So trying to do the u-joints here. The rear ones, I heated up with a little propane torch, stuff oozed out of those little holes in the ears. So then I tried to pry the caps out from the inside... No luck, there's no good places to pry.... I ended up using my angle grinder, to cut the ends off the old u-joint and removed the center part. Then I used a 17mm socket or something, and hammered the end caps inward, until they fell out. I need a bigger hammer!

I then tried to use my torch to remove the ones at the front, with the yoke. I can't get my angle grinder in there. I heated each cap up, until it oozed like crazy, then finally exploded sorta thing. I've never smelled anything so bad in my entire life. Still, can't get the caps off... Am I supposed to pry them outwards, or hammer them inwards to remove them?

Then finally, I tried to put my new u-joint on the rear spot. slid the center part in, then pushed the caps on from the outside, on both ends. pushed them into place with my fingers, center part still moved. Put it in the bench vise, and pressed on in until I could get the lock ring on it. Ok, then tried like crazy to get the other one on... no dice. I think it's going in at an angle? The lock ring slot is ok at the inside edge, but towards the back of the driveshaft, the lock ring slot is only slid 1/2 into place...? And now the u-joint won't rotate as normal, it's locked solid, and I have NO WAY to remove it.... (other then blowing $20 and using my angle grinder to cut it out.

So! After my novel of a story here, how should I go about removing the front ones, and then what should I do with the rear one?

Thanks!

 

With all that hammering you could have bent the yoke.

Now is probably a bad time to mention that if you'd taken the shaft to Pat's Driveline on Blackfoot and bought your U-joints there, they probably would have put them in for free.

 

Yea, I'm thinking that's what I did
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Just ran out there with the digital calipers, 2.550" gap measured with the ID forks on the caliper, at the front part of the yoke, and 2.552" at the furthest back part. I think that slight difference is dirt, and measurement error. So i'm thinking I didn't bend the yoke. I was using a standard claw hammer, so I don't think I put a lot of force into it....
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hmm, yes, that is bad timing.
You were holding out on me eh?

 

Are you sure the needles are straight under the caps?

 

they seemed alright when I put the caps on... I guess a needle could have come loose...
How can I get these out, to check? Am I supposed to pry on the delrin seal, and pry outwards? I don't think I can get enough leverage on these, without destroying it, to get it out...?

 

Don't pry on anything.

Use a socket or drift or something, and knock it out from the other side.

If the clips won't go on, a needle is ALMOST CERTAINLY out of place. Don't get too carried away trying to pound it in with it like that, you'll just end up destroying the needle; and then you'll have to get another U-joint.

"Bigger hammer" is the right answer. A typical claw hammer isn't going to get it, they'll just laugh at you and call you insulting names behind your back. Old rusted-in stock U-joints are ALWAYS a PITA to get out. Once you get them out, take some fine or medium emery cloth and clean up the yoke bores before putting the new ones in, it makes getting them back in gracefully alot easier; and put some grease or anti-seize or something on the outside of the cup so that it doesn't rust solid like that again.

I use an old socket (it's about a 5/8" or 11/16" or some such) as a drift, and about a 1" one as a "receiver", and a 2 lb sledge, to change them out. I set the drive shaft on a piece of wood or something to hold it as level as possible on the "receiver" socket. Don't be shy about it, they tend to require significant persuasion. I usually try to loosen the caps one at a time, from each side, before trying to drive them out.

 

ok, so just trying to grasp the logistics here, if I hammer one cap inwards. it'll move the whole u-joint towards the other side, and push the far side cap out into the socket?

ok, i'll try that. "They" said I needed 1 1/8", and I, sure enough, have a 1 1/16" and a 1 1/4". I thought the cap was hitting the inner edge of the socket...

Damn dirty hammers! I think i'm long over due buying a bigger hammer... I'll try to do this to remove my new u-joint, and see how that goes. Thanks!

 

Right, the cap you hit will push on the trunnion, which will push the other cap out of the yoke. Then you flip it over and hit on the end of the trunnion (with a brass drift or the like, to keep from damaging it if you intend to re-use it) to push the first cap out.

Some people use 2 ball-peen hammers, instead of a socket: they'll set the driveshaft over their "receiver", turn one hammer with the ball end on the center of the U-joint, and hit it with the other hammer.

Another good thing to use for a "receiver" is an old wheel or axle bearing, or similar thing, if you have any such laying around.

 

Alrighty! That worked like a charm! 1 1/4" socket as the receiver, 17mm impact socket as the drift. A nice big hammer, and it was cake! Now that I removed one, intact, I understand how it works!
the dremel with a sanding drum honed those bores nicely, and made it a lot easier to get in the new ones!

The front one with the tranny yoke went in, and floats nice and freely. The rear one is harder to turn... I'm pretty sure it's just that delrin ring, rubbing against the yoke. I put it on the car and drive it around the block, seemed ok to me... I'll let it wear in, and listen for funny noises.

Thanks!

 

ok, taking it around the block last night (whopping 30mph or so), everything seemed fine....

Driving it on the highway this morning, 65mph or so, whoa!!!!! BIG time vibration! Is it possible that I didn't bolt the rear u-joint to the pinion yoke right? Like the u-joint offset the yoke? Or did I bend my driveshaft? (I did drop it on the floor, like 4' drop onto concrete...)

Try re-aligning it, or bring it to a driveshaft shop for rebalancing?

 

Yes, very easy to not get it into the rear end yoke right; there's a little "pillow" in each side of the saddle, that the caps are supposed to fit down between. Make sure they're in there.

If that doesn't get it, try putting the driveshaft into the yoke 180° from where it is now; then try pulling it out of the trans, turning it 180°, and putting it back in.

Most likely though, it's not in the rear yoke right. It may require a bit of squeezing with big Channellocks or something to get it to fit down in there the first time.

 

ahh, that pillow would be what holds the caps on, so they don't go flying off eh?
It did seem to go in harder then all the previous times i've removed the d-shaft.. I'll take a closer look at that tonight. Thanks!

 

ok, couldn't find any pillow type things? Suppose you have a picture?

I unbolted the rear straps, and pushed the shaft forward. The bores in the pinion yoke were smooth bores...? I spun the driveshaft 180* (car in neutral, so output shaft stayed same relative to driveshaft), then put it back in the back yoke. It seems like the lock rings align the u-joint in the rear. The lock rings press against the inside bore, in order to center it..? So I did that, bolted it back in place. Took it for a spin.

Still, anytime over 50mph or so, the vibration starts. Once you get to 65mph it's absolutely brutal. Not like some guys who feel phantom vibrations, this makes my rear view unusable, and my teeth chatter....

Looks like I should call Pats driveline tommorow and see if I can bring in the car?

 

No, they won't touch your car. They'll look at the shaft if you bring it in though.

 

? Nasty. One of those curb removals then....

 

called them up this morning, would have to take it in monday...

figured i'd screw with it again this morning, see if I missed anything. Completely removed the shaft, set it on the bench and looked at it....


on the front yoke, one of the caps was pushed ouwards, ~3/32" or so... Found out that the cap was never push in far enough to engage the lock ring... I hammered it in, but it couldn't get in far enough.
It occured to me that I have 2 different lock rings, the thicker ones, and the thinner ones. What's the deal with that?
Anyway, I pushed it in as far as I could, and used a thinner lock ring there. Put it back on, and the vibration seems to be gone...?


I still have many other weird clunking noises from under the car, so my weekend is still full....