I was going over my Heep today while performing maintenance on her. Decided to check my driveline because I have had some vibes and what sounded to me like a pinion bearing going. When I check out the pinion yoke on the differential I found absolutely no play whatsoever. However the output shaft on the TC has some slight up/down or side/side movement.

I take it I have to rebuild the case to fix this problem? The case is an NP231 but it has the external slip yoke without the tail housing seen on the older models. No SYE and I don't plan on installing one since it is just a grocery getter.

Jeep is a 96 2DR 4.0L with an AX-15.

 

Should just have to remove rear tail housing to to replace bearing ...may be a snap ring or two ...

 

Sounds like its wallered.... If there's a farm or tractor shop nearby they may have a shim sleeve to fix that, at least for a while.
But check out everything else out, yolk itself may be worn and not the shaft, bearing in the housing.

 

Never heard of any thing for doing that to a bearing .

 

I thought you had to split the case to replace the bearing on np231 cases with external slip yokes?

 

shoulld be a bearing right under rear seal.

 

Output bearing is hiding behind the output tail housing. Older models have a long extension housing, newer models have a long slip yoke visible and then the oil slinger and seal.

To be clear - you took the driveshaft OFF to verify this, and you're referring to the actual output shaft from the transfercase being wobbly? It's normal for a little bit of movement on the slip yoke itself, it needs to be greased regularly.

 

Yes I had the drive shaft off. But even if I didn't you can see the piece of metal at the end of the tail housing that I believe is what you called the oil slinger flex with the movement of the output shaft.