91 XJ: front driveshaft double-cardan lubrication

Sure you are. He said he wanted to raise the front tires off the ground,
then put the tcase in 4HI and set the parking brake and try to turn the
front driveshaft. In this case, the front won't turn because the back will
be holding it through the tcase. The tcase has to be in 2HI or N for the
front to turn while the rear is still on the ground.

The front driveshaft wheels freely in 2WD, but is tied the rear axle in 4WD.
Well, it wheels independently of the tcase, but not of the tires.





"L.W. (ßill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> Then you know there's no f**kin' way you're going to rotate the
> front driveshaft by just making sure the transfer's in two wheel drive
> or neutral.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > I do. Why do you ask?

Jeff,
Where did the Original Poster say he wanted to raise the front
tires?
First post:
"If I jack up both front tires of my cherokee, apply the parking brake
and
put the auto trans in neutral and leave the xfer case in 4WD will I be
able
to freely rotate the front driveshaft so I can get to all the zerk
grease
fittings?

Also, what's the double cardan joint ball for? In looking at the
exploded
diagram of the double cardan joint in the front driveshaft (right next
to
the xfer case) there is a ball fitting that looks like its got a grease
fitting. What I'm wondering is why you need this spring-ball at all. If
the
spiders are handling all the load from transferring power from the
driveshaft through the double cardan joint then what is the point of the
ball that goes between the spider and the center yoke in the double
cardan
joint?"
Second post:
"Bill, the thing is, I've never even been able to see that grease
fitting
(for the ball), no matter how much I rotate the front driveshaft. Does
the
ball and spring put pressure on the spider? Is this how it stops the
double-cardan joint from wobbling?"
Third post:
"The thing is Bill, with the double-cardan joint installed, I can't even
see
that zerk fitting (for the double-cardan joint ball). The skid plate
that
holds up the xfer case is right there in the way, but even then the zerk
fitting is covered by the knuckle of the spider.

Does the double-cardan joint ball and spring assembly put pressure on
the
spider to prevent wobbling?

Thanks for all your responses and advice too Bill. I really appreciate
it.
Were you a mechanic in a previous life (maybe after you were in the
army)?
What unit were you in when you were in the army?"
Forth post:
"Bill, I noticed your Chevron station was near (or on) Foothill Blvd. Is
that
the Foothill Blvd. that runs thru Sylmar, Sun Valley and near Mt. Baldy?
Why
did you give up on your Chevron station? It looks like your station was
a
full-serve. I always thought there was a lot of money to be made in
automobile service?

Was that pic of the Pomona dragstrip? I think that's the only dragstrip
left
in Southern California now."
--
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> Sure you are. He said he wanted to raise the front tires off the ground,
> then put the tcase in 4HI and set the parking brake and try to turn the
> front driveshaft. In this case, the front won't turn because the back will
> be holding it through the tcase. The tcase has to be in 2HI or N for the
> front to turn while the rear is still on the ground.
>
> The front driveshaft wheels freely in 2WD, but is tied the rear axle in 4WD.
> Well, it wheels independently of the tcase, but not of the tires.

"L.W. ("ßill") Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff,
> Where did the Original Poster say he wanted to raise the front
> tires?
> First post:
> "If I jack up both front tires of my cherokee, apply the parking brake
> and


BINGO
Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

Right here he said he wants to raise the wheels off the ground.




> put the auto trans in neutral and leave the xfer case in 4WD will I be
> able
> to freely rotate the front driveshaft so I can get to all the zerk
> grease
> fittings?
>


The answer here is NO.

The reason the answer is no is b ecause he wants to lock the rear brakes and
set the tcase to 4WD, I assume 4HI, but the same problem exists with 4LO.
The front will not turn because the tcase will be locked down by the rear
tires. The tcase has to be in 2HI or in N for the front driveshaft to turn
in the conditions he wants to create.



> Also, what's the double cardan joint ball for? In looking at the
> exploded
> diagram of the double cardan joint in the front driveshaft (right next
> to
> the xfer case) there is a ball fitting that looks like its got a grease
> fitting. What I'm wondering is why you need this spring-ball at all. If
> the
> spiders are handling all the load from transferring power from the
> driveshaft through the double cardan joint then what is the point of the
> ball that goes between the spider and the center yoke in the double
> cardan
> joint?"


Double cardan joint ball, I read that as ball joint. My mistake.




> Second post:

None of that has anything to do with the ability to turn the front
driveshaft. It does talk about how to find the grease fitting, and the OP's
difficulty in finding it, but it has nothing at all to do with how to look
for it, or of the driveshaft turns in Hi or LO or N.

The grease fitting is a bitch to get to, especially on the front (using my
CJ as my point of reference). The rear is a bit easier because the joint
opens up a bit more because of the sharper angle that it operates at, and
the fact that the skid plate is not in the picture. The front is surrounded
by the tcase on two sides, and the skid plate on a third. It might be
necessary to physically remove the bolts that hold the front driveshaft to
the tcase yoke, then grease the fitting and put the driveshaft back into
place.

Damn, I apologize Jeff. I'm glad it wasn't a poisonous snake.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
> BINGO
> Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
>
> Right here he said he wants to raise the wheels off the ground.

Me too, it would be wrapped around your neck, and chewing on your nose.




"L.W. (ßill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> Damn, I apologize Jeff. I'm glad it wasn't a poisonous snake.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > BINGO
> > Ding ding ding, we have a winner!
> >
> > Right here he said he wants to raise the wheels off the ground.