Your vehicle’s driveshaft is what transfers engine power all the way from the transmission to the differential and then to the drive wheels. It is required to be removed for certain situations like towing. If you have a 4 wheeled car or a rear-wheel vehicle, you need to disconnect your driveshaft before towing to prevent it from damage.
Now, There is one common question How To Disconnect Drive Shaft For Towing? So, disconnecting the drive shaft is pretty easy and can be done in a couple of simple steps. First, mark the driveshaft and remove the bolts, remove the driveshaft flanges and disconnect the driveshaft.
Keep reading to find out more details about the procedure along with steps to reconnect the driveshaft!
Table of Contents
A Step By Step Guide for How To Disconnect Drive Shaft For Towing?
Tools Required:
Step 1. Mark The Vehicle’s Drive Shaft And U-Joints
Start by marking the driveshaft so that you can return it in the correct position with respect to the differential. This will eliminate the driveline vibration risk that might arise if the driveshaft is reinstalled improperly.
Step 2. Removing the bolts
Driveshaft bolts can be very tight to prevent them from getting loose due to the impact force received while driving. These are called the drive shaft differential flange mounting bolts. Make sure you use high-quality and strong tools (well-fitted ring spanner and open-ended spanner) to avoid stripping. You’ll need a 13mm 12 point socket as some of the drive shaft bolts are 12 point heads. These bolts won’t come loose easily and are strong enough to be reapplied while reinstalling.Step 3. Take Off The Driveshaft Flange
With a plastic hammer, you need to gently tap the driveshaft enough times to get it loose from the differential flange. Hit on the rear yoke and make sure you don’t use too much force otherwise it might damage the driveshaft flange. After half of the driveshaft comes out, you need to hold onto that piece. Another thing to keep in mind is that some cars might also have center support that you need to undo.
For this, simply unscrew the two mounting bolts that hold the center support in place. If your vehicle is an old one, you’ll need electrical tape to wrap it around the u-cup joints. This will prevent them from getting loose when the hammer hits the driveshaft. Otherwise, the U-joint cups will fall off to release the needle bearings. If that happens, you would need to replace the needle bearings.
Step 4. Disconnect The Drive Shaft
For this step, you will need to place a catch basin underneath the driveshaft because there might be a small amount of fluid leak. Else, you can also wrap a rag around the rear end of the shaft and secure it to the gearbox. This will successfully prevent any potential fluid leaks. Now, use both hands to slide the driveshaft out of the transmission or transfer case. This will ensure that the driveshaft is totally disengaged. Also, be gentle while removing the driveshaft and keep in mind that the drive shaft is quite heavy.
Step 5. Check the U-joints
Make sure that you check out the U joint at both ends of the shaft. Then, grasp the yoke to move it in any direction. It should move smoothly without any hesitation or rough spots. If play in any direction is witnessed, then you need to replace the U joints. Make sure you secure the driveshaft under your vehicle so that it doesn’t fall down.
Step 6. Reinstall The Driveshaft
Once you have disconnected the driveshaft at the differential, you need to reconnect it later as well. Put some grease to the yoke and then reinsert the driveshaft yoke in a way that the seal doesn’t get damaged. You will find the rear seal located together with the dust boot in the transfer or transmission case of the rear/tail housing seal. The driveshaft is supposed to be placed in the vehicle in the output shaft of this transmission case.
Step 7. Rebolting The Flange Bolts
After you have reinstalled the front yoke, place the driveshaft back into its location. Also, you need to reinsert the mounting bolts by hand so that there is no cross-threading. Make sure the alignment is perfect and only then install the bolts in a cross pattern. Grab a torque wrench to tighten these bolts and make sure you set it to 55 to 65 foot-pounds. Fill up the transmission case with fluid as it sure has lost some fluid while you were disconnecting the setup.
We have also written article on How To Remove A Transmission.
Things To Keep In Mind While Disconnecting The Drive Shaft For Towing
- Make sure you always hook the care from the hind side
- If hooking from the rear side is not possible, take off the driveshaft before you have towed it from the front.
- If you can’t take off the driveshaft from the front, take off the axles. Removing the axles will allow you to hook from the front.
- You should only tow rear hooked vehicles and don’t uncouple the driveshaft for short distances. Otherwise, you will be inviting unnecessary damage.
- Driveshafts can get bent if they become obstructed.
- U joints (that are parts of the driveshaft) can get chirped and clucked when the car is running or put into gear. So, be careful with that.
Final Words
If your car driveshaft remains connected while towing, it might cause overheating and cause unnecessary damage to the shaft. This is why it is necessary to remove the driveshaft for towing. Usually, when you flat tow any rear-wheel-drive vehicle with another vehicle then you’ll need to do this yourself. The above steps are sure to help you out with the same. Before you go, keep in mind that it is necessary to seal the transmission if you plan on completely removing the shaft. This will prevent loss of fluid and potential damage as well.
