Last Updated: July 18, 2020 Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. The 5 gentle neck stretches you NEED to reduce pain. The idea is to have one side of our bolt expand from the heat and break the rust. Prevent the jostling of the needle bearings by securing the bearing caps with tape. Place a bearing cup under one of these openings and tap the yoke to seat the cup. In order to save weight, the driveshaft is fairly light-gauge metal and can dent easily, and a dent in the driveshaft can cause it to be out of balance. Continue tightening the threaded rod to push one cap out of the yoke. U-joints are a cross-shaped part that connect your vehicle's driveshaft to the transmission and differential and allow for the vehicle's suspension to move up and down without breaking the driveshaft. Slide it as far as possible to one side and push the new cap as far into the yoke as you can. To get the last 2 caps out, you can lay the ujoint across the vice jaws (lay the ends with the caps already removed on top of the jaws). Remove the four U-joint clip mounting bolts from the axle housing, using a 3/8-inch drive ratchet and socket. Lift the rear of the shaft into place and install the straps/bolt the flanges together, making sure to line up the marks you made during removal. Worst it still have damn c clip hold shaft to diff. No, you should drop the whole drive shaft so you don't damage it by bending or twisting. It need new u joint in middle of shaft. Once the snap rings were removed, we rested the trunion arms of the U-joint on top of bench vice jaws. They should come out easily. Many people consider this unnecessary but change their minds the first time a cap falls off during installation and the needle bearings go all over the shop floor. Check the installed U-joint for binding. Step 5. Next, select another cup that is larger than the cups on the U-joint but not larger than the opening on the yoke. These are usually either 7/16- or 1/2-inch. It makes this a cakewalk. Once removed, the driveshaft can be removed by pushing it forward and then down and pulling it rearward. Repeat on the opposite site. Well it nightmare. See image above. 03: Remove the u-joint straps and bolts and remove the driveshaft. Remove the U-joint cross from the shaft when both caps are out and set the shaft aside. Using a pair of pliers, remove the inside snap ring from the upper half of the yoke or the outside snap ring/C-clip from the lower cup and repeat the process on the other side to remove both C-clips/snap rings. With the driveshaft out, lay it on a work bench or any convenient and comfortable work surface. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. I usually don't hesitate to invest in tools. 2) due to #1 I am now trying to replace them without taking the shaft off. The clip keeps the cartridge from floating or turning around inside the body while you are operating the faucet. Remove all four of the U-joint retainer clips from the U-joint, using a pair of needle-nose pliers. Remove the C-clips/snap rings securing the caps in the yoke. Then hammer in the position shown. Have you tried driving the u-joint cup farther in the yoke, away from the clip? Source | Mike Aguilar. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. (been there, done that, probably will again!) Can the 2 rear joints be changed without having to remove or disturb the carrier bearing on a 92 f-150 extended cab truck? Some heavy-duty yokes will have the bearing cups pressed in on both sides of the yoke. Flip axle over and pop the other cap out. We sprayed some WD40 onto the U-joint caps. Next, push it down before pulling it towards the rear of the car. If this is the case for you, repeat steps 2 and 3 above for the second yoke. You can see the rust on this U-joint, which caused joint failure. If on the rare chance the shaft and tube assembly may be so badly rusted that the shaft cannot be turned, or it may be turned with some force but cannot be withdrawn from the felt bushings, then you end up removing the clamp under the dash to remove the entire steering column assembly from the car. Flip the tool around and repeat to remove the other cap and U-joint "cross." The rear yoke is secured to the differential yoke with either two nuts and bolts or four bolts, depending on year, make, and model of your vehicle. Then we used a small screwdriver and the pliers to finagle them out. Follow these steps for how to replace universal joints. It’s next to impossible to remove a bolt that’s fully rusted in place, so scrub for 4-5 minutes until you’ve scraped off nearly all of the rust. Greasing the bearing caps will help to keep the needle bearings properly positioned. If you've got an out-of-balance driveshaft, you're going to have a whole new source of vibration and a new set of problems to address. For polymer, be prepared to use extreme pressure to remove the joints. Try spraying the clip area with Liquid Wrench or similar. Holding the U-joint/yoke assembly by the U-joint cups, sharply strike the yoke. Replacing universal joints refers to changing the couplings at either end of the drive shaft, which are an integral component of the suspension system of a vehicle. Heat may be required, so have a heat gun or small Prestolite torch handy. Remove the internal/external C-clips or press out the injected ring of polymer holding the U joints in place. It may take a bit of initial force to break the fitting free. 95 F250 with dana 50. Remove the tape or rubber band and set the U-joint cups into the pinion yoke on the differential. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Then you can take a hammer and tap on the ears until the caps are flush with the ears. Make sure the joint pivots easily. 05: Remove the u-joint cup retaining clips. I have the clips out but cant get the u-joint to come loose. Do not overfill the universal joint with grease, as this can ruin the seals. Remove the U-joint cap straps with your hands, pull the U-joint and driveshaft from the yoke, and pull the driveshaft away from the transfer case. The worst driveshaft experience I've had is doing double-cardan joints on a 76 Caddy. You may need to use the press to remove tension on one clip and then flip it around to remove the other clip. Take a stiff-bristle wire brush and brush it aggressively against the rust crusted on the stuck bold (and corresponding nut). This occurs when the joints are lubricated regularly. Find the correct size press cup to fit the driveshaft yoke and place the cup over the end of the threaded rod. Use an old socket (spark plug socket is about right) to drive the cap in on one side forcing the cap out the other side. Re: Removing U Joints with no clips. Some projects may be too challenging or time consuming to tackle at home, and that’s why we partner with trusted, professional shops that are ready to get you back on the road. Can I replace the rear universal joint without dropping the whole drive shaft? Mark the side of the driveshaft and yoke that will have the replacement U-joint installed. References. This can be easily done with a small propane torch. Remove stub shaft. So.. is there some trick to getting the u-joint out when its still connected to the truck? Tape keeps that from happening. Remove the snap rings on both ends (some have a C clip on the inside – push them off with a screw driver). Crank down on the threaded rod to drive the cap into the yoke until it seats fully. Could only be better with pics.". This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Source | Mike Aguilar Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 75,025 times. Two clips per u-joint, the other two legs of the u-joint are held to the other side by straps or u-bolts. I am able to seperate the stock inners from the ujoints, PITA as always but they come off. Replace it if needed. Insert the cross into the yoke. Rust should be removed from the root of the thread all the way to the end so the nut doesn't gall and seize as it turns. Flip over the shaft and repeat to remove the opposite cap. During every step of the process, you'll need to be very careful handling the driveshaft. Once you've removed your driveshaft from the vehicle, you'll need to remove the snap ring clips that hold the u-joint's cross piece to the yoke. Back under the vehicle, slide the transmission yoke into the tailshaft until it bottoms out. Step 4. Heat it up as hot as you can get it without melting the bolt. Otherwise you end up disconnecting the u-joint as in the prior paragraph to withdraw the main shaft. Keeping the cross perpendicular to the yoke can make this process a little easier. Install the U-joint clamps to secure the U-joint to the pinion yoke and tighten the nuts and bolts. Rotate the driveshaft/yoke 180 degrees and repeat on the opposite side. To remove the driveshaft, the car has to be in the air, either level or with the rear higher than the front to keep fluid from leaking out of the transmission. Step 3: Remove as Much Rust as Possible. 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