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Bad U-Joints?


Ranger4x4.0

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Okay, so idk if my u joints are bad. Hopefully y'all can help me.

When I put it in first gear, as best as I can put it, there is like a 'gap' before it moves. It exists with every gear when I shift. Say, when I let off the gas I can feel the gap before it 'hits'. Same when I push on the gas after I let off, it will kinda jerk. And there it a bird chirp like noise coming frome somewhere at low speeds. It is also extremely bouncy in 4x4 high and especially low. Sorry, that's as good as I can explain it lol.

I put it in neutral and parking brake on, climbed under the truck and twisted the drive shaft. There is about an inch and a half of rotation, and that is the 'gap' that I feel. It is moving within the acuall diff. No movement from the u joint itself. I have a video of it, just waiting for it to upload, I will post the link to it

Hopefully y'all can help!
Tia.

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85_Ranger4x4

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There will be some play in the diff as the pinion isn't tight on both the drive and coast sides with the ring gear at the same time.

Some of the later Ranger's had problems with the slip part of the driveshaft IIRC.

From what I remember (which admittedly isn't much because it didn't apply to me) the fix required a special grease and a certain amount of luck.

U joints will make noise before they get loose which sounds like yours are. Replacing will fix the noise but not the driveline slop.
 

Ranger4x4.0

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There will be some play in the diff as the pinion isn't tight on both the drive and coast sides with the ring gear at the same time.

Some of the later Ranger's had problems with the slip part of the driveshaft IIRC.

From what I remember (which admittedly isn't much because it didn't apply to me) the fix required a special grease and a certain amount of luck.

U joints will make noise before they get loose which sounds like yours are. Replacing will fix the noise but not the driveline slop.
Ok so would it be anything to worry about then?

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85_Ranger4x4

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I would look into the spline grease thing.

It sounds like it needs u-joints if it is chirping too.
 

Shran

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Put it in gear, release the parking brake and see where your slop is.
 

enjr44

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Going to throw my 2 cents here. I think you have a differential going bad. Ford rear ends have been know to have some slop in them for the last 50 years; but, there is a limit. Can last years that way. Or not.

Put it 4th, jack up one wheel (jack stand!!) and rotate it back and forth. Have a helper rotate the tire against the play and you lay under there watching. My bet the shaft does not move very much if at all.
 

Ranger4x4.0

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Going to throw my 2 cents here. I think you have a differential going bad. Ford rear ends have been know to have some slop in them for the last 50 years; but, there is a limit. Can last years that way. Or not.

Put it 4th, jack up one wheel (jack stand!!) and rotate it back and forth. Have a helper rotate the tire against the play and you lay under there watching. My bet the shaft does not move very much if at all.
Man i hope not. idk, i think its been like this since i bought it, 50,000 miles ago so i don't know if i should worry about it. So is it bad if the drive shaft doesn't move when i do that?
 

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I just watched your video and went out and checked mine. About the same amount of play. If you watch the actual pinion and not the flange, it's really not moving that much.

So I join you in hoping it's not bad. No weird noises or anything from mine. Anybody else want to check theirs?
 

Ranger4x4.0

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I just watched your video and went out and checked mine. About the same amount of play. If you watch the actual pinion and not the flange, it's really not moving that much.

So I join you in hoping it's not bad. No weird noises or anything from mine. Anybody else want to check theirs?
Good idea. See if anyone else has this. At least I'm not alone! Lol

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jeremysdad

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Finding info all over the board from Google. Some say up to an inch and a half is normal (at the flange, not the pinion itself)...some that it's slop due to worn l/s clutches, some that it's just part of life with gears 3.5 and lower. Damn Internet. Lol
 

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Some play when the transmission is in neutral is normal and to be expected - but the most common area I have seen that much slop in 7.5 and 8.8 axles is the cross pin and spider gears inside the differential. Usually the cross pin eggs out the holes that it slides through in the carrier, and the spider gears will show significant wear as well. One other common one is the crush sleeve collapsing - although that will usually show pinion shaft movement in every direction.

Not suggesting that any of that is your issue but it is something to check. Perhaps pull the diff cover after you have ruled out the slip yoke and u-joints, and take a peek at everything in there.
 

enjr44

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Or, you can just change fluid and let her go until it starts making noise or you can not live with it any longer. I think it would drive me crazy enough to replace the differential with a JY unit (pulling the cover and inspecting as above) at some point. From what is posted here I don't it is a real priority. But it is bugging you enough to worry about it.
 

Ranger4x4.0

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Ok, well, I decided to just let it go until my driveshaft falls off, that's the smart thing right? I thought so. I think it will be okay though, it's been about the same since I bought it when I was 14! Lol
 

85_Ranger4x4

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If it is chirping I would change the u-joints.
 

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