So the driveshaft is an issue at this point, and we KNOW the rear axle needs rotating and shimmed. To TRY and buy a little time this summer, until DMG can tackle it after November, we're re-doing the factory 1310 driveline, in favor of a slip-yoke eliminating t-case flange, and 1350 Ford style double cardon driveshaft, plugged into a 7290 rear pinion yoke!
The flange above, was actually a for a Chebby 241. Probably a nice piece, too, but NOT for an old Dodge! Dave got on the blower with AZ Driveshaft, to get that straightened out. Here's what we got in return.
My buddy Eric, from STO got the t-case yoke off, and as he knows his way around the Timken oil seal PDF... all 204 pages of it... he found the right size replacement seal with little effort, and assembly was a snap.
Pittsburgh Driveshaft then worked up my driveshaft - the 12mm flange bolts came from Denny's (I ordered 8 - so as to have spares as needed, which turned out to be a VERY good move!), and the 7290 rear yoke came from Shaftmasters. Took a while to get it all together, but here is the finished product.
Popping out the old oil seal, and installing everything.
And these are the only pics I got, because I spent the other three hours under the truck, holding the driveshaft steady while Eric installed it!
Darndest thing though - the t-case flange had four smooth holes, and four tapped holes. And so we're TRYING to install the the bolts THROUGH the tapped holes. FIRST off, the collar wasn't seating QUITE flush, so out came the Dremel tool, to shave what must of been just thousandth's off the cardon, before it finally seated flush. But then, we could NEVER get the 4th hole to line up true!!!
Eric was VERY careful & thorough at this - & those EIGHT bolts from Denny's DID come in handy. Once he hit resistance, he'd back the bolt out, inspect everything, and try and see where we were going wrong. No matter what we tried, three bolts going in true, would always pull the cardon off-center of the flange by maybe just the tiniest fraction, to keep a fourth bolt from going in true. And brudda, we played with this, from before 5pm, until 8pm!!!
FINALLY... we tried what is often done with these flanges - put the bolts through the BACK of the flange through the smoothbore holes, and bolt into the tapped cardon holes that way.
And we were done in 30 seconds.
Wotta day.
I'd also spent the first part of the day - since 9am - working on the stereo and CB installation, so it had been a long day already. It all got done though, so I'm mobile, but barely so. I've driven it twice now... for 2 1/2 miles total... and it's making a whole NEW & DIFFERENT set of noises.
There's a definite new & high RPM vibration that is the new driveshaft - it's mild, but noticeable. I've inspected the bolts & straps after each drive - everything is still tight and in place. I'm not sure if it bothers me because it's new & different, or new, and portends trouble. REGARDLESS what The Beach Boys say, I'm still convinced, there are NO "good" vibrations in a Ramcharger...
I'm becoming more convinced, this thing is basically un-streetable (to say nothing of trailworthy!), UNTIL we get that rear axle rotated and shimmed into place. I'm glad the CAD, and to a lesser extent, the grease seals, in the front axle, are an 'easy' fix (BRAND new grease seals are blown, and the CAD gummed up - time to PULL the CAD, lock the axle, re-install the CAD and PLUG the vacuum lines!), but there ain't a helluva lot you can do with a truck that needs new U-joints every 200 miles, though...
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