Drive Shaft Removal Help

[50 coupe]

Got an issue trying to remove a nut from the transmission end of the drive shaft. One of the bolts holding the drive shaft to the back of the tranny (3 speed manual) is spinning so that I can't remove the nut. Doesn't seem to be enough room behind the parking brake drum to get a wrench on it. Also, from what I can tell, the bolt may actually be a pressure fit pin-type, so there isn't a 'bolt head' to put a wrench on. Anyone experience this issue or have suggestions to proceed? I thought about using a cut off wheel or torch to cut the nut but might booger up the bolt pretty good.

[Don Coatney]

Can you post a picture?

[desoto1939]

on my 39 desoto the bolt that goes thru the unit does not had a hex head and on the shaft of the bolt it is searted with grooves and then the bolt is not entirely threaded. There is a lock washer and then the nut.

 

Sounds as if you have the same setup.  The bolt is very similar to what a lug nut stud looks like because you press fit the stud intot he unit.

 

Rich HArtung

[50 coupe]

OK Desoto, thanks for that. Sounds like need to see if I can pull on the bolt end and re-seat it into the grooves. Hope it works out as easy at it sounds. 

[greg g]

Did you put a reference mark on the driveshaft and flange so it can be put back on in the same position???  Important on both ends.  Any way you can wedge the head into the yoke so the splines will hold it?  

[Grdpa's 50 Dodge]

If is like a carriage bolt also like a wheel stud it is probably striped over and your up a creek on that one.  Removing the nut is easier said than done.  Only way it ever worked for me is to vise grip the threads sticking out of the nut to hold it.  Turn the nut off as far as you can with out letting it turn, then try getting a needle nose vise grip under the nut on the threads.  Probably not alot of room to work in that area.

 

Another idea if you have a welder is to weld a SMALL nut that will definitely pass thru the nut on there ,  weld on end of stud and use it to hold from turning..

 

The hot wrench will work too. Or a nut splitter or small dremel to cut nut.

 

Replacing the stud will be the easy part if you can find an exact fit stud

[JerseyHarold]

Grab the nut with a vise-grip and hacksaw or dremel a slot into the protruding section of bolt.  Put a screwdriver in the slot and use a box or open-end wrench to loosen the nut.

Edited November 4, 2013 by JerseyHarold

[50 coupe]

Damn, I forgot to mark the drive shaft yokes. I KNEW that, why couldn't I REMEBER that! Well, I am swapping out the rear end for a Ford Explorer so I will need to have a drive shaft made anyway. Sounds like more time under the car messing with this one way or the other. Thanks for the suggestions guys.

[hendo0601]

If it what I am picturing in my head you may just end up destroying it alltogether trying to get it out. I think it is press-fit with a knurled end to hold it in place, and it is stripped out now causing it to just spin. If you have enough room to get a dremel in there with a really thin cutoff wheel on it you can try to split the nut in thirds to get it off, or try to cut the stud behind the nut. Grabbing the threads on the end with vice grips will destroy the threads thus making nut removal all but impossible. You may be able to torch it off of there, but again you will destroy the stud in the process. Either way you are working in a pretty small/cramped area so it will ultimately come down to what tools you have at your disposal and what you can get to fit in there. I used to run into this alllllll the time trying to take bumper bolts out of cars in junkyards up in the northeast. A cold chisel with a nice sharp edge and a BFH may be enough to shear the bolt in half as well (or even better would be an air chisel if you have one).

[_shel_ny]

4 1/2" angel grinder with a cutting wheel. Should take about 15 seconds if you go slow.

[50 coupe]

4 1/2" angel grinder with a cutting wheel. Should take about 15 seconds if you go slow.

The angle grinder is my first chioce but so cramped I don't know that I can get all the 'angles' I need without the cutting wheel contacting other parts under there. Might start with the angle grinder then try to finish with a dremel since it is smaller.  Worst comes to Worse, I guess I will have to just cut the bolt behind the nut since there is just enough room to get a cutting wheel or dremel behind it where it started to move up the bolt. Then of course there will be the problem of replacing the bolt.......   I won't have a chance to tackle this until Saturday but I will give an update on how it finally goes.

'

[50 coupe]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Knowing that the bolt was grooved and press fit into the parking brake drum was a big help. I was able to pull the bolt into the grooves that hold it in place and with some vice grips work the nut off of it and drop the drive shaft. Then got a new nut, tightened it down to pull the bolt back into the grooves in the hole in the parking brake drum. Solved.