More driveshaft questions
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,824
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From: Utah
Add TeraFlex front lower/rear upper adj. control arms plus TeraFlex Driveshafts. Take a look at what Toad did to her JK. Compare the TeraFlex rear trackbar bracket to the one you got also.
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JK Freak
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 573
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From: USof A
your oem driveshaft has bearings that spin around the shaft, when you lift the 2 door, it pinches the bearing and overtime they'll break apart...
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 15,133
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From: O HI 4 Lo
You'll buy some extra time on your driveshafts with adjustable arms. Its how long they'll last is the question...
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JK Freak
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 573
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From: USof A
yep, it still not going to fix the problem completely. I'm running the FT ultimate, adjustable arms top and bottom. The shafts exploded after about 3 months...
JK Freak
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 598
Likes: 1
From: Colorado Springs
I put a 4.5 inch lift on my 2 door Rubi...with armor it's at about a 3.75-4 inch lift and I have not had any drive shaft issues yet. Pretty heavy wheeling and 8000 miles on since the lift. Not saying it won't happen but you don't need to do it right away.
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 836
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From: Fallston MD
Thread Starter
JK Freak
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: USof A
I guess the aftermarket shafts would be too long for no lift??
Don't worry, I'll get this whole subject clear as mud before it's over with!
JK Freak
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 0
From: Corpus Christi, TX
The control arms are needed to adjust the pinoin angle for the replacement d/s at the axle side. This is where your driveline vibes generate from. The OEM shafts do not need this because of the type of joints used at each end of the d/s. The area that damage normally occurs on the OEM d/s is at the transfer case, not the axle. So adjusting the OEM d/s pinoin angle (at the axle) will not "fix" the angle at the t/c, so the OEM d/s will still tear itself up over time at the t/c side (most of the time). Also, on the JK, the front OEM d/s tends to have more issues than the rear after 3.5"-4" or more of lift. This is because the front d/s will hit the crossmember frame of the t/c when the front axle droops or flexes. It puts additional added stress/pressure on the t/c side of the d/s when this happens.
Thread Starter
JK Freak
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: USof A
The control arms are needed to adjust the pinoin angle for the replacement d/s at the axle side. This is where your driveline vibes generate from. The OEM shafts do not need this because of the type of joints used at each end of the d/s. The area that damage normally occurs on the OEM d/s is at the transfer case, not the axle. So adjusting the OEM d/s pinoin angle (at the axle) will not "fix" the angle at the t/c, so the OEM d/s will still tear itself up over time at the t/c side (most of the time). Also, on the JK, the front OEM d/s tends to have more issues than the rear after 3.5"-4" or more of lift. This is because the front d/s will hit the crossmember frame of the t/c when the front axle droops or flexes. It puts additional added stress/pressure on the t/c side of the d/s when this happens.
Thats the first I've heard of that. This Jeep must think I'm made of money.
I found this in the Answers to every question faq and it's more toward automatics. Mine's a 6 speed.
Q: Are new driveshafts needed after installing a lift?
A: You really should consider installing a new rear double cardin U-joint style drive shaft if you have lifted your Jeep JK Wrangler 3" or more and have a 2-door. This is needed because the short rear drive shaft of the 2-doors will be at a steep enough angle that the CV boots will wear out prematurely. However, in order to do this, you will need to buy a set of rear adjustable upper control arms so that you can properly set your pinion angle. 4-Door Unlimited models do not have this problem as their rear drive shafts are very long and a lift will not effect the angle of it too much. As far as the front goes, if you have an automatic transmission, you should really consider replacing the drive shaft with a double cardin U-joint style unit as well as the diameter of aftermarket shafts tend to be considerably narrower and will not come into contact with the skid plate. An alternative to this would be to remove the automatic transmission skid plate or cut out a notch along the edge to prevent the drive shaft boot from making contact with it.
A: You really should consider installing a new rear double cardin U-joint style drive shaft if you have lifted your Jeep JK Wrangler 3" or more and have a 2-door. This is needed because the short rear drive shaft of the 2-doors will be at a steep enough angle that the CV boots will wear out prematurely. However, in order to do this, you will need to buy a set of rear adjustable upper control arms so that you can properly set your pinion angle. 4-Door Unlimited models do not have this problem as their rear drive shafts are very long and a lift will not effect the angle of it too much. As far as the front goes, if you have an automatic transmission, you should really consider replacing the drive shaft with a double cardin U-joint style unit as well as the diameter of aftermarket shafts tend to be considerably narrower and will not come into contact with the skid plate. An alternative to this would be to remove the automatic transmission skid plate or cut out a notch along the edge to prevent the drive shaft boot from making contact with it.
Last edited by Bodo; Jun 11, 2008 at 08:04 AM.