Has anyone done this and is it difficult? Do I need a special tool?

Any help would be appreciated?

 

Do you mean a driveshaft U-joint?

 

im getting my rear drive shaft u joint done as we speak. i JUST dropped it off at Drive Line Service here in Cali.

My truck would make clunk clunk clunk noises as i drove so i dropped the drive shaft (2 piece) and brought it in.

They are going to replace my center carrier and the u joints that is on the front of the rear half of the rear drive shaft (the side that connects to the center carrier). Also, they are going to extend my drive shaft a bit b/c the prev owner, when lifting the truck 4" didnt have the drive shaft extended. So out the door: $260

I dunno how easy it is to replace u-joints, but my friend who's a gear head, told me to just take it in and get it done right.

 

same idea for front axle joints or driveshaft:

a press is very handy for this job, but it can be done with a C clamp and the right size socket - I think I saw a press at Harbor Freight. Can also be done by hammering the bejesus out of the yokes but it's time consuming and noisy!

Essentially you press the cap out of one side (into a big enough socket) while pressing the cap into the opposite side - end result is both caps are out of the yoke. Do this twice per yoke.

 

If you did it yourself may have only cost $50 to $100 for parts. Doing U joints is pretty easy. The hardest part is getting ahold of a C clamp & greese gun. Other than that its an easy fix.

 

IHMO.. if youcan find the right shop, it may onlycost $10 or $20 to get them to put it in the shaft.. The toyota uses a joint that must be pressed on all 4 sides and they are a pain in the .... I broke my dad's vice trying to press mine out and paid a shop $10.. Yep, $10 to install my shaft I brought in with my u-joint.. (They have since done my Jeep's front axle shafts for the same price. Now a 2 cap press out, I would do at home. But the 4 cap press outs can be a pain. Ask around first..

 

Thanks for all the input guys. If I can truely find a shop to do it for $10 then I will probably head that direction. However, I'm always inclinded to do it myself at least once, so come the time on the trail that I need to do it, I will have already been through it once in a controlled environment.

 

I use the same philosophy.
BTW Let me know if you need any help with that repair.

 

I too now have the dreaded drivetrain clunk at takeoff.
Can someone please tell me which universal joints to purchase from
www.rockauto.com? There are many options. I would like to replace them all. I might as well right? What else should I replace while I'm down there?

Many Thanks

 

I don't know if these guys from 7 years ago will be around to help you.

Click on the (info) button and there should be a little diagram that shows you the positions.

 

Oh, thanks for that.

And I'm sure they're still around. Nobody ever really leaves Yotatech. I havn't been active on here in months until that clunk.

 

I just went to Napa and told them my year/make/model and got their "premium" u-joints (made in the USA). I can tell you that on my '98 4WD there is one at the rear and the two at the front (double cardan?). Your sig line says you have a '95 so it may be different on your vehicle.

 

Oh yeah, if you don't want to be found on the roadside a couple of months after starting to hear the driveshaft 'pings', yet also do not want to go through the same thing in under a year after replacing them, then AVOID purchasing any aftermarket u-joint that does not have a grease fitting, otherwise known as "maintenance free" or "no grease". It will last for approximately nine months before grinding itself into shreds for want of lubrication.

My recent experience was that AutoZone, O'Reilly and CarQuest without exception all wanted to sell me such nonsense junk ujoints, however NAPA this day sold me front and rear ujoints for my 2wd '93 pickup that come with grease fittings for the same price of their competitors...