04 front driveshaft 4x4 conversion

[fireblade1225]

I am converting my 04 B3000 dual sport to 4x4, one last piece I need is the front shaft(M5OD with BW1354). Now all the reading I have been doin says 95-96 explorer drive shaft only. So I call the wreckers today and the parts tells me he has a front driveshaft from a 97 ranger, tells me it is the same as 95 explorer. I go and look at it and it has just the bare ujoint on the diff end and I need one with the flange to bolt up to my 04 front diff. My question is, is it the same shaft as a 95 explorer just with no flange? thanks in advance.............

 

[AllanD]

I'm not sure when ford switched from a halfmoon yoke on the SLA front diffs to a flat flange.

But flat flange introduces a wildcard element into any conversion...

AD

 

[fireblade1225]

I'm not sure when ford switched from a halfmoon yoke on the SLA front diffs to a flat flange.

But flat flange introduces a wildcard element into any conversion...

AD

So you are telling me that at one year they made IRS/SLA front diffs with the halfmoons I thought alll IRS/SLA's were the flat flange.

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

95-about 97/98ish explorer is the front shaft would want. Double cardon design, and it bolts right to the M35 front axle on the 98+ Rangers and 95+ explorer axles. What transfer case you running? Both ends of the shaft should have exposed ujoint caps....front axle uses straps to bolt the shaft to it, rear it uses the front output of the tcase.


Pictured below is the proper shaft that you would need, depending on your tcase. I have one on my truck but shortened and with an adaptor for the 'cup' style front output...

Top of pic is 98 and + shaft. Bottom of pic is a '97 Explorer front shaft, shortened for the use on my '01 truck with the use of an adaptor. The shaft you'd need, if you're using an older style 1354 as pictured above wit hthat front output, is EXACTLY as pictured on bottom of this pic, but obviously longer.

Here's the same shaft bolted to the case.... is your front output like this?

Now....you're saying you've got a flat flange front diff? It doesn't look like this?:

After putting lifts on a '98, two '01's, and an '07, and my truck having an '03 Sport Trac front axle, I've never seen anything otherwise....always has the 'holder' for the joint caps and straps.

 

[fireblade1225]

no my front diff has the flat flange, it is from a 96 Explorer 5.0 AWD. Maybe I just need to change the flange on the diff............

 

[AllanD]

I've never seen a flat flange front diff yoke on an explorer

Even on a 5.0 Explorer an I've been under a dozen 5.0's
in the last couple weeks.

AD

 

[fireblade1225]

I've never seen a flat flange front diff yoke on an explorer

Even on a 5.0 Explorer an I've been under a dozen 5.0's
in the last couple weeks.

AD

Ok, my bad on this.......I went out to the shop today where my axle was and it does have the half moon. I could have sworn when I removed a few weeks ago it had the flat flange...................