Removeing and instaling front drive axle and u-joints on a2003 jeep rubicon

Rebuilding them consists of new U joints and maybe balanced. If it was so loose the the u joints wallowed out the keepers, Then yes, they would also need replaced. Cut off and welded on. That isn't a common problem, but I have had to replace a few. Not just on jeeps.

which one, there are 8. (total prop shafts and axles)
my wild guess is front of car.
guess, 2, is ujoints loose.
but there are many there.
the front prop shaft u-joints, and the front axle end U-joints.

why not post a photo with finger pointine to IT.

yes the tire size is very important! however assuming everything is the correct equipment the wandering problem is likely the u-joints in the front axles binding. If this is the case the front axle u-joints need to be replaced. This is very common on 4x4 vehicles with solid front axles. Good luck!

Lower Control Arm

Print
The lower control arm is a two-piece welded unit with a riveted ball joint. A conventional rubber bushing is used for the rear lower control arm pivot. The front lower control arm bushing is mounted vertically.

REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION

Some special tools are required to perform this operation including, a front hub spindle removal tool and a suitable ball joint separator tool.

WARNING Do not hammer or pry ball joint from knuckle. Failure to use recommended tools may cause damage to the ball joint and seal.
See Figure 1

Fig. Fig. 1: Exploded view of the control arm-to-frame mounting

1. Raise the vehicle and suitably support by the frame allowing the control arms to hang free.
2. Remove the wheel and tire assembly.
3. Remove the steering gear outer tie rod from the steering knuckle.
4. Remove the stabilizer shaft link from the control arm.
5. Remove the front drive axle shaft nut and washer.
6. Use a suitable front hub spindle removal tool to Push the axle splines back out of the front wheel drive shaft bearing.
7. Remove the drive axle from the transaxle.

Drive axle joint seal protectors should be used anytime service is performed on or near the drive axles. Failure to observe this could result in joint or seal failure.

1. Place a modified inner drive joint seal protector on the drive axle joints.
2. If equipped, remove the ABS wheel speed sensor jumper harness.
3. Remove and discard the cotter pin, then loosen the nut from the ball stud.
4. Remove the pinch bolt and the control arm mounting bolts, then remove the control arm from the vehicle.

Wheel Spindle, F-150, F-250, F-350
Removal

1. Raise the front of the vehicle and install safety stands.
   

1. Remove the wheel and tire assembly. Refer to Section 04-04 .
   

1. Remove the disc brake caliper (2B120) from the rotor and wire it out of the way. Refer to Section 06-03 .
   

1. Remove the dust cap, cotter pin, nut retainer, nut, washer and front wheel bearing (1216).
   

1. Remove the rotor from the front wheel spindle (3105).
   
   
   
   
   
   Item Part Number Description 1 606085 Clamp Bolt 2 3B404 Camber Adjuster 3 800895 Nut 4 800937 Nut 5 3049 Front Suspension Upper Ball Joint 6 3050 Front Suspension Lower Arm Ball Joint 7 3105 Front Wheel Spindle 8 642569 Cotter Pin 9 3304 Steering Sector Shaft Arm Drag Link 10 383489 Nut 11 3001 Front Axle Assembly 12 388727 Bolt A - Tighten to 77-103 Nm
   (57-75 Lb-Ft) B - Tighten to 68-92 Nm
   (50-67 Lb-Ft) C - Tighten to 113-153 Nm (83-112 Lb-Ft) D - Tighten to 340-460 Nm (250-339 Lb-Ft)

1. Remove bearing cone and roller (1201) and wheel hub grease seal (1190). Discard the seal.
   

1. Remove front disc brake rotor shield (2K004). Refer to Section 06-03 .
   

1. Disconnect the steering linkage from the integral front wheel spindle and spindle arm by removing the cotter pin and nut and then removing the front wheel spindle tie rod from the spindle arm with Tie Rod End Remover TOOL-3290-D or equivalent.
   

1. Remove the cotter pin and castellated nut from the lower ball joint stud.
   

1. Remove the nut from the axle clamp bolt and remove the bolt from the axle.
   

1. Remove the camber adjuster from the upper ball joint stud and axle beam. If required, use Ball Joint Removing Tool D81T-3010-B or equivalent to remove adjuster.
   

1. CAUTION: Do not use a pickle fork to separate the ball joint from the axle as this will damage the seal and the ball joint socket.
   Strike the inside area of the axle as shown to pop lower ball joints loose from the axle beam.
   

1. Remove the front wheel spindle and ball joint from the axle.
   
   

Ball Joint, F-150, F-250, F-350 SPECIAL SERVICE TOOL(S) REQUIRED Description Tool Number U-Joint Tool T74P-4635-C Ball Joint Remover T94T-3010-AH
Removal

1. Remove the front wheel spindle (3105) and ball joint assembly from the axle. Refer to Wheel Spindle, F-150, F-250, F-350 in the Removal and Installation portion of this section.
   

1. NOTE: Lower ball joint must be removed first.
   
   Install the front wheel spindle in a vise and remove the snap ring from the lower ball joint.
   

1. Remove the lower ball joint from the front wheel spindle using U-Joint Tool T74P-4635-C and Receiver Cup D81T-3010-A5 or equivalent for F-150. Use Ball Joint Remover T94T-3010-AH for F-250 and F-350.
   

1. Turn the forcing screw clockwise until the ball joint is removed from the front wheel spindle.
   
2. CAUTION: Do not heat the ball joint or the front wheel spindle to aid in removal.
   Assemble U-joint tool and cup on the upper ball joint, and turn forcing screw clockwise until ball joint is removed from the front wheel spindle.
   
   
   Installation
   
   1. CAUTION: Do not heat the ball joint or axle to aid in installation.
      NOTE: Upper ball joint must be installed into the front wheel spindle first.
      
      NOTE: Individual ball joint tools are included in Ball Joint Adapter Set D81T-3010-A or equivalent.
      
      To install the upper ball joint, assemble C-frame assembly, Ball Joint Receiver Cup D81T-3010-A5 and Installation Cup D81T-3010-A1 and D81T-3010-A3 or equivalents inside cup D81T-3010-A4 or equivalent in position on the front wheel spindle.
      
   1. Turn forcing screw clockwise until ball joint is seated.
      
      
      
      
   

1. Raise and support vehicle, then remove tire and wheel assembly. 2. Install a brass drift or a screwdriver to prevent the rotor from turning, Fig. 7 . 3. Remove axle nut and washer. 4. Remove stabilizer shaft or link from control arm. 5. Remove nut from ball joint, then separate ball joint from steering knuckle using separator tool No. J-36226, or equivalent. 6. Remove drive axle from hub and bearing assembly using front hub spindle remover tool No. J-28733-A, or equivalent, Fig. 8 . 7. Remove drive axle from transaxle using axle shaft remover puller tool Nos. J-33008, J-29794 and slide hammer tool No. J-2619-01, or equivalents, if necessary, Fig. 9 . INSTALLATION 1. Install drive axle into the transaxle using seal protector J-37292-B, or equivalent 2. Seat snap ring by placing a screwdriver into the groove on the joint housing and tapping until seated, Fig. 9 . 3. Grasp the inner housing and pull outward. If the snap ring is properly seated, the axle will remain in place. 4. Install drive axle into hub and bearing assembly. 5. Install lower ball joint to steering knuckle and tighten to specifications. 6. Install stabilizer shaft or link to control arm, tighten to specifications. 7. Insert a screwdriver or drift into caliper and rotor to prevent rotor from turning, Fig. 7 . 8. Install new hub nut and washer, tighten to specification. 9. Install tire and wheel assembly, then lower vehicle

Considering that there are about seven joints in your vehicle, I'm going to guess that you mean a front axle joint? If so, put the wheels back on but remove the cotter pin from the axle end your are working on and remove the wheel center cap.
Once on the ground, put a socket on the axle nut and using a solid, non jointed breaker bar with a five foot pipe over the handle, break that nut free (torqued to 175 foot lbs...pretty tight)
Then remove that wheel, brake claiper and rotor. You will find three twelve point bolts behind the hub bearing. Break them free and spray the perimeter of the bearing with wd40 or other solvent. Using a 12 point socket that you can afford to throw away, put it on the bolts and hammer from the rear, alternating sides to drive the bearing out of the steering knuckle. Once it is free, remove the bolts all the way and the bearing will slide out. You can then remove the axle.(passenger side requires removal of control box on axle housing to get it out) You will find a "c" clip that retains the joint caps just inside near the rubber boot on each. they need to be pried out. Then, you can drive or press out the caps and remove it from the shaft.(or have a shop do that for you) Re-assembly of shaft into housing is the reverse of removal except that you will need to support and keep the axle centered as it goes into the gear carrier as there is a seal inside that can pop into the carrier if you drag the axle on the bottom...(Gear set needs to be removed if you do that to replace the seal). Removal of any of the joints is the same, regardless of location...only one that is a little more complicated is if you have a doubal cardan joint at the transfer case end of the front drive shaft.

i believe your talking about the slip joint dealer should have parts

You don't need the special tools that they use in this procedure, you can use a hammer and a block of wood to get the axle out of the hub and you can use a pry bar to get the axle out of the transmisson.



Notice: Care must be exercised to prevent the constant-velocity joints from being over-extended. When either end of the drive axle is disconnected, over-extension of the joint could result in separation of internal components and possible joint failure. Drive axle joints and seals should be protected any time service is performed on or near the drive axles. Failure to observe this can result in interior joint or seal damage and possible joint failure.
Notice: Prior to removal of drive axle assembly, cover all sharp edges in the area of the drive axle with shop towels so that the seal is not damaged during removal.
Removal Procedure

1. Raise and suitably support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in General Information.
2. Remove the tire and the wheel assembly. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.
3. Place shop towels underneath the outer joint to protect from any sharp edges.




4. Insert a drift (1) into the caliper and the rotor to prevent the rotor from turning.
5. Remove the drive axle nut (2) and the washer.
6. Remove the lower ball join from the steering knuckle. Refer to Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Replacement in Front Suspension. If you remove the right axle, turn the wheel to the left. If you remove the left axle, turn the wheel to the right.
7. Disconnect the wheel speed speed sensor harness. Refer to Wheel Speed Sensor Replacement in Antilock Brake System.
8. Disconnect the stabilizer link from the lower control arm. Refer to Stabilizer Shaft Link Replacement in Front Suspension.




9. Use the J 28733-B in order to disengage the axle from the hub and the bearing.
10. Separate the hub and the bearing assembly from the drive axle. Move the strut and the knuckle assembly rearward.




11. Remove the inner joint from the transaxle using J 33008 attached to J 29794 and J 2619-01 for the intermediate shaft, if equipped.

Installation Procedure Notice: Prior to installation of drive axle assembly, cover all sharp edges in the area of the drive axle with shop towels so that the seal is not damaged during installation.
Any time the front halfshaft is removed, the transmission (the halfshaft male and female shank) and the knuckle sealing surfaces should be inspected for debris or corrosion.
If debris or corrosion are present on the sealing surfaces, clean them with a 320 grit cloth or equivalent. Transmission fluid may be used to clean off any of the remaining debris. The surface should be wiped dry, and the halfshaft should be reinstalled free of any debris or corrosion buildup.

1. Install the drive axle (2) into the transaxle (1). Place a non-ferrous drift into the groove on the joint housing and then tap until the drift is seated. Be careful not to damage the axle seal or dislodge the seal garter spring when you install the axle.



Important: Verify that the drive axle is seated by grasping on the inner joint housing and pulling outboard.

2. Install the drive axle (1) into the hub and bearing assembly (2).
3. Install the stabilizer link. Refer to Stabilizer Shaft Link Replacement in Front Suspension.
4. Connect the wheel speed sensor harness. Refer to Wheel Speed Sensor Replacement in Antilock Brake System.
5. Install the lower ball joint to the steering knuckle. Refer to Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Replacement in Front Suspension.



Notice: Use the correct fastener in the correct location. Replacement fasteners must be the correct part number for that application. Fasteners requiring replacement or fasteners requiring the use of thread locking compound or sealant are identified in the service procedure. Do not use paints, lubricants, or corrosion inhibitors on fasteners or fastener joint surfaces unless specified. These coatings affect fastener torque and joint clamping force and may damage the fastener. Use the correct tightening sequence and specifications when installing fasteners in order to avoid damage to parts and systems.

6. Install the washer and the new drive axle nut (2).
Insert a drift (1) into the caliper and the rotor in order to prevent the rotor from turning.
Tighten
Tighten the drive axle nut to 200 N·m (144 lb ft).

7. Install the tire and the wheel assembly. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.
8. Lower the vehicle