In <3450119B.D54@csolution.com>, Glenn Wakefield wrote:
>
>Anyways, I figured I would replace the U-Joints "while" the drive shaft
>is out. Any suggestions as to how to do this. The Manual says "tap
>lightly with rubber mattle and bearing caps will fall out". That is
>rather amusing. I have beat on, pushed, pulled, and cussed at the
>things to no avail. Anyone want to share some wisdom here?
>
Pull the clips out first ;)
Seriously, U-joints are a lot nastier than you might initially think.
The cups are a tight press fit. They are supposed to be. The Hard
Part is getting them out without distorting the yoke. This means that
you can't just bang on the cups with a "suitable drift", you have to
back up the other side as well. When I first did some U-joints, I got
a big chunk of hardwood and drilled a hole in it a little larger than
the cap size. This allows you to bang on the one cap while the yoke
is being supported on the other side, but with room for the cup on the
other side to come out. Works fair.
Then I discovered U-joint tools. Wow, what a fine invention.
Basically a huge C-clamp kinda thing with a hole in the backing side
so that the opposite cup can come out. Just crank on the screw with a
BF wrench and the joint comes out very slickly. These things are
available at tool rental places (Harbor Freight has one for about $60.
That may sound like a lot for Harbor Freight, but the tools are huge).
The Harder Part (didn't expect that was coming, eh?) is getting the
new joint in without breaking or bending anything. The problem is
that you have to pull the cups off to get them into the holes. It is
axiomatic that once you have installed the first cup and put the
spindle back in it, when you are installing the second cup some of the
needle bearings will fall down to the bottom of the cup. Then when
you install it, the needle gets mashed between the spindle and the
end of the cup, so you have to go hunt up your old U-joint and find a
coupla old needles to replace the ones you mangled. Ask yourself, how
do I know this?
But wait! The needles fall out of position from the banging. How
about using gentle (but firm) pressure, say, from aforesaid U-joint
tool? Slick, eh?
Bottom line: I don't replace u-joints unless I have to. Look for
slop or torn seals, otherwise I lube 'em and leave 'em.
A. B. Bonds
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