So, I'm replacing my driveshafts and have run into a snag. I've gotten the rear driveshaft off and am in the process of trying to take off the center nut on the differential side. Everything I've read online says that the center nuts are 1 1/4". I went out yesterday and bought a 1 1/4" Impact socket, and it didn't fit. It fits on the tranfer case side but not the diff side. I thought, since the nut is kind of set back into the flange, I thought the walls on my socket were too thick to allow me to get onto the nut. So today, I bought a standard (non-impact) 1 1/4" socket thinking, problem solved... However, when I got home I tried to fit it on the nut, and I'm having the same problem. It's too small. Is it possible that the rear differential flange nut is a different size than the other ones?? Has anybody run across this and have a suggestion as to size? I don't want to keep running back and forth to O'Reilly's not knowing what size nut it is.

 

The rear diff flange nut is 1 5/16

 

Sounds like you are changing the yoke so some advice - ensure you get the yoke with a seal dust shield.
Guy who sold me mine said to me one does not need the shield and that was to me who had a Jeep with 170,000kms of absolutely not a spec of oil leak on that original seal. Changed out to no dust shield u-joint yoke and 1000kms later was changing the seal and now it even needs replacing once again. That guy is probably correct in saying no dust shield for some vehicles but our Jeeps seem to be in the dust path as there is grit everywhere on mine. So there goes another $80 for a shield equipped yoke.

 

This ^^^

I used an air hammer and chisel to separate my old flange from the pinion and it worked great! Also, get a huge plumbers wrench to hold the yoke steady while you torque the axle flange down to 160 ft/lbs. I first torqued it down with my torque gun, but I know my torque gun only goes to about 120-130 depending on the bolt/nut size, so I finished it off with my torque wrench.

 

Interesting. I'm not in the biz of looking at yokes under jeeps all day long, but I can't say I've noticed anyone having a yoke with dust shield on D30 or D44 wrangler axle. Having a dust shield makes more sense, but I've never questioned it.

 

Yep there are dust shields there but these bloody aftermarket crap should also have them standard. They can be ordered but the default are for no shield. So what I may do is take the yoke off and adapt the stock Jeep dust shield to it by grinding to fit and welding it in place. If it is 1/8" or so off center won't make much difference to balance as it is very light weight.