Now that I got the lift on, it's time to get all the U-joints changed (they are all worn). I got the front driveshaft out, marked all locations, ect. I was able to use my vice and press out all the caps and get all the old joints out. The rear portion of the front driveshaft is the double-cardon type. It was a little tricky getting both joints out.
The portion of the driveshaft that attaches the rearmost of the three joints to the transfer case connects to the driveshaft by slipping onto a shaft/pin that comes out of the driveshaft There is a spring in the shaft/pin, and the part has a ball inside with needle bearings that ride on the shaft/pin. Not the part that connects the two joints together, but the part that that bolts to the transfer case. This is the part I am having trouble with.
It came off with the rearmost U-joint. No biggie, I thought and continued to assemble the middle joint. The portion in question would not go back into the rubber sleeve and onto the pin it came from.. A few gentle taps with a hammer didnt help. It was greased on the inside, but I ran a little grease around the outside of the part that slides into the rubber sleeve. No Luck. I checked the inside of the ball area and found that about half of the needle bearings had come out!
This picture shows the front of the part in question.
Carl