Lot's of good comments. As an instructor of automotive technology we teach not to use a hammer. Young hammer swinger tend to miss a lot. There are U-Joint press tools on the market just for this job. As an old tech I can tell you that I have replaced a ton and I mean a ton of u-joints with a hammer and never had a problem but you do need to be careful and work smart. Hammering sockets will mushroom your socket and they won't fit on your1/2" drive anymore. I do use a torch to melt out my nylon and it does work well but this video uses excessive heat and I knock out the cap right way while the nylon is still soft. 1, it makes it easier and 2, you can clean out the nylon from the groove in the yoke with a pick or small screw driver because it's still soft. I agree, the zert goes in last and I agree you tap on the yoke while rotating the joint to align the needle bearings at the end of the job. A big concern is damage to the driveshaft by how it is held in the vise and damage or pinching the yokes closer together during removal. I have never seen a yoke explode from changing the temper because it was heated, that doesn't mean that it couldn't happen. Pressing the cap out without heating it could cause excessive force and pinch the yokes if not done correctly. I'm an old dog, so I will continue to heat and hammer with caution and common sense but there are better less damaging ways that this should be used to perform this job.
After installing the first set of snap rings, I put a pair of old caps on the Ujoint and lay them across the vice the same way you removed the previous caps (essentially seating the snap rings onto the ears to loosen up any pinching/binding) obviously this won't work when installing the yoke in which case I just take my time and tap and try to install the snap ring, lightly tap and try to fit again until it seats! I also put a little grease in the new caps so in case the cap falls the needles stay in the cap... (It's rare the new caps meet the floor! I mean I've never done it once🙄.... Been a looooooot more than only once 😂) You also don't want to make them puke with grease (same goes with rod ends too!), grease puking out the seal means the seal is now compromised, moisture and dirt will gladly take place of where the grease is, including but not limited to inside as well! When a part has a zerk, it's there for you to put a little grease in through out time, most people just gob it in and never grease them again! (Kind of defeats the purpose 🤷) An arbor press can be found cheap used, they are a beautiful thing! (Ball joint/Ujoint presses "aka BF C-clamps easily bend in the ears ESPECIALLY when using an impact.... But the tool sucks without using an impact so of course we impact! 😂) Lastly, WTF was GM thinking with the idiotic nylon crap? (Although living in MN, on second thought, maybe it's not that bad! 🤣)
A few years back I managed to lodge a piece of shrapnel that blunt force does into the center of my left index finger joint. Deep so I went to the hospital and was given a tetanus shot as it was small enough to dissolve. Being lazy and rushing the job as I have a press clamps vise etc. I’m actually in the mist of one as we speak and never did these nylon ones so here I am. Had done plenty of them before way back since my Rochester SAE days.
I've been working on car since 1964 still working on them as much as I can with all my health problems now in my '70s lol but you guys did a fantastic job I watch many of these videos just to see what people do on them You guys are one of the best ones I've watched You are very thorough and conscientious and I just thought it was one of the best videos for car guys Great job
I've changed the ones with both style clips, thought I was nuts that I couldn't find them until I came across this video , saved me so many hours on my g body project,, thank you much
@@TonyTheTruckGuy never said I was a pro, however back then, I worked for a leading tailshaft manufacturer and in my time there I probably changed in excess of 100 uni's a week. I stand by my comment. Bunch of back yard hacks!
This is how they taught me at the GM Training College in Atlanta: The classes were on Vibration Diagnosis and Driveline Geometry and Maintenance. NEVER put a driveshaft in a vise and never pound on U-joint caps with the shaft as the anvil. Put the YOKE on the vise jaws, not the drive shaft tube. Put all of the new joint caps in first by squeezing them in the vise and then free up the clip grooves by hammering on the caps with the yoke as the anvil. Free up the joint if it's stiff by hammering the yoke one way, then the other. You don't need to pound the inside of the yoke, the yoke is cast and will move, let the joint move the yoke. If it's not completely free when you're done, the joint won't last long. Greasing it after will not free up the joint any at all. It's likely that is why the original joint went bad in the first place. They'll run hot if there's more than 2 degrees of angle and cook the grease out of the joint. If you get a comeback with a vibration as the complaint, you've bent a driveshaft. Your technique is average: not bad, but definitely shadetree style. You will wind up damaging more fragile equipment. Oh, and wait until you're done before you put in the Zerk nipple. On some HD joints you won't be able to get the cross in the yoke if the Zerk is already in.
@@davidtyndall9604 I was there 30 years later. By that time (I have no idea how it was in '63) the dealerships would sign up for individual classes for good technicians that they wanted to improve for specific categories: the Automatic Transmission Diagnosis and Repair class was a different class and had a different instructor than the Manual Transmission D&R class. I'm pretty good and the dealership where I was sent me there for many classes. Dot Huff, a black woman, was the AT instructor and the best "Transmission Man" I have ever seen. She could test drive a Celebrity Station Wagon with any problem, with that nightmare-ish 440T4 transmission in it, and tell you which part was causing the problem, right down to the smallest roll pin that fell out of the valve body! When I wanted to move 400 miles to another city, I went there on vacation and went into the local Buick store and asked the S-M there if he needed any technicians, specifically an AT man since I was specialized in Automatics and quite good at it too. (I was told by the SM where I was working that I had the lowest comeback ratio in the nation. I had none since I was doing it there, but I'm sure there were a few others too.) He said no, he had plenty of guys and wasn't looking. I showed him the paper that listed the training classes I had taken at the Atlanta facility, 30 or more of them, and without looking up from the paper he was still reading he held out his hand and said... *"When can you start."*
@@ladamyre1 My story is a little different. I was late 17s or early 18s, every time I went looking for a job the first question I was asked was whether of not I had my military obligation our of the way or not. Vietnam was going on at that time. I went to a parts house that sold United Delco parts and tried to get a job, same question. I saw a letter on the wall informing all shops that sold United Delco parts that GM was offering classed. The manager told me to go down and tell them that I worked for them. I got to attend 5 one week classes for free. I then joined the Army and my MOS scores were the highest (of my test scores) in mechanics. "Go figure". I was sent to "Wheel Vehicle School" at Fort Dicks NJ and then to "Track Vehicle School" at Ft. Binning, Ga. Funny thing is that at the time I only lived about 5 miles from the GM Training center and after I got married I wound up about 5 blocks from the school. The school has been closed down for more than 10 years, perhaps longer.
@@davidtyndall9604 Great story David! Looks like it saved your life! I tell my story in the hope some young guy with a knack for machinery, and that's a lot of them, will get the idea to get a job changing oil filters at a dealership, show them he's smart by doing a good job, and get sent to the schools that are run by the guys who *designed the stuff!* I started as a tire busting front end man. I had read a lot of Hot Rod magazines too and thought I knew a lot about cars, but it was a rude awakening to see how poor a Hot Rod magazine education really is.
@@ladamyre1 You probably read the ones I had left over. LOL. I started helping my dad work on his old cars when I was about ten years old. I learned my fractions from playing with his wrenches. Metric, whats metric?
For the less equipped home mechanic; You don't need an acetylene torch for this job. A propane torch does it well but even a decent heat gun will work, it just takes longer. Also, if you are working by yourself, do the pounding on the floor. A driveshaft falling from bench height on the foot hurts and you could damage the shaft itself too. I've never used a vise to do this job, it's fine to do so but if you don't have one you don't need one.
I've been sitting on it with a torch for an hour now. Nothing. So I'm not sure if a propane will work. Next step is map gas. Then find someone with a real torch.
@@Jim-A-Randy-Lahey I've never had a problem with propane. Mapp is no hotter unless added oxygen. Hold the propane about a 1"" out from the hole in one spot where the plastic will come out and hold it there for about 5mins. , when it reaches right temp it pull push right out. After the initial squirt, start moving the torch from side to side a little to spread the heated area to make sure you got it all. Do both sides, then knock the U-Joint loose with a hammer and drift.
I just did my front driveshaft today. I pressed out one side without heat then one side with heat (propane torch) which made it a little easier. I used a Dremmel with a small sanding drum and wire wheel to remove rust and installed the caps with anti-seize.
when installing put a small dab of grease on outside of each end cap to hold a flat washer in between each end cap and vise .it gives the extra deph for the snap ring with out hammering hope you understand what im saying
I have replaced many, many U-joints in a vise but I don't hammer them out or in. Use two sockets, one large and one a little smaller than the joint cap, and press the caps out by pressing one cap through the yoke and then press the cross back through the yoke to remove the first cap. Takes a little longer but less risk of getting metal in you eye.
You guys is a video is a life saver. I was struggling with this until I saw that you could do it with a vice and hammer Because the only videos I other saw was using a press
A press is preferred, but this method works if you don’t have one. Just be very careful not to hit the actual drive shaft tube with a hammer or pinch it in the vise too hard otherwise you can get driveshaft vibrations
The one thing no one’s mentioned, the grease fitting has to be on the compression side of the rotation of the shaft. If it’s on the opposite side (being stretched) the joint can crack at the threaded opening for the fitting. I personally don’t use the joints with grease fittings have broken to many granted high horsepower applications but have non-greasable ones go 100,000 +. I also put a small dab of synthetic grease in the caps to help hold the needle bearings in place, but not enough to hydraulic the cap from seating all the way. Also never try pressing hammering etc joint out w/o heating nylon out, your guaranteed to bend the ears
Personally I don't like greaseless ANYTHING (bearings or U-joints or anything else for that matter) but I'm a farmer and I've replaced SO many bearings and U-joints and other such stuff over the years that greaseless=worthless IMHO. Engineers *love* greaseless but they obviously have never been to the field with stuff and seen how it works out... stuff running in the dirt and moisture NEED greasing to push out contaminants... We had a Caldwell hipper (row disk) as well as a Ford tandem disk on the farm that came from the factory with sealed bearings. Those things gave nothing but trouble. They were okay back in the 70's and early 80's when the QUALITY of the bearings and seals was MUCH better than the garbage Chinese bearings which is all you can get anymore, but over time they wear, the seals wear and then dirt starts working in under them in the field, and moisture wicks in through the seal in the off-season when the machine is sitting. Rust and dirt destroy bearings from the inside. If you can grease them before you start working with it and regularly like every day before going to the field, you can flush out contaminants before they work themselves too deep into the bearings and get into the moving parts. The grease ring coming out from under the seal provides a sealant for the wear between seal and race as well. When the job is done and the machine is going to be set off for the off season, make sure it's greased stem to stern as well, as the grease will displace air and moisture in the bearings, make sure everything is thoroughly coated with grease internally to seal it off from air and moisture that causes rust or corrosion, and again the grease pooching out from under the seal will cap it off from moisture intrusion. The hipper used a pair of sealed square bore flat outer race bearings pressed into an angled cast iron housing which set the angle of the disk blades on either side, with a short square axle going through the cast iron spacers, blades, bearings, and bumper washer on one end and cast iron spacer/nut lock retainer on the inside. The inner races of the bearings were a bit wider than the outer races, to leave a gap between the outer races that sat up against a raised lip in the center of the housing which kept the outer races spaced properly and provided the thrust carrying member between the bearings and housing. This left a roughly half-inch gap between the outer races of the bearings when sitting in the housing, which was just an air gap with the sealed bearings. The outer seals were directly exposed to the elements and on an angled disk gang, running right down an inch or two above the dirt and with dirt boiling up between the disk blades when working, were constantly bathed in dirt spilling over, particularly since they were only about 2 inches below the dirt scrapers cleaning off the inside of the blades. So OF COURSE they didn't last. The original 70's bearings did okay for a few years then as they aged it was "have to replace at least 1-2 sets per year as a blade pair would lock up." I didn't have a shop press at the farm so I removed the housings which were held on by two bolts to the standards, and took them to the dealer and had them press in new bearings. By the end of the 80's the stupid junk Chinese bearings with such LOW quality and poor seals meant I was having to replace 3-4 sets per season at least and sometimes I'd have a set pressed in and had them lock up within a few hours of operation. I figured even with cheap Chinese junk bearings they should last longer than that and went into the shop and watched the shop guys install them one day--- the numb-nut wrench bender the tractor dealer hired was pressing the bearings into the bore by the INNER race, which you NEVER do, because it can dent the balls or crack/chip the raceways inside the bearing and cause it to destroy itself. Bearings should always be pressed into a BORE with a suitable-sized press tool that bears on the OUTER race to push it in the hole; bearings pressed onto a SHAFT should always be pressed on against the INNER race for the same reason. NEVER the other way around! He griped they didn't have press tool, so I went to an oilfield supply house and bought a gas well rot line coupler that fit the outer bearing race and bore perfectly with adequate clearance and welded a 3/4 steel plate on one end for the press arbor to push against, and took the tool with me and made sure they used it. Got a little more life out of the bearings after that, but the crummy seals would still wear fast and allow dirt and moisture in and I could never get more than 2 seasons out of a set of bearings at most. After an episode where some punk kid the dealership hired refused to use the press tool and got the bearing cock-eyed in the bore and kept pressing until the bearing exploded like a hand grenade, and ruined the housing, I made the dealer give me a new set of bearings and new housing for free, and I went to Horrible Freight and bought me a cheap press and started doing them myself. I figured I'd try and experiment to make the bearings "greasable" and so I drilled a hole in the back of the housing straight through the center annulus that holds the outer races apart, threaded it and installed a zerk. Of course the inner sealed bearing seals have to go so that the grease pumped into the housing between the two bearings can actually get into the ball bearings, so I popped one side of each bearing seal off with a screwdriver before installing them. Imagine my surprise when I popped the seals off the new bearings and found that the factory basically assembles them DRY and then deposits one little pea-sized or so dab of a clear, cheap lithium grease on the inner race beside the cage before installing the seal. I mean it's less grease than the amount of toothpaste you'd tell a small kid to use on their toothbrush to keep them from wasting it! 90% of the time it wasn't even close to the raceway or balls of the bearings, just inside the seal under the cage, which means the bearing has to get hot enough for the grease to run before it would ever get into the raceway grooves and start actually lubricating the bearings. Any hope of that dab of grease being able to prevent corrosion or lubricate the seals and help seal off any gaps as the seals wear is totally hopeless. THAT is why the bearings were failing SO much! Once I installed the bearings and pumped the gap between them full of grease through the zerk which filled the annulus cavity between the bearings in the housing with grease (the bearings sealed to each other as the inner races are clamped together by the axle holding the blades and spacers on against the bearing inner races themselves) the grease had nowhere to go but to flood the raceways and force the air out under the seals, until the bearing was full of grease and grease starts to emerge from under the seal lips. Now running submerged in grease, and periodically greased daily when in the field and at the end of the season before storage, the bearings would then typically last at least 3-4 seasons, easily doubling the life of the bearings or more... til the actual thrust wear or load cracking of the raceways or balls would destroy the bearing. Contamination failure and lack of lubrication failure went to NOTHING. Now, not EVERY bearing can be replaced by a greasable or be made greasable. Hay balers for instance usually have a TON of sealed bearings, often in special housings or inside roller ends or other things that prevent replacing them with a greasable bearing or installing a grease zerk to be able to grease them. But I'm sure every single sealed bearing has the same stupid dibble of low-quality cheap grease put in them totally insufficient for the job at hand, particularly in dusty, dirty, high load conditions exposed to moisture and grit or running down in the dirt. For those I get a grease needle and pump them full of grease before I ever install them, so at least they start off with a full dose of grease which will coat everything inside and at least prevent moisture intrusion and corrosion to the extent possible, and which will lube the seals and help them seal off from moisture and grit working in under the seals. Some are positioned where you can't even get a grease needle to them after they're installed, so it's a "one and done" type thing; you just do the best you can. But at least they start off full of grease instead of having a pea-sized dibble of cheap low quality grease dabbed inside the seal before its pressed on and being otherwise dry. Fortunately the tandem disk used standard 3-hole flangettes so I replaced those sealed spherical-outer-race bearings with standard greasable bearings with 3 hole greasable flangettes. MUCH better!
@@lukestrawwalkerTL;DR They are not "grease less" they just aren't "greaseable". You're also not supposed to make them "puke" (this applies to all parts with a zerk!). If the insides are coming out, what's to stop the outsides going in!
THANKS FOR THE VIDEO, ITS VERY WELL EXPLAINED. MEXICAN TRUCKS DONT HAVE THIS KIND OF U-JOINTS WITH PLASTIC INJECTED PINS... WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW TODAY. THANKS. YOU ROCKS
I recommend using a flat washer to press the cap in further with the vice after it is flush rather than hammering it. You will have more control and won't have to use the hammer to loosen it up afterwards.
I had a 78 Cheyenne Chevy blazer with a 4 inch lift it would go through U joints so I became a professional ,until I looked at my 2003 Z71 Tahoe. I was like WTF ....lol thank God you had a video👍🤙
Thank you - this helped tremendously! Especially the part about the yoke ears needing to be spread back apart. I haven’t found anyone else explaining that issue. One thing I found… the yoke ears will actually push together while inserting the caps (using a vise/press). This can prevent exposing the c-clip groove like you showed, but it can also cause binding on the caps as the ears go out of parallel. What I found is that I could press the caps and then tap the ears a little and suddenly the clip grooves would be exposed. Heating the ears to get the goo out doesn’t really help, either. Stupid, lazy, (and probably cheap) engineering. Thanks again!!
I have always just hammered around the top and base of the ears and they even out and get the joint smooth. I think that's why some people like the hammer in method better because reduced chance of ear bending.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy Lots of ways to hold the washers, hex nuts or even a socket in place while closing the jaws of a vise. Tape, bubble gum a dab of grease just got to have been raised on a farm back in the 50's and 60's where always having the right tool was never a thing.
I always have a jar of peanut butter in garage. It’s a good temporary glue. Also good for holding screws on your screwdriver when it’s a tight fit. Then you get to lick your tools haha!
You need heat fast on the sides away from top to avoid heating the cap. After the plastic oozes out tap out the caps while the ring holder still expanded. I just did a reinstall as such.
I have a 1980s s10 with the 2 piece drivecrap vibration right now. current driveshaft wobbles at differential. going to melt out another shaft, swap in u joints and see if that works. if not, I have one shaft ordered from michigan.........hopefully I can replace the support bearing myself.
Thank you, for the video. I learned,"what not to do and what proper tools I need". The way you guys did it was excellent. I learned something today. Enjoyed how you explained "why and how" as you walked it through.
Why did you comment 3 separate times? Are you special in the head? Yeah, they make tools for it that most people don’t have. This is a DIY video for people with limited tools. Some hundreds of u joints and never messed up a shaft, just need to be careful.
With nuts that fit on your 1/2" slidehammer. Weld nuts to the caps right thru the middle and slide hammer them out. The heat of the weld melts the plastic. Works on double Carden joints too
I just wanted to thank you for the video, ive never seen nylon keepers before. im used to the circle cotter keepers. you really helped me out alot and great video. try to find a helper with man hands next time. lol
I’ve learned the hard way.. vise to tight on a hollow shaft can dent or bend it. The solids also can get bent if you beat it too hard. I use a ball joint press usually
Super bueno!, tengo una chevy van g20 1983 sportvan, con cardan de Malibu del 73, segui los pasos y hoy lo instale!!! salí a dar unas vueltas a toda velocidad!!! se agradece el tutorial!!!, saludos desde Chile
I used a small rotary tool to clean the holes. Put a sanding drum on it for inner diameter stuff and you're good to go. If you got burs and shit, use those reddish stones of various shapes to knock those down.
I press grease into the needle bearings and prepack the cups so it'll back fill the trunnion holes. Then fill the trunnion with grease thru the zerc, once it's installed, until it comes out the cups. Then I know it's evenly greased.
Clean the u joint holes out with a round wire brush and drill...then put a thin layer of oil or grease in the holes before you press them in....makes it easier to press
I would think that using a u joint press would push them right out plastic or not might have to warm them but not heating them to a point to change the temper in the yokes. use a u joint press to reassemble, beating on them can and will dislodge needles in the bottom of the cups. If the cups don't go on enough to get snap rings on disassemble and check for needles in the bottom of the cup. Once u joint is installed and the clips are on rap the yoke just behind the u joint caps a couple of times on both sides with a 16 oz. hammer to center the u joint and seat the clips flush with the yoke. You have to be holding the unit in you hands ( not in a Vise) while rapping the yoke for the inertia to work. At this point the u joint should move smoothly. I have done a thousand u joints in the last 40 years on marine stern drives and this works for me. I cant imagine a professional shop doing u joins like this video.
I'm not sure. Never encountered this style before, so I let the other guy do the work. Normally you could do it that way, I'm just not sure how tough this plastic crap is.
I double tapped the thumbs up and got the middle finger. What the ... Great video guys. A little bit of arguing and bitching between you guys would make me feel right at home. I didn't see any Budweiser cans sitting around either. Dam company rules.
Just completed this w/ my '02 S10 driveshaft. Had I not recently done the same basic thing to a mid-90s Jeep intermediate steering shaft. If you want use that steering shaft in other applications, you need to melt out the nylon/plastic filler to get the shaft to slide in and out for re-installation purposes. Chevy S10s can use this as a means to delete the rag joint that came as standard equipment on most, if not all, GM steering shafts for decades.
When removing a heated cap use caution as I have had them explode and shoot hot grease that is often on fire. If you use a thick washer the size of the bearing cap and held in place with a dab of grease you can get it right to the clip groove. Also if you freeze the bearing caps your bearings wont fall out and get snapped by the joint when pressing it in. IF you cant get the bearing caps in far enough for both clips (inside or outside clip) then you probably have a bearing that fell into the cap as you inserter it. Only press far enough to get the clip in , the bearing should move easily, if not then you have pressed the joint into the cap too damn far.
Man I just did 2 of them yesterday and was using a propane torch to heat them and sure enough that damn thing exploded about 2feet in front of my face and scared the shit out of me. I though my torch blew up
2 of my caps exploded when removing. Fortunately I had read your comment before doing the job and was prepared. Also, I put the bearing caps in the freezer, worked like a charm! Thanks for the info.
That’s what I’ve been trying to tell people but the keyboard warriors know it all 😂 Don’t get me wrong, there were mistakes made here, but that was not one of them.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy wasn't insulting you,, I've learned alot from your vedios Tony , I just cut a driveshaft last night, had to do both ends going from 700r4 to ford 8-3/4 inch rear,,different diameter ujoints, just glad I caught it,,,outer clips on ford had to drive through with socket,,,but on the melt outs I just hit housing with hammer lightly and they poped right out,,but I looked you up to see how to install new and how they replaced the plastic intural clip,I thought they probably did metal clip inside and you proved me right,,Thanks
When I am doing hot work I will remove those plastic gloves and put on weld gloves that are appropriate for hot work. Those plastic gloves are more dangerous than bare hands with hot work. With bare hands if you accidentally brush against the flame or hot metal, at least you can get your skin out of the heat the instant you move your hand. With the plastic gloves the melted plastic is still burning your skin after you pull your hand away from the heat and will give you a deeper burn wound.
I'm surprised how well the plastic holds the joint in. I just tried to press one out with a ball joint press without melting it first and it wouldn't budge.
few people know when you hammer them you break the plastic washer in the inside. they shatter into pieces. I discovered this when I had to take one out after installing it.
I used a Propane Tank with a Weed Burning attachment on it to heat up mine then used a sledgehammer to hit the caps out because the normal torch wasn’t working and I don’t own a settling set.
11:47 OUCH! no no no DONT risk hitting a new bearing! put the yolk on the solid plate on the back of the vise and hit the yolk just behind the u joint cap, that shocks the u yolk back into place ... because it was ( partially ) pinched closed while pushing the new bearing caps into place, works every time!
I done u joints since the 80s and the only time i ever had a tight joint like that,, is when I pressed both caps on like you did and a needle bearing came loose from the rest and was in the cap at the end of the joint! Even using a vise, in which you think would be sending both caps onto the joint evenly, it doesn't! The best way to avoid that situation is to insert the joint into the shaft, send one cap in further than it would be seated so the other cap less end of the joint is sticking out all the way so 1, the inserted cap is fully on the joint (knowing no needle bearing came loose) , 2, so you can place the 2nd cap on all the way to the joint (again making sure all needle bearings remain in tact.) Then tap the protruding capped part of joint into the shaft while also pushing the 1st cap back into place! This will guarantee no needle bearings fall or get pushed to the end of the cap causing that tight joint you have! Especially using the hammer method, or a press, whatever method you use,, there is nothing that guarantees the caps to both go on evenly to not cause a needle or two to fall. This guarantees that you see and know both caps are on fully before you press or hammer the joint back into place!
I got this new portable press that looks similar to a ball joint press and it works pretty bomb for changing u-joints. That way I can avoid the vise and hammer all together.
My 2001 Suburban has those on the front and rear of the rear driveshaft. It just hit 190,000 miles. I bought it at 151,000 the end of Feb 2020. I have the infamous ''clunk'' in R...but only in R
Chalk the wheels and put transmission in neutral then grab the drive shaft and rock it back and forth. If you don’t see any play in the u-joints (twist motion) then I wouldn’t worry. It’s pretty common for these trucks to slam into reverse haha.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy i tried twisting pushing pulling on both..nothing on the rear however the front i can twist it some and it rotates but not via bad u joints
@@billmessner8052 If there’s no weird noises or vibrations while going down the road then I probably wouldn’t worry about it. Might just be axle pinion play.
I replaced the rear output shaft seal and did a transfer case fluid drain and refill. While i had the rear driveshaft out i checked the u joints. Both move freely with no noise or binding. I sanded the outer part of the slip yoke too. I no longer have a ''clunk'' from P or D to R in 4wd...it's still there in 2wd though. I think it's the front slip yoke or driveshaft
I just tried this. A propane torch didn't work for me so I pulled out the oxy torch. Wear eye protection. The seals can explode, sending hot grease flying. And CV joints are a PITA to put back together.
How did you get the front shaft off? Does it have that forward/back play like the rear one? Cus I I'm doing the front diff mounts they are worn. Got the 4 bolts off for the shaft (front)
@@TonyTheTruckGuy I got it. U joint caps were seized onto place so it wouldn't let me compress it. Since I was replacing it anyway since front diff mounts were shot..I used a flat hair hammer broke free.. 😌
I know that most people don't do it, but, you should take the driveshaft and have it balanced. You never really know if the shaft itself is true or not. Many guys don't mark the shaft and yoke before removal either and if you don't, and the shaft has a weight on one side, improper removal and installation on the vehicle will result in possible vibration and then you have to take everything off again. I have never had to pound on a u joint or yoke. You run the risk of damage. But, whatever works, I guess. To each his own.
Any bad u-joint can cause a vibration assuming the shaft that said u-joint is on spins while going down the road. On say a Ford that locks the hubs out, I’m pretty sure the front drive shaft stays still when in 2wd and hubs locked out. Yours probably spins, though.
I would inspect the u joints ahead of time. If they have the plastic pins like this, you will need a heat source. You don’t exactly need a full blown torch like this, but it helps. You can just buy a tank of MAP gas (yellow tank) at your local hardware store and that should get it hot enough, it will just take longer.
A propane torch is my preference. I did this on my S-10, it worked fine. A good heat gun will work also but takes more time. Acetylene torch a bit over kill. As soon as you get to the right temp, that plastic will squirt right out.
Take it outside, cover it with a piece of plywood THEN heat the joint before the heated cap explodes and takes your head off. If you are still ok in your shop, congratulations! A press is a faster way to buy someone a nice new driveshaft.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy In an independent shop there always " new experiences " with mechanical issues. Heating the joint stinks and I got, "TAKE THAT OUTSIDE!". First, the plastic worms were interesting followed by a gunshot explosion. I thought job finished! Good! Then the boss saw the side of the cement block wall had a hole in it. Lesson learned! These joints were from the 70's and 80's . I don't think they still use them but I've been out of that business since the tool costs exceeded my income. When some old fart tells you, "Don't stick your finger in that hole!", listen! There probably is a free life lesson somewhere.
Fairly accurate and good job on description But WAY Too Much Heat ! You have now annealed the Yoke. If it's Too Tight, Grease is Not going to Fix it either.
If i want to split the cardan can i still reuse the old U-joint? need to change the bearing so have to split it but dont wanna ruin the u-joints since they are in good condition.
I just work on 1998 Silverado… I take off old part with no torch heat n I take off clips 3 out of 4 ..only has no clips is on brackets with bolts I take off but put new one … I puts clips around but not on brackets with bolts.. Am I doing right things ??? Old part I slam hard with heavy hammer plus 2 by 4 wood n sockets I done before replace u joints but not that 1998 Silverado ..
@@vicentegonzales3852 As long as there’s clips on the inside of the yoke ears and clips are fully seated. Also the joints should move freely as I show in the video as to not pinch the yoke ears in a vise or with hammer
That’s how I typically do it but I let the GM guy do this since I have not done this style u joint before. Big truck u joints we use a press or pound them out
Hitting the outside of the heated ears bent them inward. A socket hitting the cap would have prevented this. Also tapping the ears after installing will settle the pins
If the fluid level is correct I don’t think you should have an issue. Otherwise you’ll have to just put a drain pan under it to catch whatever drips and top off fluid when you’re done. Or you can try jacking up the rear of the vehicle to keep fluid from coming out the rear of the trans.
Well at least you were nice about it, unlike all the other keyboard warriors that think they know something on here 😂. I think the camera wasn’t picking up the flame properly. When I’m actually cutting or heating with the torch, I do like you said. I think my buddy just didn’t crank it because that much heat isn’t actually needed. Although it may have looked like the shaft was in danger, rest assured it was fine and I had many vibration-free miles after this haha.
We just left it in there. The new clips go on the inside of the yoke so those grooves with the plastic in them are basically useless. You could probably scrape it out with a screwdriver or a pick if you really wanted to.
I agree with everything you guys did except for when you bang on it with a hammer put a piece of wood under the drive shaft and you don't ever want to indent the tube of the shaft otherwise it will be very prone to fail.
Yeah I actually didn’t even notice until I rewatched the video that the tube was laying on the vise. She didn’t vibrate though when it was done so all good lol
Have the Scottish people working on these joints got a "Utility-KLIT" as jak leo says, I do know the Scottish people wear "KILTS" but not KLIT'S only the female species wear those.
Sorry I can’t remember exactly it’s been a while. I just got them at my local o’reilly based on my year/make/model. Maybe there’s a glimpse of the box in the video with the part number on it
I am sure I see many dents they put on the front end of the drive shaft. Those shafts are very thin metal. I have changed a lot of u joints, but have always used a press and supported bottom ear. I have seen other people change them without a press, but they have always done it in a way that has something under the lower ear, and driven bar on top with all the striking force going into the hollow support that is under the lower ear. They appear to be in a good size repair shop, don't they have some kind of a press there? If not, they could put a large socket under lower ear, small one on top, other person hold with hands the shaft in alignment, second person strike top socket.
Not scrap, no issues. Just need to know how tight to go. Change u joints like this in big rigs every time with no issue. And actually it was a GM tech doing the work while I was filming this time lol
Witness at 10.30. that's not caused by the use of care when pounding in a u-joint. Don't use the tube for support. Otherwise a good video. Why does a ASE certified wrench not have the correct tools for this work?
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Lot's of good comments. As an instructor of automotive technology we teach not to use a hammer. Young hammer swinger tend to miss a lot. There are U-Joint press tools on the market just for this job. As an old tech I can tell you that I have replaced a ton and I mean a ton of u-joints with a hammer and never had a problem but you do need to be careful and work smart. Hammering sockets will mushroom your socket and they won't fit on your1/2" drive anymore. I do use a torch to melt out my nylon and it does work well but this video uses excessive heat and I knock out the cap right way while the nylon is still soft. 1, it makes it easier and 2, you can clean out the nylon from the groove in the yoke with a pick or small screw driver because it's still soft. I agree, the zert goes in last and I agree you tap on the yoke while rotating the joint to align the needle bearings at the end of the job. A big concern is damage to the driveshaft by how it is held in the vise and damage or pinching the yokes closer together during removal. I have never seen a yoke explode from changing the temper because it was heated, that doesn't mean that it couldn't happen. Pressing the cap out without heating it could cause excessive force and pinch the yokes if not done correctly. I'm an old dog, so I will continue to heat and hammer with caution and common sense but there are better less damaging ways that this should be used to perform this job.
Thanks for the contribution to the thread, it helped bring things into perspective.
After installing the first set of snap rings, I put a pair of old caps on the Ujoint and lay them across the vice the same way you removed the previous caps (essentially seating the snap rings onto the ears to loosen up any pinching/binding) obviously this won't work when installing the yoke in which case I just take my time and tap and try to install the snap ring, lightly tap and try to fit again until it seats!
I also put a little grease in the new caps so in case the cap falls the needles stay in the cap... (It's rare the new caps meet the floor! I mean I've never done it once🙄.... Been a looooooot more than only once 😂)
You also don't want to make them puke with grease (same goes with rod ends too!), grease puking out the seal means the seal is now compromised, moisture and dirt will gladly take place of where the grease is, including but not limited to inside as well!
When a part has a zerk, it's there for you to put a little grease in through out time, most people just gob it in and never grease them again! (Kind of defeats the purpose 🤷)
An arbor press can be found cheap used, they are a beautiful thing! (Ball joint/Ujoint presses "aka BF C-clamps easily bend in the ears ESPECIALLY when using an impact.... But the tool sucks without using an impact so of course we impact! 😂)
Lastly, WTF was GM thinking with the idiotic nylon crap? (Although living in MN, on second thought, maybe it's not that bad! 🤣)
A few years back I managed to lodge a piece of shrapnel that blunt force does into the center of my left index finger joint. Deep so I went to the hospital and was given a tetanus shot as it was small enough to dissolve. Being lazy and rushing the job as I have a press clamps vise etc. I’m actually in the mist of one as we speak and never did these nylon ones so here I am. Had done plenty of them before way back since my Rochester SAE days.
I've been working on car since 1964 still working on them as much as I can with all my health problems now in my '70s lol but you guys did a fantastic job I watch many of these videos just to see what people do on them You guys are one of the best ones I've watched You are very thorough and conscientious and I just thought it was one of the best videos for car guys Great job
Thank you!
You literally have the easiest tutorial from the 10 videos I’ve watched so far! THANK YOU
I've changed the ones with both style clips, thought I was nuts that I couldn't find them until I came across this video , saved me so many hours on my g body project,, thank you much
Wow, you two are a bunch of butchers. Here is an idea. Go and learn how to change uni joints properly. Damn !
This is why pros like you are watching how to change them?
@@TonyTheTruckGuy never said I was a pro, however back then, I worked for a leading tailshaft manufacturer and in my time there I probably changed in excess of 100 uni's a week. I stand by my comment. Bunch of back yard hacks!
@@aussiebogan6978 Haters gonna hate. Done plenty this way.
This is how they taught me at the GM Training College in Atlanta: The classes were on Vibration Diagnosis and Driveline Geometry and Maintenance.
NEVER put a driveshaft in a vise and never pound on U-joint caps with the shaft as the anvil. Put the YOKE on the vise jaws, not the drive shaft tube. Put all of the new joint caps in first by squeezing them in the vise and then free up the clip grooves by hammering on the caps with the yoke as the anvil. Free up the joint if it's stiff by hammering the yoke one way, then the other. You don't need to pound the inside of the yoke, the yoke is cast and will move, let the joint move the yoke. If it's not completely free when you're done, the joint won't last long. Greasing it after will not free up the joint any at all. It's likely that is why the original joint went bad in the first place. They'll run hot if there's more than 2 degrees of angle and cook the grease out of the joint.
If you get a comeback with a vibration as the complaint, you've bent a driveshaft. Your technique is average: not bad, but definitely shadetree style. You will wind up damaging more fragile equipment.
Oh, and wait until you're done before you put in the Zerk nipple. On some HD joints you won't be able to get the cross in the yoke if the Zerk is already in.
I went there in 1963. Marion Hardman was our instructor. Have used what I learned there ever since.
@@davidtyndall9604 I was there 30 years later. By that time (I have no idea how it was in '63) the dealerships would sign up for individual classes for good technicians that they wanted to improve for specific categories: the Automatic Transmission Diagnosis and Repair class was a different class and had a different instructor than the Manual Transmission D&R class. I'm pretty good and the dealership where I was sent me there for many classes.
Dot Huff, a black woman, was the AT instructor and the best "Transmission Man" I have ever seen. She could test drive a Celebrity Station Wagon with any problem, with that nightmare-ish 440T4 transmission in it, and tell you which part was causing the problem, right down to the smallest roll pin that fell out of the valve body!
When I wanted to move 400 miles to another city, I went there on vacation and went into the local Buick store and asked the S-M there if he needed any technicians, specifically an AT man since I was specialized in Automatics and quite good at it too. (I was told by the SM where I was working that I had the lowest comeback ratio in the nation. I had none since I was doing it there, but I'm sure there were a few others too.)
He said no, he had plenty of guys and wasn't looking. I showed him the paper that listed the training classes I had taken at the Atlanta facility, 30 or more of them, and without looking up from the paper he was still reading he held out his hand and said...
*"When can you start."*
@@ladamyre1 My story is a little different. I was late 17s or early 18s, every time I went looking for a job the first question I was asked was whether of not I had my military obligation our of the way or not. Vietnam was going on at that time. I went to a parts house that sold United Delco parts and tried to get a job, same question. I saw a letter on the wall informing all shops that sold United Delco parts that GM was offering classed. The manager told me to go down and tell them that I worked for them. I got to attend 5 one week classes for free. I then joined the Army and my MOS scores were the highest (of my test scores) in mechanics. "Go figure". I was sent to "Wheel Vehicle School" at Fort Dicks NJ and then to "Track Vehicle School" at Ft. Binning, Ga. Funny thing is that at the time I only lived about 5 miles from the GM Training center and after I got married I wound up about 5 blocks from the school. The school has been closed down for more than 10 years, perhaps longer.
@@davidtyndall9604 Great story David! Looks like it saved your life!
I tell my story in the hope some young guy with a knack for machinery, and that's a lot of them, will get the idea to get a job changing oil filters at a dealership, show them he's smart by doing a good job, and get sent to the schools that are run by the guys who *designed the stuff!* I started as a tire busting front end man. I had read a lot of Hot Rod magazines too and thought I knew a lot about cars, but it was a rude awakening to see how poor a Hot Rod magazine education really is.
@@ladamyre1 You probably read the ones I had left over. LOL. I started helping my dad work on his old cars when I was about ten years old. I learned my fractions from playing with his wrenches. Metric, whats metric?
For the less equipped home mechanic; You don't need an acetylene torch for this job. A propane torch does it well but even a decent heat gun will work, it just takes longer. Also, if you are working by yourself, do the pounding on the floor. A driveshaft falling from bench height on the foot hurts and you could damage the shaft itself too. I've never used a vise to do this job, it's fine to do so but if you don't have one you don't need one.
@Tsunauticus III No thanks. Swatting flies with a sledge hammer not my thing.
thanks for the tips
Ok good I was hoping just a regular torch would work.
I've been sitting on it with a torch for an hour now. Nothing. So I'm not sure if a propane will work. Next step is map gas. Then find someone with a real torch.
@@Jim-A-Randy-Lahey I've never had a problem with propane. Mapp is no hotter unless added oxygen. Hold the propane about a 1"" out from the hole in one spot where the plastic will come out and hold it there for about 5mins. , when it reaches right temp it pull push right out. After the initial squirt, start moving the torch from side to side a little to spread the heated area to make sure you got it all. Do both sides, then knock the U-Joint loose with a hammer and drift.
I just did my front driveshaft today. I pressed out one side without heat then one side with heat (propane torch) which made it a little
easier. I used a Dremmel with a small sanding drum and wire wheel to remove rust and installed the caps with anti-seize.
when installing put a small dab of grease on outside of each end cap to hold a flat washer in between each end cap and vise .it gives the extra deph for the snap ring with out hammering hope you understand what im saying
I have replaced many, many U-joints in a vise but I don't hammer them out or in. Use two sockets, one large and one a little smaller than the joint cap, and press the caps out by pressing one cap through the yoke and then press the cross back through the yoke to remove the first cap. Takes a little longer but less risk of getting metal in you eye.
U right sr👍👍👍👍👍
You guys is a video is a life saver. I was struggling with this until I saw that you could do it with a vice and hammer Because the only videos I other saw was using a press
A press is preferred, but this method works if you don’t have one. Just be very careful not to hit the actual drive shaft tube with a hammer or pinch it in the vise too hard otherwise you can get driveshaft vibrations
The one thing no one’s mentioned, the grease fitting has to be on the compression side of the rotation of the shaft. If it’s on the opposite side (being stretched) the joint can crack at the threaded opening for the fitting. I personally don’t use the joints with grease fittings have broken to many granted high horsepower applications but have non-greasable ones go 100,000 +. I also put a small dab of synthetic grease in the caps to help hold the needle bearings in place, but not enough to hydraulic the cap from seating all the way. Also never try pressing hammering etc joint out w/o heating nylon out, your guaranteed to bend the ears
Personally I don't like greaseless ANYTHING (bearings or U-joints or anything else for that matter) but I'm a farmer and I've replaced SO many bearings and U-joints and other such stuff over the years that greaseless=worthless IMHO. Engineers *love* greaseless but they obviously have never been to the field with stuff and seen how it works out... stuff running in the dirt and moisture NEED greasing to push out contaminants...
We had a Caldwell hipper (row disk) as well as a Ford tandem disk on the farm that came from the factory with sealed bearings. Those things gave nothing but trouble. They were okay back in the 70's and early 80's when the QUALITY of the bearings and seals was MUCH better than the garbage Chinese bearings which is all you can get anymore, but over time they wear, the seals wear and then dirt starts working in under them in the field, and moisture wicks in through the seal in the off-season when the machine is sitting. Rust and dirt destroy bearings from the inside. If you can grease them before you start working with it and regularly like every day before going to the field, you can flush out contaminants before they work themselves too deep into the bearings and get into the moving parts. The grease ring coming out from under the seal provides a sealant for the wear between seal and race as well. When the job is done and the machine is going to be set off for the off season, make sure it's greased stem to stern as well, as the grease will displace air and moisture in the bearings, make sure everything is thoroughly coated with grease internally to seal it off from air and moisture that causes rust or corrosion, and again the grease pooching out from under the seal will cap it off from moisture intrusion. The hipper used a pair of sealed square bore flat outer race bearings pressed into an angled cast iron housing which set the angle of the disk blades on either side, with a short square axle going through the cast iron spacers, blades, bearings, and bumper washer on one end and cast iron spacer/nut lock retainer on the inside. The inner races of the bearings were a bit wider than the outer races, to leave a gap between the outer races that sat up against a raised lip in the center of the housing which kept the outer races spaced properly and provided the thrust carrying member between the bearings and housing. This left a roughly half-inch gap between the outer races of the bearings when sitting in the housing, which was just an air gap with the sealed bearings. The outer seals were directly exposed to the elements and on an angled disk gang, running right down an inch or two above the dirt and with dirt boiling up between the disk blades when working, were constantly bathed in dirt spilling over, particularly since they were only about 2 inches below the dirt scrapers cleaning off the inside of the blades. So OF COURSE they didn't last. The original 70's bearings did okay for a few years then as they aged it was "have to replace at least 1-2 sets per year as a blade pair would lock up." I didn't have a shop press at the farm so I removed the housings which were held on by two bolts to the standards, and took them to the dealer and had them press in new bearings. By the end of the 80's the stupid junk Chinese bearings with such LOW quality and poor seals meant I was having to replace 3-4 sets per season at least and sometimes I'd have a set pressed in and had them lock up within a few hours of operation. I figured even with cheap Chinese junk bearings they should last longer than that and went into the shop and watched the shop guys install them one day--- the numb-nut wrench bender the tractor dealer hired was pressing the bearings into the bore by the INNER race, which you NEVER do, because it can dent the balls or crack/chip the raceways inside the bearing and cause it to destroy itself. Bearings should always be pressed into a BORE with a suitable-sized press tool that bears on the OUTER race to push it in the hole; bearings pressed onto a SHAFT should always be pressed on against the INNER race for the same reason. NEVER the other way around! He griped they didn't have press tool, so I went to an oilfield supply house and bought a gas well rot line coupler that fit the outer bearing race and bore perfectly with adequate clearance and welded a 3/4 steel plate on one end for the press arbor to push against, and took the tool with me and made sure they used it. Got a little more life out of the bearings after that, but the crummy seals would still wear fast and allow dirt and moisture in and I could never get more than 2 seasons out of a set of bearings at most. After an episode where some punk kid the dealership hired refused to use the press tool and got the bearing cock-eyed in the bore and kept pressing until the bearing exploded like a hand grenade, and ruined the housing, I made the dealer give me a new set of bearings and new housing for free, and I went to Horrible Freight and bought me a cheap press and started doing them myself. I figured I'd try and experiment to make the bearings "greasable" and so I drilled a hole in the back of the housing straight through the center annulus that holds the outer races apart, threaded it and installed a zerk. Of course the inner sealed bearing seals have to go so that the grease pumped into the housing between the two bearings can actually get into the ball bearings, so I popped one side of each bearing seal off with a screwdriver before installing them. Imagine my surprise when I popped the seals off the new bearings and found that the factory basically assembles them DRY and then deposits one little pea-sized or so dab of a clear, cheap lithium grease on the inner race beside the cage before installing the seal. I mean it's less grease than the amount of toothpaste you'd tell a small kid to use on their toothbrush to keep them from wasting it! 90% of the time it wasn't even close to the raceway or balls of the bearings, just inside the seal under the cage, which means the bearing has to get hot enough for the grease to run before it would ever get into the raceway grooves and start actually lubricating the bearings. Any hope of that dab of grease being able to prevent corrosion or lubricate the seals and help seal off any gaps as the seals wear is totally hopeless. THAT is why the bearings were failing SO much!
Once I installed the bearings and pumped the gap between them full of grease through the zerk which filled the annulus cavity between the bearings in the housing with grease (the bearings sealed to each other as the inner races are clamped together by the axle holding the blades and spacers on against the bearing inner races themselves) the grease had nowhere to go but to flood the raceways and force the air out under the seals, until the bearing was full of grease and grease starts to emerge from under the seal lips. Now running submerged in grease, and periodically greased daily when in the field and at the end of the season before storage, the bearings would then typically last at least 3-4 seasons, easily doubling the life of the bearings or more... til the actual thrust wear or load cracking of the raceways or balls would destroy the bearing. Contamination failure and lack of lubrication failure went to NOTHING.
Now, not EVERY bearing can be replaced by a greasable or be made greasable. Hay balers for instance usually have a TON of sealed bearings, often in special housings or inside roller ends or other things that prevent replacing them with a greasable bearing or installing a grease zerk to be able to grease them. But I'm sure every single sealed bearing has the same stupid dibble of low-quality cheap grease put in them totally insufficient for the job at hand, particularly in dusty, dirty, high load conditions exposed to moisture and grit or running down in the dirt. For those I get a grease needle and pump them full of grease before I ever install them, so at least they start off with a full dose of grease which will coat everything inside and at least prevent moisture intrusion and corrosion to the extent possible, and which will lube the seals and help them seal off from moisture and grit working in under the seals. Some are positioned where you can't even get a grease needle to them after they're installed, so it's a "one and done" type thing; you just do the best you can. But at least they start off full of grease instead of having a pea-sized dibble of cheap low quality grease dabbed inside the seal before its pressed on and being otherwise dry.
Fortunately the tandem disk used standard 3-hole flangettes so I replaced those sealed spherical-outer-race bearings with standard greasable bearings with 3 hole greasable flangettes. MUCH better!
@@lukestrawwalkerTL;DR
They are not "grease less" they just aren't "greaseable".
You're also not supposed to make them "puke" (this applies to all parts with a zerk!). If the insides are coming out, what's to stop the outsides going in!
THANKS FOR THE VIDEO, ITS VERY WELL EXPLAINED. MEXICAN TRUCKS DONT HAVE THIS KIND OF U-JOINTS WITH PLASTIC INJECTED PINS... WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW TODAY. THANKS. YOU ROCKS
I recommend using a flat washer to press the cap in further with the vice after it is flush rather than hammering it. You will have more control and won't have to use the hammer to loosen it up afterwards.
Thanks guys.
I just started this job. I saw the pins and figured I better check before I screwed something up.
Mine also had metal clips on the inside
I had a 78 Cheyenne Chevy blazer with a 4 inch lift it would go through U joints so I became a professional ,until I looked at my 2003 Z71 Tahoe. I was like WTF ....lol thank God you had a video👍🤙
I just cut them with a zip disc then press the bearing caps out , quick , easy and no damage .
Excellent video, these damn plastic injected ujoints been giving me a heck of a time !!! This made life alot easier for me !! Thank you fellas 👍👍👍
Thanks, I totally forgot about these plastic pieces
3:18 who followed those instructions??😂😂
😂😂
Thank you - this helped tremendously! Especially the part about the yoke ears needing to be spread back apart. I haven’t found anyone else explaining that issue.
One thing I found… the yoke ears will actually push together while inserting the caps (using a vise/press). This can prevent exposing the c-clip groove like you showed, but it can also cause binding on the caps as the ears go out of parallel. What I found is that I could press the caps and then tap the ears a little and suddenly the clip grooves would be exposed.
Heating the ears to get the goo out doesn’t really help, either. Stupid, lazy, (and probably cheap) engineering.
Thanks again!!
I have always just hammered around the top and base of the ears and they even out and get the joint smooth. I think that's why some people like the hammer in method better because reduced chance of ear bending.
Simply add a couple of washers in between the jaw of the vise and the cap and run the vise down again, no need to pound on a new u-joint.
But I'd need to grow a 3rd arm to clamp the vise while I'm holding the shaft and all these washers 😋
@@TonyTheTruckGuy Lots of ways to hold the washers, hex nuts or even a socket in place while closing the jaws of a vise. Tape, bubble gum a dab of grease just got to have been raised on a farm back in the 50's and 60's where always having the right tool was never a thing.
@@TonyTheTruckGuylp
I always have a jar of peanut butter in garage. It’s a good temporary glue. Also good for holding screws on your screwdriver when it’s a tight fit. Then you get to lick your tools haha!
I also noticed that the drive shafts were balanced. You should mark with a paint marker exactly how the shafts came out to prevent vibration.
Thanks for the video. Going to be doing this on a 2008 Escalade POS edition.
😂
Thanks for sharing this. I’m about to have to undertake this task 😢
You need heat fast on the sides away from top to avoid heating the cap. After the plastic oozes out tap out the caps while the ring holder still expanded. I just did a reinstall as such.
Try a air chisel with a hammer tip works so nice and doesn't beat up the gear so bad
I have a 1980s s10 with the 2 piece drivecrap vibration right now. current driveshaft wobbles at differential. going to melt out another shaft, swap in u joints and see if that works. if not, I have one shaft ordered from michigan.........hopefully I can replace the support bearing myself.
Thank you, for the video. I learned,"what not to do and what proper tools I need". The way you guys did it was excellent. I learned something today. Enjoyed how you explained "why and how" as you walked it through.
Never clamp the drive shaft tube
Why did you comment 3 separate times? Are you special in the head? Yeah, they make tools for it that most people don’t have. This is a DIY video for people with limited tools. Some hundreds of u joints and never messed up a shaft, just need to be careful.
With nuts that fit on your 1/2" slidehammer. Weld nuts to the caps right thru the middle and slide hammer them out. The heat of the weld melts the plastic. Works on double Carden joints too
I just wanted to thank you for the video, ive never seen nylon keepers before. im used to the circle cotter keepers.
you really helped me out alot and great video. try to find a helper with man hands next time. lol
good video, i use a vise most all times, i also keep to washers in my tool box to finish my press, thanks guys for the video
I use nongreaseable ujoints in my double cardan shaft since I can't get to it with a grease gun.
Useful video. I had never dealt with the one's with the plastic before.
Be careful putting a driveline in a vise. Too tight = damage = off balance = vibration.
Can't see it from his house.
Wut
I’ve learned the hard way.. vise to tight on a hollow shaft can dent or bend it. The solids also can get bent if you beat it too hard. I use a ball joint press usually
@@extremerc76 Guess what. My drive shaft is aluminum. LOL
This guys works on shop and do a wrong job.... U NEVER use hamer on U joint... Cause = damege ur driveline
Super bueno!, tengo una chevy van g20 1983 sportvan, con cardan de Malibu del 73, segui los pasos y hoy lo instale!!! salí a dar unas vueltas a toda velocidad!!! se agradece el tutorial!!!, saludos desde Chile
Thanks for this video. It helped me get the job done.
Glad I could help!
I used a small rotary tool to clean the holes. Put a sanding drum on it for inner diameter stuff and you're good to go. If you got burs and shit, use those reddish stones of various shapes to knock those down.
I press grease into the needle bearings and prepack the cups so it'll back fill the trunnion holes. Then fill the trunnion with grease thru the zerc, once it's installed, until it comes out the cups. Then I know it's evenly greased.
Clean the u joint holes out with a round wire brush and drill...then put a thin layer of oil or grease in the holes before you press them in....makes it easier to press
Sweet you guys are awesome this is exactly what I needed to see I got it thank you so much
Excellent video. It certainly helped me with my project. Thanks for making it.
I would think that using a u joint press would push them right out plastic or not might have to warm them but not heating them to a point to change the temper in the yokes. use a u joint press to reassemble, beating on them can and will dislodge needles in the bottom of the cups. If the cups don't go on enough to get snap rings on disassemble and check for needles in the bottom of the cup. Once u joint is installed and the clips are on rap the yoke just behind the u joint caps a couple of times on both sides with a 16 oz. hammer to center the u joint and seat the clips flush with the yoke. You have to be holding the unit in you hands ( not in a Vise) while rapping the yoke for the inertia to work. At this point the u joint should move smoothly. I have done a thousand u joints in the last 40 years on marine stern drives and this works for me. I cant imagine a professional shop doing u joins like this video.
exactly my point thank you
I'm not sure. Never encountered this style before, so I let the other guy do the work. Normally you could do it that way, I'm just not sure how tough this plastic crap is.
I double tapped the thumbs up and got the middle finger. What the ...
Great video guys. A little bit of arguing and bitching between you guys would make me feel right at home.
I didn't see any Budweiser cans sitting around either. Dam company rules.
Its a lot easier with a ball joint press. You don’t have to melt any of the resin out and there is no hammering.
It just takes the fun out of the job!!!
God damn, a lot of people sure have an opinion on how to fix u-joints. 😂 whatever works for you.
Just completed this w/ my '02 S10 driveshaft. Had I not recently done the same basic thing to a mid-90s Jeep intermediate steering shaft. If you want use that steering shaft in other applications, you need to melt out the nylon/plastic filler to get the shaft to slide in and out for re-installation purposes. Chevy S10s can use this as a means to delete the rag joint that came as standard equipment on most, if not all, GM steering shafts for decades.
When removing a heated cap use caution as I have had them explode and shoot hot grease that is often on fire. If you use a thick washer the size of the bearing cap and held in place with a dab of grease you can get it right to the clip groove. Also if you freeze the bearing caps your bearings wont fall out and get snapped by the joint when pressing it in. IF you cant get the bearing caps in far enough for both clips (inside or outside clip) then you probably have a bearing that fell into the cap as you inserter it. Only press far enough to get the clip in , the bearing should move easily, if not then you have pressed the joint into the cap too damn far.
Man I just did 2 of them yesterday and was using a propane torch to heat them and sure enough that damn thing exploded about 2feet in front of my face and scared the shit out of me. I though my torch blew up
2 of my caps exploded when removing. Fortunately I had read your comment before doing the job and was prepared. Also, I put the bearing caps in the freezer, worked like a charm! Thanks for the info.
Good job, I just hit below the cap on driveshaft housing and they pop right out and you won't have to worry about distorting the yoke.
That’s what I’ve been trying to tell people but the keyboard warriors know it all 😂 Don’t get me wrong, there were mistakes made here, but that was not one of them.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy wasn't insulting you,, I've learned alot from your vedios Tony , I just cut a driveshaft last night, had to do both ends going from 700r4 to ford 8-3/4 inch rear,,different diameter ujoints, just glad I caught it,,,outer clips on ford had to drive through with socket,,,but on the melt outs I just hit housing with hammer lightly and they poped right out,,but I looked you up to see how to install new and how they replaced the plastic intural clip,I thought they probably did metal clip inside and you proved me right,,Thanks
Oh no, I knew you weren’t insulting. Other people just like to.
When I am doing hot work I will remove those plastic gloves and put on weld gloves that are appropriate for hot work. Those plastic gloves are more dangerous than bare hands with hot work. With bare hands if you accidentally brush against the flame or hot metal, at least you can get your skin out of the heat the instant you move your hand. With the plastic gloves the melted plastic is still burning your skin after you pull your hand away from the heat and will give you a deeper burn wound.
I'm surprised how well the plastic holds the joint in. I just tried to press one out with a ball joint press without melting it first and it wouldn't budge.
Yeah, it’s sketchy and impressive at the same time 😂
Same type of u-joints on my 99 Silverado, good video but I'm a little leary of hammering brand new u-joints in place but good video
few people know when you hammer them you break the plastic washer in the inside. they shatter into pieces. I discovered this when I had to take one out after installing it.
You may also use a c-clamp or ball joint press instead of hammering.
Funny how that nylon comes out like human grease out of a black head! Great work with that torch, I think I would of started removing material.
Hydraulic press it , it wont change the temper of the steel like melting
Thank you for the video that's help me
Un saludo desde coahuila México
Great tutorial. Nice that you showed everything start to finish
Thanks!
Is it the same steps for my 1999 Chevy Silverado 1500 LS 5.3 liter ex cab
If it’s got this style u-joint.
I used a Propane Tank with a Weed Burning attachment on it to heat up mine then used a sledgehammer to hit the caps out because the normal torch wasn’t working and I don’t own a settling set.
11:47 OUCH! no no no DONT risk hitting a new bearing! put the yolk on the solid plate on the back of the vise and hit the yolk just behind the u joint cap, that shocks the u yolk back into place ... because it was ( partially ) pinched closed while pushing the new bearing caps into place, works every time!
I done u joints since the 80s and the only time i ever had a tight joint like that,, is when I pressed both caps on like you did and a needle bearing came loose from the rest and was in the cap at the end of the joint! Even using a vise, in which you think would be sending both caps onto the joint evenly, it doesn't! The best way to avoid that situation is to insert the joint into the shaft, send one cap in further than it would be seated so the other cap less end of the joint is sticking out all the way so 1, the inserted cap is fully on the joint (knowing no needle bearing came loose) , 2, so you can place the 2nd cap on all the way to the joint (again making sure all needle bearings remain in tact.) Then tap the protruding capped part of joint into the shaft while also pushing the 1st cap back into place! This will guarantee no needle bearings fall or get pushed to the end of the cap causing that tight joint you have! Especially using the hammer method, or a press, whatever method you use,, there is nothing that guarantees the caps to both go on evenly to not cause a needle or two to fall. This guarantees that you see and know both caps are on fully before you press or hammer the joint back into place!
I got this new portable press that looks similar to a ball joint press and it works pretty bomb for changing u-joints. That way I can avoid the vise and hammer all together.
My 2001 Suburban has those on the front and rear of the rear driveshaft. It just hit 190,000 miles. I bought it at 151,000 the end of Feb 2020. I have the infamous ''clunk'' in R...but only in R
Chalk the wheels and put transmission in neutral then grab the drive shaft and rock it back and forth. If you don’t see any play in the u-joints (twist motion) then I wouldn’t worry. It’s pretty common for these trucks to slam into reverse haha.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy i tried twisting pushing pulling on both..nothing on the rear however the front i can twist it some and it rotates but not via bad u joints
@@billmessner8052 If there’s no weird noises or vibrations while going down the road then I probably wouldn’t worry about it. Might just be axle pinion play.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy so far no noises or vibration
I replaced the rear output shaft seal and did a transfer case fluid drain and refill. While i had the rear driveshaft out i checked the u joints. Both move freely with no noise or binding. I sanded the outer part of the slip yoke too. I no longer have a ''clunk'' from P or D to R in 4wd...it's still there in 2wd though. I think it's the front slip yoke or driveshaft
They'll press out without heat. Just did mine yesterday.
Very helpful ! Thank you !!
I just tried this. A propane torch didn't work for me so I pulled out the oxy torch. Wear eye protection. The seals can explode, sending hot grease flying.
And CV joints are a PITA to put back together.
How did you get the front shaft off? Does it have that forward/back play like the rear one? Cus I I'm doing the front diff mounts they are worn. Got the 4 bolts off for the shaft (front)
I would imagine the shaft has a slip yoke that you can compress to shorten it and get it out of place.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy I got it. U joint caps were seized onto place so it wouldn't let me compress it. Since I was replacing it anyway since front diff mounts were shot..I used a flat hair hammer broke free.. 😌
@@jesusfavela3434 Good ‘ol air hammer coming in clutch lol
Been trying to get my u joint out for hours only for you teach me it has plastic pins in it 😒 smh lol thank you!
I know that most people don't do it, but, you should take the driveshaft and have it balanced. You never really know if the shaft itself is true or not. Many guys don't mark the shaft and yoke before removal either and if you don't, and the shaft has a weight on one side, improper removal and installation on the vehicle will result in possible vibration and then you have to take everything off again. I have never had to pound on a u joint or yoke. You run the risk of damage. But, whatever works, I guess. To each his own.
Clean out all the old plastic before the new ujoints go in
I got a 2001 silverado ext cab long box 2peiece rear shaft and I think this same front will this front cause vibration?
Any bad u-joint can cause a vibration assuming the shaft that said u-joint is on spins while going down the road. On say a Ford that locks the hubs out, I’m pretty sure the front drive shaft stays still when in 2wd and hubs locked out. Yours probably spins, though.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy I think it does I have auto transfer case too
@@TonyTheTruckGuy feels like whole steering wheel is shaking drv shaft moves alot side to side too
What size sockets?
Very grateful for the video best one I found . I did my rear one last year it didn't go the best. Thanks for the help.
I liked the video. It is realistic to what we do at home.
Does your shop not have a ball joint press?
Not my shop lol.
@Tony The Truck Guy well, definitely look into one. It's just easier, you knocked it out tho. Good job.
@@cheelinville125 I personally have one just not with me haha
Half round file always work good for me
Great video got a 2001 sonoma can u take out without the tourch?are they all like this?
I would inspect the u joints ahead of time. If they have the plastic pins like this, you will need a heat source. You don’t exactly need a full blown torch like this, but it helps. You can just buy a tank of MAP gas (yellow tank) at your local hardware store and that should get it hot enough, it will just take longer.
A propane torch is my preference. I did this on my S-10, it worked fine. A good heat gun will work also but takes more time. Acetylene torch a bit over kill. As soon as you get to the right temp, that plastic will squirt right out.
Seems like using a hydraulic press would be more efficient for this type of work.
If only everybody had a hydraulic press in their garage...
Yeah that's true' I need to get a good press.
Take it outside, cover it with a piece of plywood THEN heat the joint before the heated cap explodes and takes your head off. If you are still ok in your shop, congratulations! A press is a faster way to buy someone a nice new driveshaft.
I don’t know about all this talk of caps taking heads off. Didn’t have a single issue, never have.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy In an independent shop there always " new experiences " with mechanical issues. Heating the joint stinks and I got, "TAKE THAT OUTSIDE!". First, the plastic worms were interesting followed by a gunshot explosion. I thought job finished! Good! Then the boss saw the side of the cement block wall had a hole in it. Lesson learned! These joints were from the 70's and 80's . I don't think they still use them but I've been out of that business since the tool costs exceeded my income. When some old fart tells you, "Don't stick your finger in that hole!", listen! There probably is a free life lesson somewhere.
You guys need a u-joint c-clamp tool no heat needed just turn and they come right out and back in also.
Fairly accurate and good job on description But WAY Too Much Heat ! You have now annealed the Yoke. If it's Too Tight, Grease is Not going to Fix it either.
Nah, it moved freely. Same u-joint is still in the same truck to this day lol.
If i want to split the cardan can i still reuse the old U-joint? need to change the bearing so have to split it but dont wanna ruin the u-joints since they are in good condition.
They can’t be reused once the caps are heated or pressed out
I just work on 1998 Silverado…
I take off old part with no torch heat n I take off clips 3 out of 4 ..only has no clips is on brackets with bolts I take off but put new one … I puts clips around but not on brackets with bolts..
Am I doing right things ???
Old part I slam hard with heavy hammer plus 2 by 4 wood n sockets
I done before replace u joints but not that 1998 Silverado ..
I am doing same way on old parts as put it backs … so I should be fine no clips on bracket with bolts side
@@vicentegonzales3852 As long as there’s clips on the inside of the yoke ears and clips are fully seated. Also the joints should move freely as I show in the video as to not pinch the yoke ears in a vise or with hammer
Damn, look at all the so-called "experts" commenting on this!
these comments are right, did this job for years, this repair was done on a machined jig not a vise
Not many people have a machined jig in their garage.
you do not need a jig at home, you open the jaws of the vise just enough that the ujoint cradles inside the vise and work from there@@TonyTheTruckGuy
That’s how I typically do it but I let the GM guy do this since I have not done this style u joint before. Big truck u joints we use a press or pound them out
what kind of grease is that blue grease you have?
Not positive to be honest, but it could very well be the Valvoline Cobalt.
Little spray lube might save on difficulty pressing in caps. Enjoyed watching though.
Just did this yesterday and I used anti-sieze for all caps
Just what I need. thanks
Nice thanks I'll subscribe 😮😮😮😮😮 Happy holidays 😁😸😁😸
Thank you, you as well!
Hitting the outside of the heated ears bent them inward. A socket hitting the cap would have prevented this. Also tapping the ears after installing will settle the pins
Not going to bend unless you’re hitting them way too hard or they are heated red hot. There are no pins in the new u-joint lol.
What's the easiest way to keep the transmission fluid from leaking out of the transfer case when you pull the driveshaft out?
If the fluid level is correct I don’t think you should have an issue. Otherwise you’ll have to just put a drain pan under it to catch whatever drips and top off fluid when you’re done. Or you can try jacking up the rear of the vehicle to keep fluid from coming out the rear of the trans.
If I might. Torch should have small blue cones at th holes. Be more careful of dents in the shaft.
Well at least you were nice about it, unlike all the other keyboard warriors that think they know something on here 😂. I think the camera wasn’t picking up the flame properly. When I’m actually cutting or heating with the torch, I do like you said. I think my buddy just didn’t crank it because that much heat isn’t actually needed. Although it may have looked like the shaft was in danger, rest assured it was fine and I had many vibration-free miles after this haha.
is it a grease zirk, zert or zerp?
Zerk haha. Weird, I know.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy TWERK FITTIN,.,, LOL
How did you get the plastic/fiber crap out of the groves in the slip yoke?
We just left it in there. The new clips go on the inside of the yoke so those grooves with the plastic in them are basically useless. You could probably scrape it out with a screwdriver or a pick if you really wanted to.
I used a torch, heated it up and then it came out with a flat head screwdriver.
It comes out easily with a scribe or other appropriate pick tool.
Ql .capo .gracias saludos desde Chile.
I agree with everything you guys did except for when you bang on it with a hammer put a piece of wood under the drive shaft and you don't ever want to indent the tube of the shaft otherwise it will be very prone to fail.
Yeah I actually didn’t even notice until I rewatched the video that the tube was laying on the vise. She didn’t vibrate though when it was done so all good lol
I take it the OEM joint with plastic is without C clips?
Usually. I can’t say always because I’m not sure, but mine didn’t have any clips.
@@TonyTheTruckGuy I'm going to guess thats what the white plastic goop was for, doesn't need both.
@@freakindawgen Yeah that’s what I’m thinking. Idk what was ever wrong with regular clips like every other u-joint 🤣
I wonder if the driveshaft deformed by hammering while it's hot .
Nah. The sound from the camera makes it sound like the hits are harder than they were and it wasn’t red hot or anything
@@TonyTheTruckGuy
Yeah it's cast iron I think .
At 3:19 Correction: 'hike up your 'Utilti-Kilt'. For all you Scottish and SCA types.
Have the Scottish people working on these joints got a "Utility-KLIT" as jak leo says, I do know the Scottish people wear "KILTS" but not KLIT'S only the female species wear those.
@@rickhctep1503>> Thanks for the spell check, it was an honest error, damm phone keyboard. Now edited to 'kilts', my apologies to the lassies.
@@jakleo337, No prob's JaK Leo, I had to laugh when I first read it.
What’s the part number for those precision ujoints you got?
Sorry I can’t remember exactly it’s been a while. I just got them at my local o’reilly based on my year/make/model. Maybe there’s a glimpse of the box in the video with the part number on it
@@TonyTheTruckGuy it’s all good thank you tho. Lol I did pause it when you glanced over them I didn’t see a pn.
Can you replace these with outer c clip joints?
The grooves in the yoke ears are not far enough to the outside to use outer c clip style. You’ll need the kind I used most likely.
Thanks for sharing this video it was a great help 👍
I am sure I see many dents they put on the front end of the drive shaft. Those shafts are very thin metal. I have changed a lot of u joints, but have always used a press and supported bottom ear. I have seen other people change them without a press, but they have always done it in a way that has something under the lower ear, and driven bar on top with all the striking force going into the hollow support that is under the lower ear. They appear to be in a good size repair shop, don't they have some kind of a press there? If not, they could put a large socket under lower ear, small one on top, other person hold with hands the shaft in alignment, second person strike top socket.
No dents, no vibrations.
Thank you guys so much.
I have to put u joints in my 94 Sonoma that are the same now I think I can do it thanks for the info
I have to agree with some here. This was a scrap shaft?
Not scrap, no issues. Just need to know how tight to go. Change u joints like this in big rigs every time with no issue. And actually it was a GM tech doing the work while I was filming this time lol
Witness at 10.30. that's not caused by the use of care when pounding in a u-joint. Don't use the tube for support. Otherwise a good video. Why does a ASE certified wrench not have the correct tools for this work?
Well, it didn't start out that way.