I'm doing some maintenance on my 86 F-150 4x4 before winter.
Starting to get that pinging sound from under the truck when I change gears and as I take off. Inspection clearly indicates u-joints are shot.

I've been reading up on this. I don't usually mess with repairs on the drive line, but I figure its time to learn. Good mechanics seems to be hard to find or they are just too expensive for my pocketbook.

Anyway, when I remove the rear driveshaft, it appears that the slipshaft at the front of the driveshaft is going to slide out of the tail of the transfer case. When I do this, am I going to lose the fluid that I just replaced yesterday from the case? If so, I may just drain the t-case again into a clean container.
Should the seal be replaced in the tail of the t-case when I go to do this?

Anything special that I need to know when I go to do the shaft to the front diff?

I've been looking at my haynes, but it's not always clear.

Thanx

 

yes you are likely to loose some fluid from the tcase. no fear, it should be changed every 30-40k (as spicer-new process) says, more if you use it more often. it does use standard dexron atf. syn is always a better option. as for the seal, if you got the d/shaft off, go ahead and replace it. seal will run you about 4-6 bucks. becareful when removing it you dont want to score the sealing surface. just take your time removing it an installing the new one. as for the drieshaft some of the fords used saginaw u-joints. this can be id by the lack of clips holding the ujiont in the flange. these require an oxy-acet/ torch, and a bit of care. just post which joints you have, and i am sure someone including me can help you out with them..

Kurt

 

If your truck is on level ground, you shouldn't lose more than a half a pint of fluid. When you take the u-joints off, get a piece of 4x4, lay the driveshaft on it near them. Take the snap rings off both sides, get a socket small enough to fit in the opening, and beat them out with a B.F.H! The end that is on the bottom should be pushed out enough to take the cap off and let the thing flop around enough to pry the other cap off inside the driveline cross shaft.
Be sure that if you get greaseable u-joints to grease them, or you will have to do this sooner than you want to again.

 

Not thinking, I just replaced the t-case fluid yesterday

The u-joints on the truck now have the retaining clips and so do the new ones. They have been in the shaft for a while, so i imagine they will be difficult to remove. I belive the haynes manual and somebody I know recommended a 1 1/4" and a 9/16" socket for the removal process.

The part that i'm most uncomfortable with right now is the process of pressing the new caps into the yokes. I've seen what happens to the yokes when these are put in straight. I ended up having to find a used driveshaft for my last truck because the previous owner didn't know how to replace u-joints. The yokes were realy worn. Wouldn't hold the new cups. A log of vibration in the drive line before the shaft was replaced.

Thanx for the help.

 

be very careful when beating them, you are likely to bend the flange up, and the ujoint may not fit snug, or straight again. good MADE IN THE USA joints are best. look at the difference between a spicer, and GMB u joint. you will see hardening on the cross, as well as smaller and more rollers. the discount store joints have larger needle rollers, as well as softer crosses(thats why they are cheaper). lubable joint are great, but it wont do you any good if you dont lube them, so if you are terrible about lubing them, buy the non lubers. the spicer units, have an even harder cross and needle rollers than the lubable style. they may not last quite as long as the lubed style, but will last longer than the lubed style that are never lubed. say that ten times fast. besure you "index" the drive shaft, meaning mark the slip joint-yoke to the drive shaft. many driveshafts are balaced with the yoke-slip joint. by changing it 180', you could throw the balance off, and have a sever vibration issue. also, when installing lubable joints, besure to install them grease zerk all the same direction. it sucks to have one on the top, and one on the bottom. if they are all facing the same way, it will make lubing it easy. this term is called "clocking" hope that helps..

Kurt

 

Bought the good joints w/ the limited lifetime warranty. Nobody seemed to have ones with zirks on them. Didn't have time to do them yet. Wanted to watch the election returns.
Had somebody try to tell me that it was going to be a pain trying to beat the old joints out. Hammers have there place, but around the yoke or driveshaft is not one of them. Haynes shows the vise method. There is even a u-joint removal tool that I can rent, but the vise is more readily available.
Truck doesn't see much water or mud. I just like to have the option to take that alternate route when I need to.

The joints on the front shaft look like they might be original. That is going to make life interesting. Last time I used the 4wh drive, the joints were a bit noisy.

It looks as though the joints in the front shaft are the same part as the rear shaft. Partsamerica lists them as being the same as well. Is this correct? I would have thought they were different size since the shaft is smaller. Still researching that one.

 

Why would anyone use a hammer on a u-joint???? The best two options possible. Most of us don't have a hydraulic press to remove them, but it is the easiest way. Second, also very easy. Grab a bigger than u-joint cup diameter socket, and a smaller than cup socket. Open the jaws of your vice(most of us have them, or know someone who does) and use the small socket to push the cup out, and into the bigger socket on the other side. The BFH method often tends to bend the ears that retain the cups, causing the retaining clips not to fit, and also put the drive-shaft out of balance. The vice method requires little effort, but you'll need a vice big enough to get the shaft, and both sockets inside of.

 

i think a small press for anyone who own a truck, and enjoys working on it is within reach. a simple press can be made for less than 75.00, plans are online everywhere. harbour freight sell one for 100.00 when it is on sale. i purchassed one from them for less than 250.00, and it has saved and made me more money than its cost. just a thought. bottle jacks are cheap, and scrap steel is everywhere. all thats left is a drill and an afternoon to build it.

Kurt

 

If all you have is a hammer in the boonies, or your garage, how are you supposed to miracle up a press? I just replaced the u-joints in my F-250 that way and unless you try to force the u-joints in the yokes, it has worked for years for hundred's of people with little problems. Just my $.02

 

ouch, i would pass on that. in the boonies maybe. but i would rather pay someone 15 a joint to put them in then to ruin a 150 driveshaft, and maybe the ujionts in the process. take it out and take it to a machine shop or repair facility and pay the 15-20 each, and know there right. and if they damage your driveshaft, it thier problem not yours... hammers do REALLY BAD things to a cast yolk...


Kurt

 

I've done it with a hammer many times. you can destroy driveshafts and axles in a press just as easy you can with a hammer..

I've used a hammer many times to install ujoints. you just have to do it properly.

 

you guys scare me. this is not info i would pass on to a first time u joint installer. really bad info. when he smashs his tube or bends his yolk 'cause someone said "beat the hell out of it with a BFH" it scares me. to much good enoughs, scares me. just bad advice if you ask my opinion. i will bet you can sit in a dealership for a week, and never hit one in with a hammer, let alone a good independent shop. i know i have 15+ years in both..
Kurt

 

Vice and sockets is my method of choice.
The first owner of my last truck used a hammer on the joints. When my mechanic went to replace them, he had no problem getting them out but the ears on the shaft were too distorted. Had to end up finding one at a boneyard for 90 bucks.

Luckily this truck looks to have been better taken care of. It's an 86 w/ approx. 214k miles. I priced a remanuf. shaft in case and it was 192 bucks. Probably less at a boneyard.

 

till 192 is alot of money would buy a nice press a couple u joints and a six pack of beer.. sorry going to leave that one(press) alone.. wore out my welcome already.

Kurt

 

I've done them using a 6-8" C clamp. Same method as press or vise. I agree about the BFH. Watched my stubborn uncle beat the s#$% out of the u-joint flanges on his truck. "Lost a few needle bearings so I just threw in a few of the old"! Lasted less than 50 miles. Vise, press or c-clamp offer some control over the process.