Okay, the low-speed tick-tick-tick from the rear end was definitely the rear half of the drive shaft; rear-most u-joint had phenomenal play, and after dropping it out of the wagon and driving it around without the rear shaft voila, the sound is gone. Yay. But now.....

 

How the hell do I remove the u-joints? Mine are not held in by snap-rings, they're held in with some sort of machine staked in ring, with staking marks all around the ring. The new u-joints from the parts store do indeed come with new rings, but how do I get whatever those are out of the yokes in the first place to remove the u-joints????

You need an angle grinder with a cut-off wheel.

 

Flex the joint sideways, cut thru each of the cross's of the u-joint.

Then drive each of the bearing caps inwards.

 

New joints clips will go on the inside of the yokes.

 

Sounds harder than it is....

 

edit;

There may be a need to debur a spot or two in the yokes. Some I've had to, others not.

^ What he said. I just went through this a few months ago. Although, my old ones were torched out carefully.