The "Flange Vs Cup" is a year issue thing.
And the possibility of using one Vs the other is dependant on what truck you have.
On a TTB truck ('90-97) you cannot use the "cup".
The driveshaft for the cup (1996-? Explorers and '98-up Rangers) only has very limited "plunge" travel.
this was because the SLA (Torsion bar) RBV's have their front diff bolted firmly
to the frame, so the driveshaft only has to accomodate the very limited motion
between the engine/trans and the front diff that is allow by the flexing of the
motor and transmission mounts.
On a TTB vehicle there is a bunch more motion because the diff is bolted
to the suspension beam, thus the slip joint in the double cardan front shaft
is necissary.
that all being said I've had several requests for double cardan yoke T-cases
to retrofit into "CV cup" equipped Rangers because there is a perception
(not entirely unfounded) that the Rezeppa type CV joint is weaker than
the double cardan joint.
Swapping a CV-cup type vehicle to the double cardan shaft is easy if you are swapping out the T-case, because 1995 and some early 1996 explorers used a driveshaft with a double cardan joint on it and these are a perfect fit with a manual 13-54 into a '98-up Ranger that originally had a CV-cup electric T-case.
As for swapping one type of yoke for the other? the front output shaft itself is
different and swapping it out requires complete disassembly of the t-case to
accomplish.
the halfmoon yoke for the double cardan oint is held to the internal shaft with a nut
while the Rezepa "cup" is machined "all one piece" and retaied with an internal snapring.
AD
