Help finding correct U-Joints on 88 Ranger 4WD

[SenorNoob]

I understand that. It's rough when your project is also your daily.

 

[Kegworth]

Okay so i ordered the flange recommended to me above - the bolt spacing is correct to connect to rear axle, but the u-joint ears seem to be smaller.

did i get the wrong flange then? Or can the u/joint be compressed to fit into it?

3.85” vs 3.46” is the OD ear to ear

 

[Kegworth]

Or perhaps that spicer 5-134x conversion joint will fit this flange and the driveshaft flange? At a loss right now gotta get this thing moving.

 

[Kegworth]

And FML... the journey just got darker. Went to test fit the new driveshaft just to check on clearances, etc. sure enough, previous owner must have had custom exhaust made. The muffler is very much in the way of the larger driveshaft. I could break something i'm so frustrated.
It’s not even using the factory hangers, it’s attached to the carrier bearing support beam and some other jimmy rigged hanger further back.

Don’t know if at this point it would just be better for me to revert to the O/G shaft and just replace the u-joints in it instead of going one piece.

OR - pay even more money and go to a muffler shop to have them relocate it a few inches over. The catalytic converter(s) - there are two for whatever reason - are all in a fixed welded run to the muffler, so there's no wiggle room to just push it over. Would have to be cut and re-welded.

 

[Shran]

Or perhaps that spicer 5-134x conversion joint will fit this flange and the driveshaft flange? At a loss right now gotta get this thing moving.

Well I think first of all you need to determine exactly what u-joint fits in the shaft you are trying to use. The flange that SenorNoob posted is sized for a 1310 style u-joint... if your driveshaft is sized for a 1330 style joint, then yes, that conversion joint will be what you need.

1310 and 1330 caps are the same diameter, the difference is the width of the cross/trunion. So if you've got a u-joint in that shaft already, measure across from cap to cap and see what you come up with. The measurement I found was 1310 u-joints are 3.219" wide, 1330s are 3.625" wide, but that's not accounting for rust/dirt/manufacturing variations.

Bummer about the exhaust! I have sure ran into that crap before. Maybe you can get a different muffler with an inlet that's offset to one side, or cut and turn the one you have.

 

[Kegworth]

Well I think first of all you need to determine exactly what u-joint fits in the shaft you are trying to use. The flange that SenorNoob posted is sized for a 1310 style u-joint... if your driveshaft is sized for a 1330 style joint, then yes, that conversion joint will be what you need.

1310 and 1330 caps are the same diameter, the difference is the width of the cross/trunion. So if you've got a u-joint in that shaft already, measure across from cap to cap and see what you come up with. The measurement I found was 1310 u-joints are 3.219" wide, 1330s are 3.625" wide, but that's not accounting for rust/dirt/manufacturing variations.

Bummer about the exhaust! I have sure ran into that crap before. Maybe you can get a different muffler with an inlet that's offset to one side, or cut and turn the one you have.

Thanks! Yeah I’m gonna press on w it. After staring at the muffler and piping for a while i think i can fig something out using some prefab turns or flexi pipe i saw at advance. Might be able to just get it out of the way enough for clearance! Hope this swap is worth it!

Oh. Did want to ask one more thing. Transfer case is def leaking. No idea where from, kinda has a lot of stuff on it. Is it safe to use brake cleaner on it to get a fresh look at where fluid might be coming from? It appears to be the whole gasket. Cause it’s on the transfer case motor side (rear).

 

[4x4junkie]

Not sure what happened here
Post #20 had the link to the correct flange you needed...

But yes you can use a Spicer 5-134x to make that one you got work. Only thing is the 5-134x leaves you with an oddball part that you or a future owner might have to deal with in the future.

Brake cleaner should work to clean the grime off your t-case if you don't have any actual engine degreaser on hand.

 

[Kegworth]

Not sure what happened here
Post #20 had the link to the correct flange you needed...

But yes you can use a Spicer 5-134x to make that one you got work. Only thing is the 5-134x leaves you with an oddball part that you or a future owner might have to deal with in the future.

Brake cleaner should work to clean the grime off your t-case if you don't have any actual engine degreaser on hand.

Youre right! that’s crazy, i don’t know how that got mixed up, i had that link open in my browser. Maybe someone else suggested another and i assumed they were the same. Woof.

 

[Kegworth]

Last question!!! Is it absolutely mandatory to remove the crossmember on the 1988’s as well? Thing feels structural to me, but perhaps not. Just want to be certain before i go chopping this truck up even more. Lol

 

[SenorNoob]

Mandatory? IDK. Mine was too close to the one-piece shaft for comfort. So I tossed it. That's roughly 30,000 miles ago and I haven't missed it. I do have some extra support in that area though by way of a piece of 2.5 (or 3) inch angle mounted thru the 2 front bed bolts as a way to attach my toolbox.

 

[Shran]

Last question!!! Is it absolutely mandatory to remove the crossmember on the 1988’s as well? Thing feels structural to me, but perhaps not. Just want to be certain before i go chopping this truck up even more. Lol

It probably does add an amount of structural support to your frame but does it matter... not really. It's main purpose is to hold up the carrier bearing and when that's gone, there's no reason to keep it if there is any risk that your driveshaft will make contact with it.

As far as degreaser goes, brake cleaner will work, actual degreaser is better. You can get aerosol cans or my preference is a cheap weed sprayer filled with your choice of liquid... simple green or citrus based degreasers work pretty well. Spray on, rinse off and a lot cheaper than aerosol cans.

 

[Kegworth]

I got the crossmember out. What a triumph. That was a serious PITA. Its pretty crazy that there isn't a GOOD video DIY of this procedure. If i wasn't stumbling my way through it, i'd have made one. So, all is well and good with the world... until... i go to put new driveshaft in, and the dang bolts REFUSE to go into the rear axle flange thing. I gave them some elbow grease but know better than to force anything ever, so i backed them out, and PB'd the holes and wire brushed the threads and tried a dry fit without the weight of the driveshaft, and nope. Won't go in past a few turns. None of the holes. The transfer case side three went in smoothly, just one wouldn't go in. Suppose i should have marked each bolt to its respective hole. EYEROLL.

So what do i do here?! I even scrubbed the screws themselves and got out the rust and buildup. Re-tap? take me lord.

 

[Kegworth]

This is interesting!! Should i try it????

 

[Shran]

Umm... weird, these are the same bolts that came out of those holes right? So they should go right back in? And there's only four threaded holes on each flange, right? I have seen some axles with eight, and four will be clogged full of crap.

You could get a tap and chase the threads... that's what I would do next

 

[Kegworth]

Um. THIS WORKED PROFOUNDLY. (The dremel trick, cutting a slot on two sides of the screw) Highly suggest if you encounter this issue. Just be sure to clean out the channel you made in it the screw between running it through dif threads.