Driveshaft slip yokes

[patooyee]

My front driveshaft is made out of an old rockwell driveshaft. The slip yoke apparently got clogged with mud and froze up completely, destroying my carrier bearing in the process. So after 30 minutes of working on it with a sledge hammer I got it apart and found that at the tip of the female yoke there is a thin sheet metal cap that covers the end. This cap was just pressed in place, someone had tack welded it once already to keep it in. Kind of an odd design IMO because with that cap there, there is nowhere for the yoke to effectively breath so any air inside is forced out the seal in the back as well as mud / water / muck. The grease in the yoke actually had forced the cap partially out as the yoke compressed which is why I think someone had tack welded it in the past.

The cap is too deformed to press back in place and if I did I doubt it would stay there very long. The question is, do I weld it back on knowing that it will not allow air / water / mud to get out or leave it off, leaving the end of the splined shaft exposed to the elements, but at least able to escape?

I'm leaning toward leaving it off, but I don't know how most driveshafts are supposed to be when they are new. How are most of ya'll's driveshafts? I think this cap trapping crud in and causing it to compact toward the end is what ultimately froze this shaft up. I feel like allowing muck to escape better will lead to a longer life of free motion.

 

[TBItoy]

driveshafts in factory vehicles don't move that much in normal use, so keeping the grease in for thousands of miles is more important than freedom of movement.


I'd be more inclined to leave the seal off the back, put the cap back in the female yoke, then when you grease it, it will force grease up the splines.

Grease it once a year with some good waterproof heavy duty grease and it'll be good.

 

[fordcontraption01]

I have one that same way and had to beat it apart

 

[Neal3000]

I always knock that piece out