I installed the new drive shafts this weekend. Looks like it was just in the nick of time.
CV boots? Who needs um?
In usual Jeep project fashion, a simple drive shaft install took an unexpected turn, almost leading to a complete rear-end rebuild.
The pinion nut was causing trouble with the threads during the initial rear-end setup. The peened pinion nut, having been taken on and off multiple times before had messed up the threads on the pinion.
Fast forward to the weekend, and the pinion nut stubbornly resisted removal, leaving the threads worse for wear. Fortunately, a seldom-used tool, the thread file, came to the rescue. With a few passes, I cleaned up the pinion threads, allowing the pinion nut to go back on. A reminder that sometimes, the right tool at the right moment can save you a lot of trouble.