Erich Stein

Driveshaft phasing is a piece of cake, all I have to do is match the angles of the front to the back, to a top earth level, as close down to zero within 3 degrees. If I am off even 1 spline, it looks like it would measure way more than 3 degrees.

I am more worried about the condition of the front part of this drive shaft. I had a devil of a time removing the old one, and I fear these bearing holes could be pinched inward or messed up somehow. The new u-joint seems to want to mis-align like the old one I pulled out. I am going to have to re-do this one already, and bring it to the workshop and tune the run-out down to near nothing. I can't see how the people on you-tube smash these things in place using hammers without measuring anything.

millball

There is truly nothing to be measured.

The c-clips that retain the caps, center the joint in the yokes.

You install one c-clip then push the joint back onto that clip until the opposite c-clip can be made to fit into its groove. Done.

I like to use my large vise and some old sockets, but I've done plenty with a hammer, back in the day.

Erich Stein

I'm using a vise. This shaft wont seat perpendicular in the vise. Does the outside ears of your driveshaft run parallel? Mine appear rounded on the outside, and the top is more narrow than the bottom. If I didn't use a big flat-head screwdriver to shim this, the u-joint would not press in perpendicular.

millball

No, these yoke ears are not parallel on the outside. The bores are true, however.

I shim one side with hardwood so it will bite a little and not slip then press a cap on the other side using a suitable size socket.

T

Erich Stein

When you take the u-joint out, did it get stuck in the, and you need to use a crowbar, or hit it with a chisel to break it out? Because mine did.

millball

You gotta do whatever it takes to get the old one apart and out without mutilating the yoke. Make it easy on yourself. After all, the old joint is expendable.

I have on ocassion used a torch to burn the cross out and then it's easy to push the caps out.

ewong

A U-Joint press is a real help!

I have an OTC, but the HF ones seem to work OK

http://www.harborfreight.com/ball-jo...les-60827.html

also, a soft dead blow hammer

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-lb-ne...mer-41800.html

and a brass bar

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Too...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

use the u press to force to one side
use the dead blow and the brass bar on the 4 cross to force the the cross to the other side
since you are not pressing on the cap, the cap will stay "mostly" pushed out.
the cross should then pull clear and you can remove one yoke

The u press (or hammer and socket or vice and socket) to force the other cross side
since now the yoke is out of the way, you should be able to force the cross all the way over so that the cap drops out
or you can pull the cap off with pliers / channel locks

use the press to remove the remaining caps

clean and INSPECT the yokes.

I had burrs from the cross hitting the inner side of the yoke
I dremeled off the burrs

Erich Stein

I got the u-joint in. BTW.... If anyone else is reading this? CHECK YOUR GREESE FITTING BEFORE YOU INSTALL! I got mine in all the way, to find out the hole for the greese fitting was too large. It was also NOT tapped! By this time I am mad, and just want to get the job done. I wrapped copper wires around the fitting and press-fit it in. I am not sure it will hold when squeezing 3000 psi greese, but I am done fooling with it.

I measured the angle on the slip yoke (to get the correct phase) using incline meter application for free download on phone. If at first eye, anyone can put it in and it looks like it lines up. You can't do it that way, a incline meter, protractor, level or whatever scienfitic gauge needs to be used to line the forward ears to the backward ears. The phone application verified EXACTLY down to the specific angle DEAD ON front to back. Bolted the whole thing back together, after tightening the companion flange nut a guessable 75 pounds of torque (without a torque wrench).

Whole truck improved just about perfect. I only had this a month, and bought it with the rattle. Now that's gone it feels like driving something different. I am so happy this is fixed. I thank everyone here on the thread for their advice!

mwisham

You have to get the yokes on the driveshaft aligned so that they are on the exact same plane. The driveshaft yokes and the flange yokes must, I repeat MUST be perfectly aligned or you will have all kinds of issues.
Millball, putting locktite on flange splines??? You must not plan on ever taking them apart again. I always load them up with anti-sieze in case I have to take them apart again for some reason.

millball

Sometimes when there is looseness from wear, lock-tite is the way to go.

Any ordinary gear puller will remove them, well maybe not a Chinese junk one.

Erich Stein

Flange splines? I must have missed a post somewhere. I see splines on the slip yoke shaft. I hope nobody is putting lock tight on that! My FLANGE connected to the transfer-case has 4 bolts to connect my driveshaft to. I used blue lock-tite on the treads of the 4 bolts.

mwisham: I aligned my driveshaft yokes using an incline meter application I downloaded on my phone. Though I did not check it against the precision gauges at my machine shop, I just trusted the application would be accurate. When I gauged the front and rear flanges, they rear a near-perfect alignment in degrees.

Whoever has the camo toyota pickup on here is awesome. I was planning on painting my 4runner snow camo. I love camo, painted a bunch of my friends trucks and it just comes out great.

millball

Ya, there are external splines on the transfer case output shaft, and internal splines on its companion flange; you find this stuff right behind the big retaining nut and washer that lay in the pocket that you find when you remove the driveshaft from the flange.

These are the splines that I suggested should be lock-tited to minimise slop.

mwisham

I think that's my camo truck you are referring to. Thanks.