Get a hammer and a socket that is just smaller than the u-joint cap and CAREFULLY bang it out. U can try a c-clamp as well, but I usually end up messing my clamp up

 

hmm... well, earlyer i was useing a big screw driver and a huge adjustable wrench to pound out the caps but i didnt even budge it at all. it feels like if i hit it any harder im gona break something. just so i know, can this u-joint be changed without removeing the tires or whole axel? cause i was trying to pound it out while everything was still together.

 

Holeeee cripes . . . tell me you're joking. There's a right tool for every job and for jobs like this there's several good alternates. A big screwdriver and an adjustable wrench are NOT on that list. Haynes gives very specific, clear instructions on how to do this. You will need to removed the axle shaft (yes, tire, hub, etc. needs to come off). If you read the manual it'll walk you through everything. It will also describe in detail how to remove the old U-joint once the axle is out. If it hasn't been changed in a while it'll need a good pouning to get the caps out. Read twice so you only have to do the work once.

 

arrg.... ok so i need some kind of special tools to do this job? the haynes manual isnt very specific at all to wich axel and wich u-joint they are talking about. the only axel ive ever removed was on a sprint and i didnt need any special tools to do it. do i have to pull the whole shaft out of the differential or just part of it? it would be alot easyer if you could just tell me what tools i need and what needs to be done, the haynes manual is a real pain in the ***. im no mechanic, and since ive never done this job before i have no idea what alot of the technical terms they are useing are refering to.

 

I believe the only special tool you need for the job is a socket like this:



It can be found at most any parts place for $15-$20 and will be needed to remove the hub. Other than that the rest should all be basic tools. The shaft can't come out through the diff as you'll notice that the yoke is too big to fit through the axle tube. It has to come out at the end so you need to remove the hub and spindle. then the whole axle shaft will slide out. You can put in the new U-joint and put it all back together.

 

Psyte,
Don't get discouraged. The job really is easy to do, it just takes a little time. Ivan is totally steering you in the right direction. The socket he showed you a picture is something you should have if you own a 4x4. It makes the job alot easier. But I thought you were kidding too when you said you were trying to get it out without disassembling the hub. I'll give you a brief rundown of how it should go.

First, jack that side of the axle up and put a jack stand under it. Next take the wheel off. Next take the brake caliper off and lay it to the side. Next take the allen bolts out of the locking hub and slide the locking mechanism out. Next, there should be a snap ring right at the edge of the hub itself. There is no holes in it so you have to dig it out with some picks or screwdrivers. Where it's split, one edge that sits in the hub grove is tapered so you can get a small screwdriver or pick under it. Next there should be a snap ring around the end of the axle shaft. It has holes so you can use snap ring pliers. But I have done it with picks and screwdrivers. Next take two of the allen bolts, thread them back into the part of the locking hub that's still in the bearing housing (hub) and slide out the rest of the locking hub.

Now you can use your new 4x4 tool. There are two lock nuts in there which is what that tool that Ivan showed you is for. Take the first one out. Next there should be "lock ring" in there. some have holes all the way around them, others have metal tabs to bend down. Either way it should slide out. Then take the next nut out. They need to go back in the same exact way and this is why. If the lock ring has holes in it, that means the inner most lock nut has a small stud on it that is as tall as the lock ring is thick. The lock ring as you have found out now rides in the keyway on the spindle which means it won't spin. So if the inner lock nut has a stud on it that sits in a hole on the lock ring.....it won't spin either thus locking it in place. The outer lock nut is just there to ensure the lock ring doesn't fall off the little stud and to generally tighten things up. Moving on, after the innermost lock nut there will be a shim that rides up against the bearing, and then the bearing itself will come out. Next the entire hub and inner bearing and seal should slide right off. Now is a good time to repack or replace the inner and outer bearings. Clean them up with solvent or my favorite gasoline. If they have any discolorations or scaring replace them and the race. Also a new spindle seal is cheap insurance (at the parts store it's an inner wheel seal). For now I'm not going to get into how to replace the bearing races or seal. But if you need that info, PM me and I'll break it down for you. Next there should be five spindle nuts, remove them. Now you should be able to take a rubber mallet and tap the spindle off. Sometimes it needs a little persuation. But only use a rubber mallet. You don't want to mess up anything on the spindle. Now for a side note, if you said the axleshaft was slapping around in there, there is a good chance that your spindle bearing is shot. look inside the spindle closest to the ujoint. There is a bearing in there with needle bearings. They should move freely with your finger. If they don't it needs to be replaced. Now that I think about it there is also a seal and shim that rides on the stub shaft itself. All of which needs inspection. None of the inner spindle parts (needle bearing, seal and shim) should be more than ten dollars.

Now you can pull out your axle shafts. You will see that the Ujoint section will only come out of the knuckle one way. Which is why it's better to replace it before you blow it up. Blown up yolks and Ujoints don't like to come out of there which means further disassebly. But for now that's as far as you need to go.
Now to get the ujoint out there are three types
1. External snap ring- the snap ring is on top of the cap.
2. Internal snap ring- the snap ring is under the yolk ear and only goes about 3/4 of the way around the cap. (this is what you should have)

3. Is the plastic injection yolks. These are only in chevy driveshafts I believe. You don't have this kind I promise.

To get the ujoint out contrary to what everyone says, I beat mine out with a large bolt, hammer and vise. The thing is not to scar the yolk in anyway because the ujoint cap won't slide out like it's supposed to. Just remember when you beat one side in, you have to allow it to come out the other side. All of the guys suggestions earlier are very valid ways to do this. The Ujoint caps themselves will take an obsurd amount of beating and not break, so don't be afraid to put some *** on it.

Now for re assembly. before you put the new ujoint in, inspect the yolks where the caps go in. Make sure they are clean, without burs or scars. If they are putting the new ujoint in should be very easy with no beating. The rest is just the opposit of what I told you for disassembly. As for torque specs on the internal lock nut for bearing load. I just tighten it until the rotor is hard to turn and then back it off a little less than a quarter turn. You want the rotor to turn easily, but there should be no play what so ever in the bearings. Anyway, I hope that helps.

RubberDuck

 

Nice Job RubberDuck,

I might add that the worst part for me was pounding off the rusted spindles. Also If the U-joints just wont come out of the yokes, take em to a local shop and they will press them out for $20-30 (both axles), this is well worth the time you will save.

 

Very nice!

 

hey, thanks alot for your help guys. i really appreciate it. im going to get started on it today, hopefully it goes smoothly. got a bunch of friends planning a 4x4ing trip on sunday, so ive gota get my butt in gear

 

another great tool i've found for doing ujoints is a ball joint press (massive c clamp) thats rentable at any autozone or advanced autoparts....they have a hole on the outboard side tht allows the cap to fall through, and this eliminates the need for both the socket, and the hammer...

 

honestly I have never used a press for any ujoints, and explaining it will not be easy but will try, I open my vise wide enough to drop the one side of the shaft through but the horizontal cross hits the vise then using a hammer hit the yolk right behind were the ujoint cup is this will drive the one side out turn it over and repeat process then do the other end. use the vise to press the new cups in if they don't go in with a vise then something is wrong, and you will destroy them using a press. Believe it or not this was the method taught to us in Tech school even though I found out about it in High School.
Oh almost forgot you can't do it while still in the truck, you hae to remove the axle shaft completely so don't even try.

 

Thats what i'm talkin about...not really a press...but it works like a charm..

 

alright, ive got a small problem. i cant seem to find that exact socket anywhere. i ended up buying two different looking ones from an auto parts store and both of them didnt fit. i also rented another one and it didnt fit either. does the one i need have to look exactly like the one in the pic? does the socket remove an outer ring around the thick one in the middle that the cap screws into? or should it slot into the notches of the inner part?

 

One socket is just a tiny bit smaller than the cups, and fits into the bore of the yoke to press on the cup on one side. The other is used on the other side of the yoke, with the open side toward the yoke, to support the yoke and accept the other cup that will be pushed into it when you squeeze the whole thing with a vice. One socket pushes against the cup, the other against the yoke on the opposite side. When you tighten the vise the cross of the u-joint is pushed toward the side of the yoke toward the big socket. Then when that cup is sufficiently pushed out you can grab it with a pair of pliers and twist it out. Then the u-joint cross can be wiggled out and the other cup grabbed with a pair of pliers. To reassemble, press one cup in a little without the use of a socket, put the cross in, press the cup in the rest of the way, put the other cup in the other side finger tight, slide the x partially into it (it should be part way into both cups and slide nice and smooth) and press that one in. Then you can use the small socket to press one the rest of the way, put the snap ring in and press the assembly back against that snap ring (gently, not far enough that it bows out the snap ring, if it does press it back the other way a little), then put the other snap ring in. If the joint does not move easily and smoothly take a 3lb dead blow or so and TAP the yoke on either side where you pressed the cups in, in the direction you pressed them in. It helps seat the cups against the snap rings correctly and should get the tolerances where they should be so that the joint moves nice and free.

 

I think he's talking about the socket for removing the hub nut, not the sockets he's using to press the U-joints out. How many notches does your hub nut have? Some are 4 and some are 6. It's not a very good fit even if you have the right socket but once you break them loose they'll come right out.