FRT DRIVE SHAFT

[Hummie2]

Originally Posted by Drainbamaged

I busted my front Differential on sunday and I thought the same thing. Take the front Drive shaft off so i can make it home or to the shop. Well the bolts are only on the front differential side. The rear of the drive shaft is a slip yoke which if you take out will drain all the fluid out of the transfer case. I don't know about any other years but I would think that hummer wouldn't change the design and leave it the same for all years.

Did you actually try and pull the front shaft or just look and think it was a slipjoint similar to the rear shaft? On my '03 the front shaft has a male spline on the T-case end of the prop.shaft that engages an internally splined hollow output shaft of the of the T-case. I CAN pull the front shaft if necessary without loosing oil. I carry a "Limp Home Kit" just so I can pull the front prop.shaft and both halfshafts in case of a blown frontend. BE SURE to retain the front wheelhub bearings some way if you do pull the front halfshafts as the wheel bearings/seal assy. can seperate if operated without the halfshafts in place!

I still wouldn't recommend running without the front prop.shaft very long as the rear axle would be left to carry 100% of the load as opposed to its designed 60/40 torque split with the front axle. The H2 is a heavy truck and has a relatively light rear axle that would certainly wear much faster if left to handle 100% of the torque load. What gains in fuel economy (if any) would be more than offset by the costs of increased axle maintenance.