changing u-joints

[katt68]

any advice or tips on changing u-joints for the 4wd ?
mainly that center one on the front end ?
my ex is a 92 with manual hubs.

 

[NOTAJP]

If you have never done it before, get yourself a u-joint tool. It looks like a modified c-clamp, very easy to work with, and pretty cheap. It can be done with a ball pen hammer, but i've done a bunch of u-joints also.

 

[DeRocha]

Why the Center U-joint? Most of the time it is the wheel U-joints which go first.
U-joint replacement info and pics

 

[ld50]

Derocha,
That link is awesome!

 

[DeRocha]

I'm glad someone looked At it... I have added it to my sig line so maybe it will get some more views...

 

[ld50]

I looked at around today for a U-joint tool out here. Can`t find any yet, the c-clamp style they showed seems perfect for me. Awesome ideas.

 

[DeRocha]

I picked up the same one (from Harbour freight). I used it to replace all 8 U-joints as well as all 4 ball joints. The only minor negative thing with using the tool is getting the tool lined up (onto rounded yolk ears). But once it is you can just go to town.. I used my impact gun (removal only) and it pressed out a bearing cap in 2 seconds. The same joint that I whacked with a 10lb sledge hammer for 15 minutes only moving the cap 2-3 mm....

 

[ld50]

Well I found a U-joint tool, the c-clamp style.
It worked great, and no vice is needed! Although a vice would get you off your knees, that`s for sure.

Funny though, I never knew my front u-joints were greasable, and doubt I could get a grease gun in there anyway. I thought I screwed the front passenger side one in Moab, but after taking it apart I saw it was very dry, one bearing cap had all the bearings in it, one had a whole bunch of busted ones, and two had absolutely nothing at all in there! Just some dust, wierd....

Of course now I gotta do the other side, but with my c-clamp U-joint tool it should be a snap!

-thanks guys!

 

[Glacier991]

They also make an add on master kit with piecs to allow easy removal and replacement of nearly all ball joints etc on most FWD/AWD vehicles. It's more expensive than the tool though, and also mostly catalog only. BUT, a worthy addition - considering this is a knock off of a $200 tool and the add on adds another $200 to that (for about $60).


DeRocha... wonderful thread with excellent pics. I know how time consuming that can be. Mind if I nominate it for inclusion in the "Useful Threads Forum" here?

 

[DeRocha]

I thought I screwed the front passenger side one in Moab, but after taking it apart I saw it was very dry, one bearing cap had all the bearings in it, one had a whole bunch of busted ones, and two had absolutely nothing at all in there! Just some dust, wierd....

This is common on 1st gen wheel joints and happens when the interior U-Joint lube dries out. The lube dries out when the bearing seal gets old. Over time lube escapes and contaminants (moisture) enter. Not using 4x4 is the worst thing you can do as it allows the joint to dry out faster and lets rust build up within the needle bearings. By using 4x4 on a regular basis the lube (or whats left) will be redistributed onto surfaces that may have gotten dried out and rust will not have a chance to build up.

If the stub axle (aka wheel U-joint) becomes frozen then it will use the Spindle Bearing as a fulcrum and place a huge load on it as the stub axle moves through its rotation. If this happens then the bearing and seal should be replaced.

Glacier991 Feel free to nominate the thread.

 

[ld50]

any advice or tips on changing u-joints for the 4wd ? mainly that center one on the front end ?

Back to the original question,
I`m thinking the center one would be the other joint on the passenger side?
I don`t see how you would do that center one without pulling the pumpkin off, the shaft is held in with a c-clip. I don`t see a way to get the c-clamp in there, so That would be a big job, I wish I did mine when I was putting my locker in.

 

[DeRocha]

I did mine with the TTBs sitting on my workbench so it wasn't that bad. I left the axle shaft installed in the pumpkin and used my impact gun to press it out. Before using the gun I tried a breaker bar, But it seamed to put a lot of strain on the axel shafts (and I was afraid to screw something up). The gun is cool because even though it has 1000 ft/lbs of torque it doens't exert any where close to the same leverage torque of the breaker bar. Much like shooting a nail gun. The nail goes right in with very little bounce back... :smoke:

I have heard others have used the "C" press to remove the center U-joint with the TTBs still on the X (there just isn't a lot of room). Although both of my wheel U-Joints were dry and rusty and basically worthless, the center U-joint was still lubed and articulated easily.

 

[ld50]

What a bonehead I am!

Just doing the other side and thought I was being careful but one of the needle bearings must have got off-kilter. Needless to say when I was pressing it on it got tight at the end and when I pressed it back out I saw that it had fallen flat inside the cup then broke in half when I was tightening it.

Son of a.....

Just waiting for the wife to get home So I can use her car to go get a new u-joint, let that be a lesson to ya, make sure those bearings are in the right place, then check again.

 

[DeRocha]

Hey you're not alone. I broke a couple of needles bearings before figuring out you can't press in both caps @ the same time.. (Like you I had another trip in the wife's car to the parts store) The broken bearing thing then had me paranoid. On a few different U-joints the caps went in tight after the "C" clip was installed. The Joint had more resistance than the others (when moving it around by hand) so I feared a broken needle bearing was wedged at the bottom of the cap. I took the whole thing apart and it was fine. (I love doing the same job twice )

 

[ld50]

LMAO!

Okay, I admit it, I thought I could save some effort by pressing two in at the same time, I guess jiggling the clamp around shook a bearing loose! -that`s hilarious. Hey why didn`t ya warn me?