Hello all, Im in the process of purchasing a 73 convertible, and am toying with the idea of car dollying it home 250 miles,, as my vehicle is not big enuf to trailer it according to Uhaul, they recommend removing the driveshaft to car dolly, how is that done, easiest and quickest. I have never done that before not just on a stang, but on any car, and what tools are necessary. It is an automatic car with V8.

 

hey there, welcome
removing the drive shaft would be a good idea, mandatory with an automatic.
it is pretty easy. i cant remember what size wrench...think its 1/2 inch or 3/8. you may want to jack up the back or one side of the car for easier access...use jack stands for security if you do this!!!
undo the ubolts on the diff yoke and jiggle them out of the way. then push the drive shaft out of the yoke towards the gearbox. you may need a screw driver or other lever to get it out if it has been a while since last done. then it just pulls free of the gearbox.

the tricky bits are
1) the little bearing caps in the universal joints. these sit in the yoke, held by the u-bolts. they are not secured and prone to falling off, so you either need to hold on with thumb and finger or better yet get another person to help you control it. once free, wrap with duct tape or similar so they cant fall off.
Dont panic if they do fall off. the little pin bearings will fall out and are a pain to try to put back!! However,while the drive shaft is out, you can always take it to a shop and get new u-joints fitted. not a bad idea anyway.

2) depending on the rear seals in the gearbox, it is likely to leak trans oil out where the drive shaft goes in. I use another front yoke from an old driveshaft. just wire it back to the gear box to hold it in place. you may be able to get one from a wrecking yard or local workshop (to borrow). if not, a trans shop may have a plastic cap for such occaisions. either way, if towing it any distance you want to at least cover it to minimize any leaks and prevent dust and grime going the other way.

if you wanta clear look before you undertake this, crawl under an F truck for a look.
good luck

 

you would be better suited using a full car trailer if possible

but if u must its four bolt there either 1/2 or 9/16 cant remember exactly and it slides out

now the next problem that presents its self is that the tranny is full of automatic transmission fluid so u got either drain it or plug it

u can go to the junk yard and get a scrap front yoke from a late model auto or t5 car and slip it in and tie it up so it doesnt come out or u can buy a plug from somewhere like www.npdlink.com

no u could go witht he draining route but u will still need to seal off the rear of the tranny so it doesnt get dirt inside.

but if u can get a full car trailer u can avoid all of this its just your choice(and its a good idea esp if the tires are old on the stang)