Front Tailshaft Sizes

[S.Bartfast]

I'm told there are two different sizes of tail shaft for the front of a JK and I'm wanting to understand what it's about.

I had my front tailshaft replaced about 6 months ago but it turns out my front diff was bent and the replacement tailshaft has seized and needs to be replaced again. I'm told the tail shaft comes in two different lengths, one is 36.25 inches, the other is 39.25 (so 3 inches difference). I'm told my tailshaft is seized in one spot and that the workshop can't get an accurate measurement but that the spicer part number on the tailshaft is 5010867-3. Can anyone tell me if this would be the 36 or 39 inch shaft? And why there are two different sizes in the first place?


Cheers,
Slarti.

[Hayesio]

I believe the auto and manual have different lengths. Not 100% on that though.

How does a bent axle seize the drive shaft??? The diff would be more or less in the original spot... Where is the shaft seized, on one of the yokes or the telescoping coupling?

[S.Bartfast]

Originally Posted by Hayesio

How does a bent axle seize the drive shaft??? The diff would be more or less in the original spot... Where is the shaft seized, on one of the yokes or the telescoping coupling?

I'm afraid I don't know.
The car is in at a workshop here in Adelaide getting the front diff replaced and I received this email:

if you can contact JPR and organise a front tailshaft to be sent for
your jeep. the front tailshaft on your JK that was replaced by Poly4x4
is seized and wont slide, and the CV joint end is notchy. I think from
the diff being bent it has had too much pressure put on the slide and
seized, also contributing to the damage done to the diff as it was
overloading the pinion bearing.
let me know how you go

I'm now trying to find a replacement tail shaft.
JPR have a used one they'll send down to me for $750 (which seems pretty expensive) and Jeep Konection have Tom Woods shafts for $850 but I'm trying to find something that isn't so expensive.

There is a guy here in Adelaide who has a used tailshaft I can have for $300 and I'm trying to work out if it will be the right size or not.

[Hayesio]

Gee, that sounds ugly! Sounds to me like they must have got the longer driveshaft (and your jeep needs the shorter one) and really jammed it in there. Then when the vehicle was lowered onto the ground the suspension moved up and took all the travel out of the sliding coupling... Did you not feel anything bad in the suspension?

I got my JE REEL shaft from Bill at DBOR. Was around 850 ish. They are very strong. I'm sure if you give him a call he'll tell you exactly the one you need and send it over there at a reasonable cost.

[S.Bartfast]

Originally Posted by Hayesio

Gee, that sounds ugly! Sounds to me like they must have got the longer driveshaft (and your jeep needs the shorter one) and really jammed it in there. Then when the vehicle was lowered onto the ground the suspension moved up and took all the travel out of the sliding coupling... Did you not feel anything bad in the suspension?

I didn't really feel anything unusual.

The front end would make an unpleasant sound when turning sharply with 4WD engaged but it did that before the tailshaft was replaced.
Infact that was the reason I had the tailshaft replaced in the first place but it didn't fix the problem.

I don't know if the tailshaft I have in there is the long or the short one and I also don't know whether I'm meant to have the long or the short one in there. That's kind of why I've started this thread, to try and work it out.
The car is an automatic if that means anything.

[Johnboy]

Got my Tom woods from SBR offroad have a JE reel in the front but i prefer the tom woods. Double cardin on JE reel is non serviceable which sucks cos id like to be able to grease it to pump out the crap from off roading.

[Grahame]

I've got a Tom Woods on the front. When I did the measurement to determine the shaft length it was sitting right in the middle of the range. Theoretically I could have used either size. Since I only had a 2.5 inch lift I opted for the short one. When I installed it I found that the spline engagement on the slip joint was too little and would run the risk of falling out if the suspension drooped to its limit. Fortunately, I was able to take it back and swap it for the long one. It appears that not all JKs are made the same.