iamsuperbleeder

changing my shot u-joints that is

they've been squeekin and squeelin for about 2 weeks now (mostly only in reverse, or deaccelerating in a low gear) and I haven't had the time to do em; I'm surprised they held up through hauling stuff when I was moving last weekend.

I just recently took a trip out on a trail and some spots were floorboard-deep water, so I guess a little water made it's way into the caps and acted as lube, because the noise stopped for a few days afterward.

but then they started sqeeking louder...

so I got under her today and shot some grease into both u-joints and the slip-yoke, and it didn't help at all (although the back join took a BUNCH of grease... it was obviously dry)

so I dropped the shaft out and began hammering, and let me tell you, it wouldn't suprise me if these were the original Toyota ones from 91 with damn near 290k on em! I've never had any u-joint be so stubborn as these 2; they were freakin in their good. I didn't have a vice or anything to help me out, so I locked in the front hubs and drove in FWD for all of 2 miles to my old job Advance Auto Parts and used theirs, lol

one of the caps and bearings on the diff location u-joint was completely dry; not even a hint of grease; it was begining to rust!

so about an hour and a half later, both new ones are in and it's silent now! well, accept for my bad rear wheel bearings... hopefully next weekend for those because I don't have a press handy...


anywho, I just wanted to share my drive-way mechanicing experience for the day

phildelfino

Thanks. A vice is needed or would a press be better?

iamsuperbleeder

well, it's not really needed per say, it's just that I bent one C-clamp and broke another trying to get these stubborn things out. Normally their not so difficult.

In my case, I just resorted to a vice and a BFH

Jay351

Yeah, I did my rear one in my driveway. One of the caps was VERY rusty, looked like it had been run dry for a long time. I never bothered to grease them (doh!).

Really is not hard at all. Took me all of 30 mins to actually replace the joint. And that was a first timer.

A junk socket that fits over the cap is VERY usefull, same with a very wide brass drift. A few good blows and they came right out. A vice is needed for sure!

A good tip: Remove the pinion flange caps first, its easier to hold onto the driveshaft and not that little flange

scuba

you guys are lucky then, ive been tinkering with mine for a week and a half

shhhoooooott

iamsuperbleeder

a good tip indeed, lol, figured that out myself...

I tried that method as well, but I found that the angles on the sides of the drive-shaft and pinion flange where the caps are located kept cocking everthing sideways and making the cap push out crooked and jamming in there...


I could do it all over again a lot easier with just 4 tools...

1) a flat-head screw driver to get the clips out, and to punch out that last cap with using tool #4
2) a socket just smaller than the diameter of the caps to get the caps to press in far enough ( 2 will make things much easier )
3) a vice; useful to hold things still like a 3rd hand, and to press the new caps in
4) a hammer; when it all boils down to it, beating the hell out of it is really the easiest and quickest way of getting u-joints done... but there is a technique, it's not all just "oh take a swing at it". You have to position things right to get the laws of physics to work on your side; if you know what I'm talking about, then show someone who doesn't, cause it's hard to explain in words...

granted if you have a good C-clamp, a vice isn't really a necessity...