Rear Propshaft Q?

[TRH]

Something just seems off here. I have a 1989 2wd Ranger XLT with what appears to be a two piece driveshaft.

That's..come apart in the middle? I've removed the rear leaf springs and waiting to get time to throw on the second new one, and in the mean time the rubber boot that appears to cover a splined slipjoint about in the middle of the shaft (at the front 1/4 of the gas tank) has slipped apart and doesn't want to slip back together with any amount of wiggle or jiggle, and was sloppy and hung low before that.

Is the shaft FUBAR, or is it supposed to be that way? I'm going to cut the boot off and see what's up when it stops snowing 24/7, but I'd like to know what I'm walking into first.. if it just needs a new shaft, no point. If it just needs to be smashed into submission, perfect.

 

[4x4junkie]

It just pulls apart (don't cut up the boot, unless you have a new one for it)

Getting it together is a matter of aligning the splines properly. If aligned, it should just slide right on with no effort. Be sure the u-joint yokes are in proper phase when you assemble it.

It should look like:

]---------[

=--------=


not

]---------=

or

]---------×

if that makes sense.

 

[TRH]

So far. I wrassled the boot off (screwdriver does wonders on those crimped one clamps) and greased 'er up, but my boot looks..slightly worse for wear. It seems to have been permamently twisted/deformed and doesn't want to lose that shape. Replaced the u-joints since the truck has about 150k on it and they're a lil sticky, probably about time.
I'm trying leaving it in a warm area to see if it softens up and retakes shape. If not, I imagine I'm going to be calling the dealership for this little bugger, right?

 

[4x4junkie]

A driveline shop should have one if the dealer doesn't.

 

[TRH]

Got lucky and it fixed itself. But I installed it with the u-joints 90 degrees out of phase, which is what I'm used to doin'...doi! Wrong! Thanks for confirming I need to go grab myself new clamps and put it together again...the right way.
You learn something new efferyday.