You can read about it all day about how to do it, but get out there and drop your drive shaft put it on the bench and see where the parts go, have some snap ring pliers on hand as you remove those stubborn things. This is a job that anyone can do , it is not a nightmare or anything like it, besides it will get you pumped up for that head gasket job you have coming!

 

Well I decided to do it myself. The shop over an hour and a half away that said around $120, also said "it depends on what we find in there" as well as the fact that they did not give me the feeling of confidence that they have done this often. A close shop in Santa Fe said $290. They sounded like they knew what they were talking about.

The whole underside of this car is so clean. The drive shafts hardly leave dirt on my hands. I'm only doing this because I have the time now and this forum has scared me into thinking I'd better. I hear no sound or feel vibration but at 120000 miles...

I did the timing chain on my Mercedes 500sel interference engine so I guess I can do this.

I can "check out" all of the tools for a returnable deposit and the comment about it getting me ready for my head gaskets was oh so encouraging.

 

Literally the only tricky part is putting the cardon joint back together. I wouldn't put any of the snap rings in those joints until it's completely reassembled. I had to pull mine apart at least once to reassemble it in a different order.

Be sure to mark the parts of the shaft so you line them back up like they were. That way you shouldn't need a balance after you rebuild it.

Before I bought my truck the driveshaft came apart and was replaced by an aftermarket shaft. I know this because of the 2" hole in the floorboard where the cardon came apart and tore out a chunk of floor.

I think it's a good idea to rebuild your shaft.

BTW, be sure to examine the rear flange for damage. The tech at the local indy LR shop was telling me the most common failure he'd seen was the centering ball fails, it damages the rear most joint, and as that joint rattles around it gradually tears apart the rear flange until it comes apart. With 120k on your shaft, I'd check that flange for any signs of warping or cracking.

 

so far so good. I have all sections are separated and u-joints out. I'm taking a break before I use the slide hammer to go after the centering ball.

I marked everything with a paint pen and now I see that the part that has the two u-joints can go two ways even though the dot I put on the side is facing the right direction. I don't see how this will change any radial weight as the thing spins. I really wanted to avoid a balance.

Everything looks like it is in good condition and the c-clamp tool I rented was very efficient and made using a hammer unnecessary.

 

Marking the parts so you don't get them mixed up is covered in this sticky. https://landroverforums.com/forum/ge...02/#post164811

 

Success. To be sure I had a shop check the balance before I put it back on. The slide hammer for the ball and the press make the job do able. A table vice was the only thing that would have made it easier.

 

Congrats! Like any job, the right tools make it much easier.