Advance Adapters SYE & Tom Woods Rear Drive Shaft Installation

I have a 2001 Jeep Wrangler (TJ Model) with a 3" Teraflex suspension lift.  The lift model number is S3T, and came with front and rear lower adjustable control arms, springs, front disconnects, etc.  A typical SYE installation requires that the rear pinion (differential) angle match the output angle of the transfer case, because a double cardan driveshaft is used with the kit.  Therefore, the rear differential should point upwards directly towards the output of the transfer case.  Sometimes, adjustments to the rear pinion angle are needed to achieve this, and upper rear adjustable control arms in addition to rear lower adjustable control arms are recommended for this adjustment.  I was lucky, and did not need to adjust the rear pinion angle after raising the transfer case back to its original position without lowering spacers.

Materials & Tools that I bought in preparation for the install:

• Snap Ring Pliers ( I heard these weren't needed but the Advance Adapters instructions mention "snap ring" pliers so I bought them anyway.  Good thing because they WERE NEEDED for disassembly.
• Lock Ring Pliers:  A quality pair (Craftsman)
• Blue Lok-tite:  Medium, This is what I have always used, This was recommended in several forums.
• 10 mm, 12 point socket for special star headed screw on transfer case.
• 21 mm. Socket
• RTV sealant: I bought Permatex brand, blue
• 2 Quarts ATF fluid:
  • Jeep Manual Recommends Mopar ATF+4 Type 96 for the Transfer Case
  • 2 quarts is supposed to fill the transfer case
  • I bought 3 quarts at $7 a quart at the dealership.
  • I used about 2-1/4 quarts.
• Parts Cleaning Fluid: Brake cleaner spray.  This was a great help.
• Engine Assembly Lubricant to pre-lube parts before assembly: I used Permatex Brand.  This is worth searching for.

Materials and Tools that I already have:

Hydraulic Floor Jack

Heavy duty jack stands (6 ton rating from Harbor Freight) about $25

Lots of hand wrenches, ratchets, sockets, misc. hand tools.

Personal comments & recommendations regarding the install:

• I HIGHLY recommend completely removing the transfer case from the Jeep to complete this job.  There are only a couple of extra screws to be removed and the benefit far outweighs the extra 10 minutes of turning screws.  NOTE:  the upper screws that attach the transfer case to the transmission are difficult (or impossible) to get to with a typical ratchet wrench.  My Craftsman ratcheting combination wrench was indispensible here.
• I talked to Advance Adapters and they suggested that I apply silicone sealant (I used my RTV) to the splines of the front and rear output shafts before installing the yokes, to prevent any possibility of leakage past the yoke.  I did this and have not noticed any leaks yet.
• The transfer case is not terribly heavy and does not leak transmission fluid when it is being removed from the transmission's output shaft.  I was worried about a big spill at this point, but the mating shafts are sealed internally at this interface.  The transfer case was a breeze to remove and re-install.  This allowed for easy access to all screws, shafts, etc during the upgrade.

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This page was last modified on Tuesday, 09-Feb-2010 00:57:21 CST