Finally got the new ball joints installed, ds hub was frozen on tight. I deceided while it was apart ill swap the ujoints, damn these factory units are tight....

The press wont budge them, is the only way to heat and beat?

 

Take an acetylene torch and cut the caps right off the cross section. That way you will only be driving one cap at a time out not both. I messed with mine for a long time then cut the caps off and they were out in 5 minutes. Be careful it will make a mess and the grease will start in fire

 

I was able to get mine out with the u-joint/ball joint press from Autozone, but one of them was really tight. Be careful that you don't bend the yoke. I ended up tweaking one of mine a little, but I think it's ok. I also kept hitting it with PB blaster, that seamed to help.

Also, make sure the c-clips are out.

 

Yeah the clips are out, my balljoint/ujoint press laughs at them...lol

I have a 20 ton press in my shop just havent had to use that yet to get ujoints out, although I'm use to performance vehicles not 1 ton trucks.

I'm going to try later tonight they've been soaking all night and I'm going to let them soak all day, truck takes up way to much room in my shop sucks to have to work around it.

 

Sometimes you can take a small torch and quickly heat the yoke and not the u-joint cup, causing the yoke part to expand away from the u-joint and possibly break that corrosion barrier.
Good luck,

 

It happens all the time at work underground, everything rusts and freezes together in pretty quick order. We have a couple of dodge pickups there and go through ujoints and wheel bearings all the time. Don't wast time trying to beat them out or press them out, like the others said, and as I do at work, you can have the old ones out in 5 min, just cut the cross with a torch and the caps sure pop out alot easier one at a time that way.

 

I was trying to knock mine out while it was on the workbench. Once I moved it to the concrete floor and supported it with a piece of 1/2 inch steel plate it eliminated the little bit of give the solid wood work bench introduced. Still not easy but made it do-able.

 

If you use a press of any type, try to support the ears from the inside with something. I bent min just enough that a new u-joint would not go back in. $150 for a used replacement axle (long side). I learned my lesson.

 

God I love my plasma cutter...thanks guys!