going to have to take the short driveshaft and have a new male end welded on and rebalanced.

But for now, I'm going to remove the blue coating (the stuff is thick, might have to improvise for slop) and maybe add a Zerk fitting to the side. Don't really know at this point, just yet.

Why, oh why, did Ford come up with this better idea? What was wrong with the old way of doing things? Didn't they have any thoughts about what happens when the stuff starts peeling?

Oh wait, that means more money their customer has to spend.

I hear that giant, sucking sound in the distance... Grrr.

 

[madpogue]

Didn't they have any thoughts about what happens when the stuff starts peeling?

Oh you can bet they had thoughts. And foremost among those thoughts was - if the owner is still maintaining stuff like this when the truck is this old, we're losing new truck sales. Let's engineer in yet another reason for the average lazy owner to just trade the truck in for next to nothing on a new one.

('Course, they weren't counting on extremely not-average not-lazy owners like us.....)

 

[mu2bdriver]

Mine did the same thing too! When I got tired of hearing and feeling a good clunk when shifting, that's when I decided to fix it.

Thanks for the heads up on the rear yoke!

What did they charge you?

$200 with a US-made bearing. I could have done it for half that but I probably wouldn't spotted the yoke and I was under time constraints. It was the original bearing so if this one lasts another 20+ years, it's money well spent.

 

[DaytonaBill]

Knowing the trouble I went through, that is a bargain!

I finally got the shot bearing off, cleaned the shoulder with 220 grit

AAANNNNDDDDD

the new bearing is two small...

The '92 F 350 CC 4/4 SRW 168" wheelspan takes the 1.57" ID center support bearing, not the 1.38"...

So, $54 later, I'm back home from the taxi ride with a part that cost $19 more...

At least it's a National, so that should last me for the rest of my life...

 

[DaytonaBill]

Well, I took a resin fiber 4.5" wheel that is used for taking rust and paint off, on the blue coating and got it off. I left that stuff on the sides of the splines and now the yoke slides in and out fairly easy with no play when twisted, as in rotation.

I'm going to go with that, with lots of good lube and a new bellows... I hope that's the ticket... I'm way past tired of playing around with Uncle Murphy and his damn laws...

But that's all I'm going to do for tonite...

I might go ahead and press the new bearing on tonite...

Can anyone tell me which way the bearing should face?

 

[DaytonaBill]

Da-da-daaa!!!

I'm finished! YAY!!!

Also replaced parking brake cable too!!!

Apparently Uncle Murphy left last nite...

I for one don't miss him, he cost me, well let's see... $320.70!!!