Universal joint clips won't seat

[woodturner]

Working on replacing the universal joints on my 2000 Ranger XL with manual transmission.

First problem was that the joints specified for this vehicle don't fit. Finally figured out my truck has a stock driveshaft from an automatic transmission vehicle, so got those joints and they fit.

However, I can't get the clips to seat properly. I push in one cap, put on the clip, put in the spyder, push in the other cap, and try to put on the clip, but it won't go into the groove. It looks like the cap is not quite into the bore far enough. I checked the joints against the originals and they are the same size.

Any suggestions on how to get the clips to seat?

Thanks!!

 

[my pos mounty]

I used the "socket-and-hammer" trick when I replaced mine. They were definately tight to get in. I had to heat the driveshaft around the area where the u-joint caps go in. It had a plastic of some type that Ford used. I had to get that out of there (the bore of the hole where the cap goes in) and clean up the groove that the clip snaps into. Hope this helps.

PS: Hetaed driveshaft area without NEW u-joint in place

 

[ericautopart]

You may have dropped a needle bearing in the other cap which will keep the other side from going in all the way. I'd take out the other cap and make sure. If you use too much force you'll bust the end of the cap right through.

 

[Maniak]

You may have dropped a needle bearing in the other cap which will keep the other side from going in all the way. I'd take out the other cap and make sure. If you use too much force you'll bust the end of the cap right through.

Ditto on that.. I've done that a couple times (dropping a needle, not busting the cap through).

~Mark

 

[woodturner]

You may have dropped a needle bearing in the other cap which will keep the other side from going in all the way. I'd take out the other cap and make sure.

I'm pretty sure there is not a needle lose in the cap. The clip "almost" fits, it just off by probably .010" or so, so that it won't seat down in the groove. I did get them to go in partway by using the ball joint press to compress both the joint and the clip, but it seems like there must be a better, more reliable way.

I still need to do the front, so I'm asking for suggestions to do a better, easier job on that one.

Thanks.

 

[woodturner]

I used the "socket-and-hammer" trick when I replaced mine.

What is the "socket and hammer" trick? Driving the caps in with a socket and hammer?

I used the borrowed Autozone ball joint press. The original caps took a lot of force to remove, but the replacement caps slid in fairly easily, could almost do it by hand.

 

[my pos mounty]

Yeah, I used a socket very close to the same circumferance as the hole in the driveshaft and tapped in the u-joint. Dont really "hammer" it. I bought that very same press and found it was easier for me to use the socket-and-hammer.
You might be hanging up on that plastic that ford used. Check out around the area of the groove and make sure that groove is clean. Might want to try to take it all apart again and heat up the area around the holes if you can see any of that plastic goop. After i got that stuff out, it went together very nicely.

 

[gijoecam]

Indeed, double check both ends for fallen needles... Don't be surprised if you find one.

 

[Turdle]

You may have distorted the yoke when pressing the joint in--out

 

[ericautopart]

If you drop a needle it'll be like a centimeter off and it just won't budge. You may even get the clip on but it'll be tight and you'll hear grinding and it'll fail within seconds. I'd check it if I were you but that's just me. When doing joints I press them in with a vice on each side as tight as I can and then finish the pressing with a hydraulic jack press from harbor freight. Or some joints will allow the socket and hammer but some brands are more stubborn than others. I've done HUNDREDS of these..trust me on this one. Check for the needles.

 

[SmoothJimmy]

according to the Haynes manual, if the clips don't quite fit then strike the yoke (not the ujoint) with a hammer to "spring" it, allow the clips to seat. It also says to strike on the yoke with a hammer if the ujoint feels tight once in place.

 

[Turdle]

You may have distorted the yoke when pressing the joint in--out

according to the Haynes manual, if the clips don't quite fit then strike the yoke (not the ujoint) with a hammer to "spring" it, allow the clips to seat. It also says to strike on the yoke with a hammer if the ujoint feels tight once in place.

^^^ yes, that is what I was thinking also

 

[woodturner]

according to the Haynes manual, if the clips don't quite fit then strike the yoke (not the ujoint) with a hammer to "spring" it, allow the clips to seat. It also says to strike on the yoke with a hammer if the ujoint feels tight once in place.

OK, I will check for stray needles and then give this a try.

I plan to work on it this weekend, I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks, everyone, for all the help and ideas.

 

[woodturner]

update

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions. I worked on it this past weekend.

I did not find any needles loose in the caps - but when I reassmbled it, did have that problem. I appreciate the suggestion - knew immediately what the problem was, would have spent a lot of time trying to figure it out otherwise.

Anyway, I realized that the "C clamp" on the borrowed Autozone press was bent, so it wasn't pushing straight. Got another one, worked MUCH better.

I cleaned the clip groove thoroughly, hosed it down with Kroil, cleaned, then put one of the clips in and turned it around in the groove. Made sure all the clips would seat at the top of the groove.

Pressed in the caps with the press, had one that wouldn't go down, found the loose needle in there. Pulled the cap, fixed the needle, repressed it.

Some of the clips were still tight. Noticed a couple of things:

1. "Overpushing" the first cap makes it harder to get the second cap in all the way. Learned to push the cap just enough to get the clip to seat.

2. It takes way more pressure than I would have thought to seat the caps. I really had to crank down on the press to get them in far enough to seat the clips.

3. A tight clip can be "helped" along by putting it in place, getting it started, then gently tapping the edge of the clip with a screw driver and hammer.

I wonder if I have sprung the one end, though, or still have one cap that is slightly skewed. One of the joints in the back is on the stiff side. Still turns by hand, just not as easily as the others.

Assuming one of the caps is slightly crooked, will this cause any problems? Is it the kind of thing that will settle down on it's own as I drive the truck, or something I need to fix?

I did notice that the clips that didn't seem to be going in all the way last week now seemed to be fully seated. My suspicion is that some of the grease was on the end of the cross part of the joint, causing the cap to not go down quite all the way. Over time, the grease may have worked its way out, allowing the cap to move in a little and the clip to seat.