front driveshaft bolts

[wild horse]

Ok so im in the middle of doing my lift and the front driveshaft bolts are giving me problems. They take the star shaped bit in the center of the head but keep breaking every bit i use on them. Now I have no way to get them out because they have torx bits snapped off in them. What do i do ?
THEY are also 6 sided but cant get a socket to fit on because of the strapes are to close to the straps. Does the front driveline unbolt or slip out of the transfercase or is it non removable ?

 

[3rd Petal]

I've always just used an open end wrench on mine, but if yours are tight enough to snap the torx head off, then an open end wrench will probably just round the corners off the bolt if you try. Have you soaked the bolts and any kind of penetrant yet? If not, get some PB blaster, WD-40, or the equivalent, and let them soak for a few hours, then try putting a wrench on them. Heat is another option as well if they continue to be stubborn.

On the transfer case side, it should just slip out. The rubber boot on the slip yoke snaps onto the transfer case if I remember correctly, so you might fight that a bit pulling on it to un-snap it.

Why are you unbolting it? Does it need to be lengthened because of the lift? Cause if it will still work at stock length, you should be able to install the lift with it installed the whole time. Might be a bit of a pain to work around, but it sounds like its a major pain to get it off

 

[ab_slack]

I un-bolted mine with no problem. The bolts in question are the ones on the u-clamps that hold the ears of the u-joint in place at the front of the shaft?

And yes it slips right out of the transfer case.

I know on the rear drive shaft, the CV type shat that has the flat flanges with four bolts each Ford used Loctite on them. That they are nary impossible to get off unless one heats them up first to burn off the Loctite. Apparently there is a point where doing that one sees smoke come out.

I never heard about that in the front shaft. If it is the clamps on the u-joint ears, heat is going to ruin the u-joint. So that being destructive I don't know that Ford would have used Loctite. On the other hand a u-joint isn't that expensive and maybe they felt if it ever had to come apart the odds were that the u-joint was bad anyway.

 

[wild horse]

Thanks Guys ! Yea its the front u-joint strap bolts and I need to take them out so I can drop the front diff so I can cut the rivits off for the diff drop brackts. And besides the stock drive line wont work with my 8" lift and I got a feeling I'm going to half to cut them off.

 

[wild horse]

well I just cut the heads off the bolts so problem solved and thanks for the help ! now on a side note : The front drive shaft where it goes into the transfercase , Do they make a (SYE) kit for it or a reguler 4 bolt flange style setup ?

 

[ab_slack]

well I just cut the heads off the bolts so problem solved and thanks for the help ! now on a side note : The front drive shaft where it goes into the transfercase , Do they make a (SYE) kit for it or a reguler 4 bolt flange style setup ?

Not that I am aware of, but I don't have full knowledge of options. I just know from looking that there were no configurations that had a flange type shaft in the front. As I recall there the front shaft slides into the transfer case is the slip joint for the front shaft as well.

 

[3rd Petal]

No SYE kits exist for a BW1350, most guys just swap to a 1354 out of a ranger, which is basically the same transfer case except with a fixed front yoke.

When I did the suspension on my B2, the thought crossed my mind to drill the front output so you could put a bolt through it, then run a slip driveshaft. But I ended up just leaving the stock slip yoke, and even with the pretty decent travel my rig has, it has been just fine

 

[wild horse]

updated : photos of lift progress.

 

[kayakcrazy]

what's your plan for the sway bar?

 

[wild horse]

going to pull the sway bar off and chuck it in garbage along with rear one also.

 

[kayakcrazy]

Gotcha. I am debating that myself but still want a good drivable truck. Will be making a 3 hour interstate ride at times to wheel and camp.

Thinking maybe disconnects. Was wondering what you recommended

 

[wild horse]

yea I would go the quick disconnect route if your going to be driving it alot on the streets. Mine is just to big for regular every day street driving so I will only drive it on the streets once in a great while.