Are there any tricks/hacks to changing the center support bearing?

Thank you, Joe. It will be a week perhaps before the new bearing arrives. I just hope I have one that is replaceable, and I don't have to get an entire Drive Shaft. Here on island, we get the shaft on parts with no grease man. Ouch, LOL Example, front wheel bearing Napa $400.00, Car Quest discounted to $300.00 and good ole Rock Auto with shipping $130.00.
But that was a Mevotech unit, so I hope it is okay. I see they are junk, but we only drive 30 MPH anyway. Cheers, Terry

Hi Joe,

Well, if were not for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all at the moment. LOL
Stayed home from work today to work on my 2000 Mirage. Leaking gas tank. I had patched it up and reinstalled. Added 5 gallons and it promptly leaked. Sigh. My bad. Didn't see the putty stick that came with the fiber glass kit. Permatex product. So that was a wasted of time. Sigh. Start over

Anyway, on the drive line. To add to my streak of luck.I took a good peek under the 2010 Sport Trac. XLT. And sure enough, it has staked U Joints as I do not see any clips in the cup area, but rather little indents around the caps.
This is my first encounter with non clipped U Joints so am feeling a little bummed out. LOL I guess on the bright side, I do see a bolt or nut in the U Joint by the Center Support Bearing unit, so I am hoping I can remove the U Joint and unbolt the flange. Slip the center bearing off and slip on the replacement. Then I guess I will need to install a new U Joint in place of the one coming out. Will clip type U Joints work in this type drive line? I do see grooves cut into the flange area that appears to be for Clip type installations.
I doubt our local Ford garage has the ability to fix that drive line type and rather just sell me a new one. You mention that above about a dealer servicing it. Are the cup sizes different in stake over clip type? I see today that U Joints come with Outer Clip Type, and Inner Clip Type. What would you suggest to use? Bummed out in 'the island of American Samoa. South Pacific Tropic's. Terry

Been watching this guy on YouTube, and has several series to go through, but pretty good detail on stake U Joints:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tehKQFziQTw
Any suggestions on U Joint brand to use for a inside snap ring for this thing?
Would all 3 be the same type and number for an inside snap ring type?
Thanks Joe - Terry

Hi Joe,

That information was helpful. I called our local Ford Dealer not a clue, or so it appeared. Will call back, but never did. So, I called the Ford Dealer in Clovis, CA where I used to live, and spoke to their parts department, explaining the ordeal and the information you provided. The guy said yeah, but discontinued item. Wonderful but more research turned up some cross reference numbers, and so I've order 3 from Rock Auto, just hope they do fit. They are outside snap ring type, and I am pretty sure it had grooves for outer snap rings in the yokes but will double check again. I've see some as well that said they require some sort of spacer to take up a gap that could be left between the cap and snap ring. If that is something I run into. See if I can find some washers to fit the gap.
Anyway, I thought I'd pass it along while I await the center support bearing and U Joints. I figure to get 3 even if I need 1 - it never hurts to have more than you need down here.
Will keep you posted.
Terry

Hi Joe,

Got the center support bearing in the mail today and am going to try tomorrow. Hopefully. To install just it. I've got U Joints coming but I am hoping it might come apart without fussing with the yoke u joints. Attached are some pictures while still in the car, not the best, but give an idea. I do see what I believe are slots for outer snap ring u joints and may need a spacer to fill the gap between the snap ring and u joint cap. Seen some post on YouTube about some with spacers and appears to be a nut that holds the yoke to the back half of the drive shaft. Fingers cross man.

More, seems I can only attach 1 at a time.

More

Not the best shots, was in a hurry of sorts.

What you see there is the rubber hanging out from the center support bearing.
What I was trying to show is the yoke and u joints and that nut that is visible in some above pictures. Hopefully I can undo that bolt with a wrench and slip the yoke off without removing the u joints. Which showed up in the mail today, but I may need spacers.
But it appears to have grooves for outer snap rings.
Terry

Hope the video works okay. So far, I have the 17mm bolt loose and am trying to get the yoke off.
It is on there pretty solid, LOL 13 years being in place I guess, sigh.
I got notice today that my U Joints are here as well. Wonderful, wish they were ready for pick up with the center bearing yesterday, but s it so it goes. Island life.
I think I may have to change the U Joints anyway. They have free movement for the most part, but they have spots that seem flat or sticky and then move past it normal like. I would guess there are flat spots developing in the U Joints at those positions. They are staked of course. And the ones I got from Rock Auto cross reference those part numbers I sent earlier. Anyway, another day fussing with it. More to follow for sure. Terry

On top of that video, I got a U-shaped spacer out from behind that bolt and yoke housing. See pic of it.

Hi Joe,

Okay, the thing is back together and installed in the truck. Unfortunately, I didn't video the final assembly of the two-piece drive shaft but will assemble what I recorded and upload that. I'm not a video maker for sure. LOL and it may be pretty lousy, but perhaps it gives someone an idea of what they are up against. Honestly, after 5 days of fussing with it and if I lived in the states still. I may have ordered a drive line from a shop that makes them still. The $599.00 price tag that I watched on YouTube out of Oklahoma, might have been the smart thing to do.
I have part numbers and such, and things went together okay. Had to grind some of the yokes off some to slip the replacement U Joints in, as they were 75.5mm in length and the originals were about 73.5mm in length. Yet the snap rings pretty much lined up, but the snap rings were really not big enough to fit properly in the grooves, so I had to spread them to fit snugly. Pretty Micky Mouse, but I can't run down to a snap ring store either.
I had the back flange and yoke together for the rear end and come to find out later once in the yoke started moving back and forth on the U Joint, and the cap slipping some. Fantastic. I put a spacer on one side and not the other, so I would have to say it is a little off center, but snug with the snap rings again. I just fear a snap ring flying off and the center cap follows it. That'll make a mess huh. LOL. Test drive seems good, and we can only drive 25mph here, but I got a piece of road and went about 40 plus. Seem to be okay. Little vibration around 28 to 30 and pretty sure I got the drive shafts in line as they were originally. Perhaps just me being to picky. The wife took it for her test run and says it is fine. Works for me right now. I do intend to order some different U Joints, or another as a spare and see if I can find a little larger snap ring for it. The biggest issue I ran into was getting the old U Joints out from the stake in area and then getting the new U Joints to slip into place. That is where I had to grind some of the yokes off to allow the new U Joint to pop in. Then come to find out. Even though the new U Joints are serviceable. There is no way under the sun you can fit a grease gun on the Zirk fitting - to close to the yokes no matter which way they go in. Ford did not want this to be repairable and they did a nice job doing that, but hopefully I've got where it may last long enough to consider a replacement drive line if push comes to shove. LOL
Sorry for so much ramble, and I'll attach a complete video if I can, plus upload it to YT. LOL Bad as it may be, perhaps it will help someone else go. Crap. Buy a drive line.
Terry

Hey Joe,

Trying to attach my video on what I've done. Fingers crossed man.
Terry