foxtrot101

OK so I have a 94 manual Cherokee that I have owned for about 3 years now. Last summer I swapped n axles from an automatic to bump up my gear ratio. All went well and have been driving it fine for all but a year now. Well last October I purchased a Tom woods driveshaft to go along with a sye I lucked out and found in a junk yard around here. Well it worked fine tell I noticed a few weeks ago I was getting a lot of vibration down the road. Pulled the driveshaft off and pulled the caps off the ujoint. Every single pin was missing out of the cap. I know they where there when I installed the driveshaft so they fell out some how I guess. But anyways I just pulled my front driveshaft and pressed out the ujoint from it to use in the rear just so I could make it to work the next day and tell Tom woods could send me a free replacement which they did (plus the front driveshaft was shot anyways, but the ujoint was still good). But what I noticed when I originally took off the driveshaft and even now with the used ujoint still in it is that I can grab the shaft and it moves side to side. And no I'm not saying the yoke is moving its the driveshaft! And on closer inspection it looks like the ujoint isn't filling the space on the yoke completely up. When u grab the shaft its moving the ujoint from one tab to the other tab on the yoke.I have tightened down them straps with almost Herman like strength and it still moves. Got the new joint from Tom woods and before a pressed it into the driveshaft I put it n the yoke to see if it was a tight fit between the taps. Its not! I went to the parts store and tried different ujoints to no luck. My question is is my yoke bad or bent? The space I have if I just put the joint n the yoke to test it is like the thickness of 3 to 4 washers could fit in the space before it contacts the other tab. Anyone ever here of this? My vehicle is drivable but I know it shouldn't b able to grab the driveshaft and hear and see it move! Any insight would b grateful!

foxtrot101

The space I would say is more like 2 to maybe 3washers thickness

grsmnky1

Which axles did you swap in? Did you put new straps on when you did the u-joint? I had installed a front drive shaft from a zj when i did my sye and had to get new straps to get it to seat and stay still. Its a good idea to put new straps on anyways.

foxtrot101

My Jeep came with a Chrysler 8.25 with 3.07 gears and I put another Chrysler 8.25 under mine but just from a automatic, to bump up my gear ratio a bit. And no, I just used the straps that came with it. But regardless I don't think I'm suppose to have a gap from end of the ujoint cap to the tab. I would think it should fit snuggly n the yoke right????

foxtrot101

But ya ill look into some new straps. Or drill out the holes and get u bolts.

grsmnky1

Since you can move it by hand obviously the straps are not clamped well they are just guides at that point. Did the yoke on the donor axle look good and still have its little side ears for the ujoint to seat against?

grsmnky1

I see you are using a aftermarket driveshaft. I would call tw and see if a different u joint is needed for your application. I have not compared the differences, if any, between a manual rear and a auto.