Today I tried to pull out the front drive shaft. I took loose the caps on the u joint and the front was free. I tugged forward slightly but it only moved as far as the rubber boot would allow without breaking the boot. What's the trick?

 

You have to pry/pound where the cv joint on the drive-shaft connects to the transfer case. There's a snap ring you have to break free. So, when I removed mine, I just used a big mallot and a block of wood (placed on the cv aiming toward the engine), then just beat the crap out of it.

 

I've looked at some pictures of the drive shaft. I now realize the drive shaft goes all the way to the case. I'm still not sure about a clip? I saw a picture of the cup pulled back from the case allowing some of the spline to be visible and a clip of some sort around the spline. I know the cup is part of the driveshaft. Why does it not just slide on and off?

 

On my 97 once you had the front u-joint off you just pried it off with a pry bar from the back of the shaft pryin it forward there was no clips you have to remove first. It also just slides back on very easy to get off like 5 mins.

 

Hmmm...Well, there was a spline sticking out of the t-case with a snap ring on the end of it, on my 99. That's what locks the cv in place.