Ford AE5Z-4R602-A
Drive Shaft

A proper service and repair procedure on the driveshaft starts by putting the vehicle into NEUTRAL gear on a hoist. Start every maintenance operation by waiting for exhaust system cooling because high operating temperatures exist near the catalytic converters so you can stay safe from injuries. Index-mark both driveshaft flanges for proper alignment. Separate the exhaust system at the flex pipe through removal of the 2 nuts while using a stand to support the exhaust system and removing its two front hangers. As a first step lower the exhaust system down to make enough room for driveshaft removal. The replacement of new CV joint bolts and washers remains essential because damage to the vehicle can result from using them again. Discard the 4 front driveshaft-to-transfer case bolts and washers and replace them with new bolts which need to be tightened to 70 Nm (52 ft. lbs. when installed properly. The front driveshaft removal process requires discarding and replacing the 4 universal joint flange bolts while torquing new bolts to 70 Nm (52 ft. lbs.) during installation. When replacing the rear U-joint flange bolts do not use the existing pieces because you should discard them and add new bolts that need to be tightened to 70 Nm (52 ft. lbs.). Fitting assistance allows removal of the 4 center bearing support nuts and driveshaft while installation should use 55 Nm (41 ft. lbs.) torque on new nuts. Drive shaftumas should be addressed by indexing the shaft before performing a reverse installation using the same removal steps.

The first step for driveshaft servicing or repair is performing index-marking operations on both driveshaft flanges. Set the vehicle on a hoist so NEUTRAL sits as the selection. Separate the exhaust system at the flex pipe by removing and discarding its 2 nuts. Then install new nuts before tightening them to 40 Nm (30 lb-ft). The exhaust support system needs installation before workers can remove the two front hangers to drop the system for driveshaft clearance. Fasten front driveshaft-to-power transfer unit (PTU) flange bolts and washers using new pieces which should be tightened to 70 Nm (52 lb-ft). The rear U-joint flange requires new bolts since you should discard the existing 4 rear driveshaft-to-pinion flange bolts and tighten new ones to 70 Nm (52 lb-ft). Remove the 4 center bearing support nuts and the driveshaft with help before installation but fasten the new nuts to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft). The driveshaft needs indexing when post-installation vibration develops. The installation process includes following all steps in reverse order of uninstallation.

Both driveshaft flanges require indexing before performing the removal and replacement procedure. Place the vehicle in NEUTRAL gear while it rests on a hoist where the exhaust flex pipe remains properly supported above the surface. Separate the exhaust system at the flex pipe by removing its 2 nuts then install new nuts using a torque of 40 Nm (30 lb-ft). After supporting the exhaust system properly you should disconnect the two front exhaust hangers before lowering the system to expose enough space for driveshaft extraction. New bolts should replace the 4 front driveshaft-to-Power Transfer Unit (PTU) flange bolts after tightening them to 70 Nm (52 lb-ft). A proper pry bar should be used to detach the driveshaft flange from the PTU flange. The 4 rear driveshaft-to-pinion flange bolts need replacement with new ones before torquing them to 70 Nm (52 lb-ft). A crew must tighten the driveshaft center bearing support nuts and driveshaft assembly before finally tightening the center bearing support nuts to 55 Nm (41 lb-ft). Indexing of driveshaft should be performed when driveshaft vibration occurs after installation. Install the driveshaft in reverse order of the removal steps.