Anyone have any tips for freeing a 172,000 mile original U joint from the yoke. Trying to help a neighbor out and replace the rear U joints on his truck. Soaked the mounting straps bolts with PB Blast for a day or so and was able to get them out without snaping them off. Have been soaking the U joint caps in the yoke on the diff and tapping them with a hammer and prying but they don't want to pop free.

How hard can you pry on them without causing more problems? Anybody have any tips for getting it out? It's not a lot of fun under there, everytime you move something you get a rust shower.

Thanks,
Neal

 

If there's a center support bearing on the driveshaft, you can loosen it to be sure the u-joint/driveshaft has available slack.

 

I just beat mine with a hammer. Came right off.

 

It's a one piece shaft. Rear frame rails are supported by jackstands, rear tires just barely touching the ground and the slip yoke has moved back at least 3/4 inch from the output on the tcase. I think the driveshaft will move forward if I could budge the bearing caps out of the yoke. I have never seen one this hard to pop out, this sucker is rust welded together.

Neal

 

give it some heat, that dont work use air hammer

 

Heat it up, works every time.

 

PB Blaster.

That don't work, put a torch on it for a while.

That don't work, beat on it with a big hammer.

 

... Or use a torch and a 20 Ton press!

They will just about explode on you!

 

Heh, yeah these are fun! I did mine last night because I was chasing a squeak and they only have 40 thousand on them. A little prying and the shaft came off the rear end yoke. Getting the crosses out was fun. Tried the vice, that wasn't working so I had to use the 20 ton press. Just as I was about to stop pressure at the end of the stroke, I hear BANG!!! and I'm thinking I just split the yoke or something stupid like that, but no, the cross finally moved!! and it rocketed outta there!!
On that 172K one, you would get your money's worth to take it to a local shop and have it done. Local place here does it for a flat $10/joint plus the cost of the joint.

 

It'll scare the you know what out of you...

 

Whatever happenned to the sledge hammer method.?

 

i hope ur not trying to et that u joint off with the driveshaft still on there...not gonna happen...gotta take that driveshaft out...a vice never did squat for me either so forget that....once i had the driveshaft on the garage floor hammering the joint out was pretty straight forward...i just did mine 3 months ago and i have similar mileage to urs...very rusty as well

 

That and a little bit of heat is my favorite method since i don't have a press in my shop yet. Doing u-joint's and other stubborn things is the reason i have a hammer in my tool box with a 16 lb head on it, it gets the job done. But if it gives you enough trouble i second on taking it to a shop and having them pressed out.
matt

 

i hope ur not trying to et that u joint off with the driveshaft still on there


No, driveshaft is still connected to the yoke on the diff. The u joint bearing caps are rusted to the ears on the yoke. Hard to get a good angle to attack it with the hammer and prying with a pretty good size pry bar hasen't moved it. Strap bolts were tough to get out, going to replace the straps and bolts on reassembly. Going to try to get it off the truck again this afternoon.

Thanks,
Neal

 

Thanks for the help guys, I got it out this morning. I had a cold chisel approx. 10" long that had a small bend in it from another repair, I was able to get the tip of the chisel on the inside of the bearing cap inside of the yoke from the diff side and hit it with a 3 lb mallet. I was able to walk the u joint out by alternating sides while tapping, probably took about 30 or 40 hits per side, it was hard to tell if it was even moving for a while.

Amazingly the u joints are still in pretty good shape, need replacing but not as bad as you would think.

Thanks,
Neal