Front Axle U-joints
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Front Axle U-joints
I have a 1993 Ford F150 with the 4.9. Recently i was under the truck and i noticed that the front axle had alot of play in the u-joints. Then today when i was drinving to town i had it in 4wd because my dirt road was covered in snow. I started going up a hill and my tires broke loose and there was some clunking and hopping in the front end. My question is how much of a pain in the *** is it to change these u joints?
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,006
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From: Roseville, MN
Depends on your pain threshold. Some people wouldn't want to do it in their garage, others do it regularly when they break on a trail.
Take off wheels and brake calipers (no biggie here)
Remove hub / brake disk (requires spindle nut wrench, not too bad if you've got that)
Remove spindle (supposedly comes off with a little tapping with a soft mallet, I've usually needed to use the puller I made the first time I fought with one)
Then the axle slides out & you replace the U-joints pretty much like you do on a driveshaft.
Going back together is easier. Just don't push dirt back into your differential and find and follow the directions for tightening the spindle nuts.
Take off wheels and brake calipers (no biggie here)
Remove hub / brake disk (requires spindle nut wrench, not too bad if you've got that)
Remove spindle (supposedly comes off with a little tapping with a soft mallet, I've usually needed to use the puller I made the first time I fought with one)
Then the axle slides out & you replace the U-joints pretty much like you do on a driveshaft.
Going back together is easier. Just don't push dirt back into your differential and find and follow the directions for tightening the spindle nuts.
New User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 22
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If it was never done and you're in the rust belt chnaces are it's gonna be a PITA. Every trucks I've had required a lot of beating and usually heating to get the spindle off. Had to heat the nuts that hold the spindle on too since they were so rusty. If the outter wheel bearing is siezed to the spindle that'l create more problems but more than likely you'd know since it really only happens when you trash a wheel bearing.
To chnage the ujoint you can rent a press from a parts store or use sockets to bang the caps through, best to do that with a vice which can as be a used as a press.
To chnage the ujoint you can rent a press from a parts store or use sockets to bang the caps through, best to do that with a vice which can as be a used as a press.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 196
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From: Milwaukee, Wi
It's not all that bad, but yeah rust will lead for a lot of torching, pounding, and prying with pipe to get the spindle nuts out like mine did. My U-joints were so bad that when I used a ball joint press to get them out it bent the axle forks a bit and I had to straighten them out. The ball joint press and locking nut socket for the wheel bearing can be borrowed from your local auto parts store. You pay full price to get them and when you bring them back you get 100% of your money back.
As for the one in the middle the proper way is to remove the differential off of the carrier but I have heard of some people wiggling and pressing the joint off while the stub axle is still in the diff.
As for the one in the middle the proper way is to remove the differential off of the carrier but I have heard of some people wiggling and pressing the joint off while the stub axle is still in the diff.
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