Evening Everyone, so I bought this 2016 Rubicon Hard Rock a couple of months ago off Vroom. Not sure what the previous owner had in terms of suspension/tire sizes but the only thing he didn't take off was the 5.13 gearing. He seemed to put everything back to stock and put 33 inch tires on to sell it.

So as i was replacing the oil filter adapter housing i went under the vehicle to clean some of the oil and I am now seeing some green sludge around the driver side of the transfer case. Its on the splash guard and the heatshield and a little on the front drive shaft.

All visible fluids are red/pink. Coolant, wiper fluid, brake fluid, trans fluid, all some form of red or pink. I havent checked the transfer case fluid (and i am sort of a novice when it comes to drivetrain) to see if they put green in it. Only other lead someone mentioned was AC compressor oil/refrigerant but AC works perfectly and do those lines go back that far? Everything else is pretty darn clean.

Pics for reference.

thanks!

 

So a common issue is that the boot protecting the CV joint on that driveshaft there at the TC will rip and spew grease. Often you see a big streak on the underside of the tub. It does seem like a mess right in the location of that joint, and you note "sludge" right there on the DS joint as well. You typically can't see the rip while installed, but if you rotatat the DS around and feel with your finger up there you should feel if it is ripped or not. I would inspect that, clean the mess, and monitor. I can't really make out that it is green in the picture. What is also interesting is in the 2nd picture, the area to the left of those two bolts is clean....as if what was making the mess was coming from the DS side and those bolt heads blocked some of it....though that could just be angles of the pictures.

 

Thanks for the reply, i see what you mean about the two bolts having one clean side, that angle is horizon level looking from front to back so your view is spot on. Ill see if I can find any good DIY guides on replacing these if that is the issue. (if you know of any please feel free to share!) Sometimes I like to look at DIYs to understand if it COULD be a potential cause or not. I have cleaned the area but ill go back out and see if I can feel any rip. Thanks for the input!

 

Most people will replace these with a double cardan DS, but Teraflex does offer a high angle CV joint that you can rebuild that with if you wanted to keep the factory shaft. If you need to replace and decide to go with a DC shaft you can get some that mate directly up to the pinion flange which is a bit more simple than having to replace that with a yoke.

If that jeep has 5.13 gears, it's likely that it had 37" tires or larger, at which point it probably had a 3.5" lift on it which would have led to a short DS life.....though that is obviously all speculation based on your original post.

 

SO. As I was cleaning the splash pan and read your reply, I went back under.....you were SPOT ON. And i can see the tear clear as day.

 

Do you have any links to recommended products?

 

This is the Teraflex kit -

https://www.amazon.com/TeraFlex-1744.../dp/B01EXLIZDA

If you go the route of an aftermarket double cardan shaft you're in the $425-525 range. There's nothing fancy about driveshafts. Sometimes a local driveline shop is cheaper, sometimes buying off the shelf is cheaper. There are also a few upgrades and options when looking, like solid u-joints vs. greaseable, or mounting to the factory pinion flange vs a new yoke you have to install on the pinion (as mentioned). Here is an example of one from Northridge 4x4. This one mounts to the factory flange and has solid u-joints (though you still have to grease the centering joint from time to time to this is not "service-free", but none of them are -

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/f...-cv-driveshaft




I would tell you not to just buy something cuz I or anyone else say "buy this". Look around at your options, price out a couple brands and make the best choice for your application. I have seen a few install that TF joint and it's been fine for them. The one benefit you get with an aftermarket front shaft is some additional clearance over your exhaust crossover as the shaft is a smaller diameter vs. factory.

***note the JKFORUM discount code in that snapshot above.

Also, if that joint is clicking at you like it's angry, you have some time. You could always use a needle fitting and get some more grease in there and maybe be able to just zip tie that rip enough to hobble by for a bit.......or just remove the front shaft if you're really concerned about it. Either way, it's not an urgent matter even though it needs to be addressed at some point.

 

I understand 100%, I have never been one of those "hey, buy this" kind of guys. I was just asking because so far since I have bought my Jeep I have had horrible luck with multiple vendors claiming things to be in stock and they're not and also having awful customer service. I had to order the same headlights 4 times from 4 different vendors all because they claimed "In Stock" but once they had my money it was a 1-2 month delivery time. So me asking for a link was moreso to figure out who you believed to be a reputable dealer and brand.

However, after some consulting with a few Jeep friends and watching some comparison videos, I did settle with the G2 front and while I am at it I'll be replacing the rear also. I do intend to go to 35 or 37" (undecided) , so I don't want to rebuild the CV just to have to replace the DS in the future anyway. I have a second vehicle so I dont mind letting this sit for awhile while the new DS's come in. Should be here next week. 4WP had a good coupon for 10% off, so I got both for approx $1,300.

But thanks for the help, advice and reference. My first post on the forum, and the experience was 5★.

 

I think it's just a tough time to be a retailer in general with a lot of supply line constraints due to Covid and folks don't want to turn business away. Northridge has always been reliable for me, though my build really leveled off a couple years back so I haven't ordered much from anyone in a while. They are pretty knowledgeable and I like their chat feature for quick responses. I'm not a fan of Extreme Terrain in general, and the Q store isn't my fav but sometimes they are the best source for small factory parts that you can't find elsewhere.

 

Yeah, I understand. I had called Morris4x4 and they said they had one set of these headlights, verified, in stock to be shipped in 1-2 days. Literally as SOON as I sent the money the receipt had a delivery date of about 2 weeks later. I still DONT have them. Crazy stuff. I cancelled and ordered from NorthRidge4x4 and I already have a tracking number.

I guess it is just hit and miss. I dont mind waiting for parts, but damn if you advertise in stock, that's what I am paying for and doing anything else just marks you as a dishonest and/or unorganized retailer. I haven't always had the best of luck with 4WP (especially since they use some sort of shared customer service line it seems because you are guaranteed at LEAST a 1 hour hold time) but I do like their extended warranty for nearly any item. Bought it for an Odyssey battery awhile back, battery died like 3 years after and it was replaced for free. It was $60 to cover these DS's so although these are unlikely to have issues its nice having to comfort for little cost.