Same song, second verse.

[vigness]

So, I made the hugely expensive mistake of pulling the front half shafts to try and isolate a front vibration before asking here. DON'T DO IT!

So, back to isolating the front drive line.

The front drive shaft just unbolts from the front differential.

That raises two questions. Am I going to have any problems with the front differential without the drive shaft in place? And, am I going to have an issues with the transfer case with no front drive shaft?

I have yet to pull anything apart after the fiasco of pulling the half shafts. Once bitten twice shy. I have a bit more play than I'd like between the pinion and ring gear rotationally, but there does not appear to be any actual play in the bearings. I have a course 'vibration' that comes and goes a bit when I first get moving, 100% road speed related and I feel it in my feet rather than the steering. It has gotten worse since I lost the LF and put everything back together, but still goes away after a few minutes of road speed.

The only thing I could think of was not getting the front brakes completely bleed after losing everything on the LF. I did not bleed the RF, but with the anti-lock, I'm thinking I may have a bit of air still in the system. The master cylinder reservoir was completely empty by the time we unloaded it off the trailer.

 

[Uncle Gump]

You can remove the front driveshaft without issue. Hell if you feel the vibration in your feet... it might even be what's causing the vibration.

Side note... I doubt the vibration has anything to do with air in the brake system. As long as the RF hydraulics didn't open and loose fluid... I highly doubt air got in there.

 

[vigness]

The only reason I'm maybe thought brakes bleed was way back when I had a Yugo with a stuck bleader. I had vibrations when ever I pulled away from a stop until I got the bleader loose and finally got it bled. I have a vacuum bleeder, so I might give them both a shot just to make sure.