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16 - 12
DRIVE SHAFTS AND UNIVERSAL JOINTS
•
DRIVE SHAFT RUNOUT
SPECIFICATIONS
RAM TRUCK AND RAMCHARGER
VEHICLES
Front of shaft. .
0.015 in. (0.38 mm)
Center of shaft
. 0.015 in. (0.38 mm)
Rear of shaft
0.015 in. (0.38 mm)
NOTE:
Measure front/rear runout approximately 3 inches (76
mm) from the weld seam at each end of the shaft tube.
J8916-16
U-JOINT YOKE BORE ALIGNMENT MEASUREMENT
SERVICE
INFORMATION
Correct cross-alignment o f t h e f r o n t U-joint slip
yoke bores, b o t h shaft yoke bores and the drive p i n -
i o n gear shaft yoke "saddles" is very i m p o r t a n t t o
prevent drive shaft v i b r a t i o n , U-joint wear and other
vehicle performance problems. Before measuring the
drive shaft v e r t i c a l a n d horizontal angles for possible
mis-alignment, i t i s necessary to determine t h a t a l l
t h e i n d i v i d u a l yoke bores are correctly cross-aligned
(i.e., " t r u e " f r o m bore-to-bore). A l s o , e n s u r e t h a t t h e
a x l e d r i v e p i n i o n g e a r s h a f t y o k e n u t i s t i g h t -
e n e d c o r r e c t l y (i.e., t h e b e a r i n g " p r e l o a d " t o r q u e
is c o r r e c t ) .
The center lines o f the U - j o i n t spider bearing bores
i n b o t h yoke a r m s (for drive shafts tubes t h a t have
welded yokes a t each end) are p e r m a n e n t l y aligned
(i.e., t h e bores a r e fixed i n t h e same plane) d u r i n g
manufacture.
W h e n a drive shaft has e x t e r n a l splines a t one end
(instead of a yoke) t h a t mate w i t h a n i n t e r n a l l y -
splined slip yoke, t h e slip yoke must be installed so
t h a t t h e center l i n e o f its spider bearing bores i n the
yoke arms is a l i g n e d (i.e., i n t h e same plane) w i t h
t h e center l i n e o f t h e welded yoke a r m bores a t the
opposite end o f t h e drive shaft tube. T h e yoke a r m
bore a l i g n m e n t is accomplished by h a v i n g a double-
w i d t h master spline (tooth) w i t h i n the drive shaft ex-
t e r n a l splines t h a t mates (indexes) w i t h a double-
w i d t h space w i t h i n t h e slip yoke i n t e r n a l splines.
A drive shaft w i t h a slip yoke is correctly aligned
w h e n the yoke arms (and bores) a t each end o f t h e
shaft are i n t h e same plane (Fig. 8).
MEASUREMENT
WITH A GAUGE
BAR
Use a s t r a i g h t piece o f round, stock m e t a l w i t h t h e
same outside diameter (OD) as the yoke bore diame-
ter for a " s l i p f i t " gauge bar.
(1) Remove t h e b e a r i n g caps and t h e spider f r o m
the yoke. I f necessary, refer t o U - J o i n t S e r v i c e for
the procedure.
(2) I n s e r t the gauge bar i n t o one yoke a r m bore (or
"saddle") and continue i t t o the other yoke a r m bore
(or "saddle").
(3) I f the gauge b a r w i l l " s l i p f i t " t h r o u g h b o t h
yoke bores (or "saddles") simultaneously, t h e bores
are p r o p e r l y cross-aligned (i.e., " t r u e " ) and t h e yoke
arms are n o t distorted, twisted or otherwise m i s -
aligned.
(4) W h e n t h e gauge b a r passes t h r o u g h one yoke
a r m bore (or "saddle"), b u t t h e n contacts t h e i n n e r
face o f the opposite yoke a r m , the yoke arms are m i s -
aligned (i.e., distorted or twisted) and t h e yoke (or
drive shaft) m u s t be replaced.
MEASUREMENT
WITH A
PROTRACTOR
I n t h e event a gauge bar w i t h the correct diameter
is not available, yoke mis-alignment can be measure-
m e n t w i t h a level protractor according to the follow-
i n g instructions.
(1) Remove the b u r r s or nicks f r o m the yoke a r m
outer surfaces a n d the machined surface o f the nee-
dle b e a r i n g caps.
(2) Rotate the yoke so t h a t the bores i n the arms
are horizontal.
(3) Position t h e level protractor v e r t i c a l l y o n one
yoke a r m outer surface (or on the machined surface
of a b e a r i n g cap) and adjust t h e protractor so t h a t
the scale indicates zero or 90 degrees w h e n the bub-
ble is centered between the two m a r k s o n the tube.
(4) Position the level protractor a t same location on
the opposite yoke a r m (or bearing cap) and note the
position o f the bubble.
(5) I f necessary, adjust the scale so t h a t the bubble
is exactly between the m a r k s on the tube, and, i f the
bubble moves more t h a n 1/2 of-a-degree, the yoke i s
l i k e l y t o be distorted and should be replaced.
DRIVE SHAFT OPERATING ANGLE MEASUREMENT
AND ADJUSTMENT
VERTICAL
ANGLES
(ONE-PIECE
DRIVE
SHAFT)
MEASUREMENT
(1) Shift the transmission into N E U T R A L position.
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