Hi guys...and gals! I'm new to this forum stuff. Hope I do this right. I'm a retired industrial manufacturing production mechanic preparing to rebuild my 1998 Ram 3500 4x4 12v cummins auto transmission (47re). Bought the transmission manual, located parts supplier, have most of the tools; now to my problem, how the does one remove the main drive shaft. I got the front drive shaft off, piece of cake; transfer case skid plate off, no probs. Started checking out the main drive shaft and one end is easy, the center bearing should just unbolt from the frame. but the u-joint at the transfer case has clips (removed the clips), used sockets and soft drifts and soft hammers and dead blows. nothing seems to work. Do I need a gear puller to press the u-joint out, remove the bearing cap and tilt joint out and lower shaft out of the way? Don't want to ruin perfectly good u-joints. Maybe I'm just missing something really simple, like it just slides out of the transfer case...doubtful . So far, getting the transmission out and back in the truck seems as though it might be more difficult than the actual rebuild. Small tedious stuff I'm used to.

 

Just for grins, are you double SURE there is no torque on the shaft?

I know, I know, but even old timers like me forget sometimes.

Other than that, it is simply stuck in there, pry bar behind the joint and pull.

 

The Transfer case is in neutral and there is a little slop in the shaft. Still can't get the front u-joint out of the yoke...and that's no yoke . Really bad, wasn't it? Anyway, I've pulled "manual" xmissions before on other brands and all the u-joint yokes had bolted keepers holding the bearing cap. Made the job real easy. Also, I don't want to ruin the yoke on the shaft or I'll be buying a new shaft too.

 

Its a slip yoke. Unbolt the carrier bearing, then pull the shaft out. No need to separate the u-joint from the yoke.

 

Doh, yea, just pull it out from the front.

Here I was working on the rear............

 

Got it. Thanks everybody for your help. Next step, disconnecting all the stuff to the transmission and transfer case.