Slip Yokes Seized, Which Driveshaft is better?

[HotRodPC]

Here are my 2 front driveshafts for 700r4/NP208 Combo to 10 bolt front axle.


1 is from an 87 Burb, the other from IIRC a 90 Burb. Only small differences in the 2 but I was wondering if 1 is better than the other. 1 has a square flange and 1 has a round flange to bolt to the Transfer Case even though they both have the same bolt pattern. What about the slip yokes and the double cardan joints?


Other question... Anyone have any idea on how to get these slip yokes moving again? They sat out in the weather for a few years and are seized. I've soaked them down with WD-40 for the last 2 days. Today I even tried a little propane heat and still doesn't want to move.

I figured @bucket or @crazy4offroad would have some insight or opinions.

 

[bucket]

Looks like the one with the square flange is a little more compact of a unit, but it also has less meat on the ears. If the slips are seized, I'm gonna say they were on the worn out side of things before they sat. Excessive clearances let the rain wash the grease out.

I'd use whichever one you can get unstuck.

 

[HotRodPC]

Or they were never maintained and never greased. So there's no magical way to get them apart? I didn't get to aggressive with either one. I didn't want to bend them in any way or knock them out of balance. Of course balance doesn't matter to much for a 4x4 unless you're using 4x4 to drive down the freeway which I do not.

 

[HotRodPC]

Oh and you can trust, they will both be functional. Both will be rebuilt with new U joints, grease zerks and all. One will be used, the other will be strapped somewhere on the truck as a spare that I can change out on a trail if need be. I'll probably have some spare front 10 bolt parts with me too. If not for me, maybe another GM wheeler buddy who breaks on the trail. So long as he's got the same set up I do.

 

[bucket]

Not everybody has the resources to pull one apart the way I would. I'd chain one yoke to the shop telehandler, and the other yoke to the knuckle on the end of the telehandler's boom. Then just run the boom out.

 

[HotRodPC]

Well if that's how it has to be, I bet I can find access to a tow truck. Chain one end to the wheel grid and the other to the winch line and either boom up or out. People don't realize all the things that can be done with a tow truck. We do body work on cars and trucks, engine hoist, I've even gone fishing with a tow boom, etc etc.

 

[HotRodPC]

On the subject of front driveshafts, I still haven't found a way to weigh that Th350/NP205 shaft.

 

[bucket]

It's not urgent, I'm about to head out of town again anyways. If you find someone local that can use it, that'd be dandy. But if you still got it later on, we'll get it figured.

 

[HotRodPC]

If you need it, I'll hold onto it. I'm hoping my SSDI will be approved in the next couple months. If so, I should have some cash and hope to have some left over after catching up some other way behind obligations. Then maybe take a trip. Maybe go on a major parts swap run. Probably another wild goose chase pipe dream but I want to do it. I've also got some out of state tow bros and a couple of honeys I want to see going that direction. Might even bring one of them honeys home. I could already be living in MA if I wanted to, but noway. I'm not doing that far NORTH, and really don't care for East Coast. But a trip that way would be cool. Go via MO, IN, OH, PA, MA then down South and come back I-40 out of the Carolinas.

 

[bucket]

Yeah, I really need to get my K5 back on the road. I've got the 205 to replace the 203, but I don't have the right shaft for it.

 

[HotRodPC]

Yeah, I really need to get my K5 back on the road. I've got the 205 to replace the 203, but I don't have the right shaft for it.

If it's a Th350 to a 10 bolt, then this is probably the one. This one came out of an 80 model K10. The yoke is far from seized though. It slips a little to easy IMO and why I was wondering if maybe it was wore out.

 

[Craig 85]

On the subject of front driveshafts, I still haven't found a way to weigh that Th350/NP205 shaft.

Maybe find someone that has a fish scale?

 

[Georgeb]

Maybe find someone that has a fish scale?

or stand on a scale while holding it and then while not holding it then do the maths......

 

[HotRodPC]

or stand on a scale while holding it and then while not holding it then do the maths......

I don't have a scale. I used to do that in that past.

 

[HotRodPC]

The good news is, I guess I jumped the gun on the lower pictured shaft. I knew it was real stiff and figured it was seized like the other but I didn't get to aggressive with it. Worked with it a little tonight, and without a ton of effort got the yoke moving freely back and forth. I liked that one better anyway. I like where the grease zerk is and it seems to be a yoke that's a little bigger around in diameter, so the square flange unit it'll be. I'll still work that one other and replace the u joints with probably some cheaper u joints and keep it on the truck for a spare back up in case I break or bend the installed one. You're not having fun unless you're tearing **** up.