Front Axel U Joint

[94Sport5Sp]

Hi:

I am having a problem on my 94 explorer. The steering seems to resist changing direction and then pops to the direction I want. Very annoying when traveling down the road.

While looking under the front I had someone turn the steering wheel right and left and I could see the front axles moving with each change in steering. It behaved like being in 4wd and then doing a tight turn the u-joint would pop.

I raised the front wheels off the ground and verified that the hubs were free (I have manual hubs) and I verified that the hubs would engage and dis-engage when set. All seemed fine but when the steering was turned the u-joint would pop. I decided to lock the hubs and to rotate the tires by hand. Worked well until I swivelled the wheel for a turn. Even the slightest swivel would cause the drivers tire to not rotate. It seems that the u-joint is frozen and will not give causing the wheel to not rotate. Passenger is stiff but I can rotate the tire with all degrees of swivel.

Does this sound like the u-joint? How much work to pull out the axel? I am assuming that the hub and rotor all have to come off. If I do this is the axel supposed to slide out of the differential?

Thanks for your comments

 

[MrShorty]

That does sound like bad u-joints.
When I did mine, the instructions in my Chilton's and Hayne's manuals were adequate to get through the job. Get the rotor and spindle off, and then the driver's side axle shaft just slides out of the diff through the knuckle. On the passenger side, you also have to release the clamp over the slip joint thing so the outer part of the axleshaft will slide out of the knuckle. The "stub" shaft on the passenger side is held inside the differential by a C-clip.

 

[94Sport5Sp]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds easier that I was thinking so next available weekend here we go.