The whole problem could have been avoided by removing the rear half of the U joint, and the bell. Neither one should be locked up that tight, and it's all going to have to be freed up so it slides back and forth easily before things get reassembled. The torque tube and the driveshaft spline MUST be free to move in and out as the suspension moves up and down. Unless the bell assembly is removed from the torque tube it will be impossible to adjust the preload on the ball to prevent a grease leak, by shimming the cover back and forth with the right stack of gaskets, and the rear of the U joint needs to be a smooth slip fit on the driveshaft spline. The packing under the gland nut at the back end of the bell needs to be changed while you're in there also, so not doing a full disassembly isn't an option.
Jerry
