I have a '75 F100, with a '78 D44 front axle. The passenger-side U-joint is SHOT, im suprised it hasnt popped out yet.

How difficult is it to replace these?
What tools will i need?
How much would a shop charge?
Does anyone have a link to a write-up?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

-Dallas

 

Anyone?

 

well, there are prolly many ways to go about it. i know that if you take off the hub and spindle (brakes bearings and all) you can pull the whole shaft assy out of the axle tube and take it to a work bench. with some normal hand tools a vice some sockets and a c-clamp you can prolly prize it out yourself and change it. if you dont know how too or dont want to learn or have the time, then it would be too expensive to take the shaft to a shop and have them re-ujoint it. i dont know how your finances are but if i were doing one side, i would do the other. there might be an easier way to go about this, but this is the way i was told and have done so to each his own. hope that gets you goin' in the right direction.

 

Thanks for the help!


I cant really afford to replace both at the moment, the other one is new anyway, or so it seems. It looks as if all of the U-joints were replaced, besides this one, which makes me wonder why.

So if I order a U-joint online, take the whole shaft out, and take it to a shop to have it replaced, would that cost alot? Any idea how much?

Its not that i dont want to learn, its that I dont trust myself with somthing as important as a U-joint. Id rather not take the whole truck in, as they never remember to flick on the fuel pump so they run it dry of gas, burn the starter wondering why it wont start, then finally remember about the fuel pump...

Thanks!

-Dallas

 

If you purchase a joint on line then take it to a shop for installation the labor cost will be greater.

Also - suppose it breaks after while.

Who is responsible?

The company you bought it from or the one that did the installation?

You will be left holding the bag.
Call around and check prices.
They vary from area to area.

 

So where should I get the joint,locally? I will be taking in only the inner shaft, not the whole truck. I dont like leaving my truck places, especially mechanic shops. Ill get it tore down tomorrow, and run by a few shops and see what they will charge.


Thanks.

-Dallas

 

Hey Dallas:
It's me. If you broke the u-joint, then I would have to assume that the shifter is working alright. Thats is the good news. Guess the bad news is that the darn thing is broke. You are going to have to remove the knuckle, and everything associated with it to get the inner, and outer shaft out. Remember the two were connected at one time, and when you have them fixed, they will be once again attached.
Don't worry too much about where you purchase the joint from, ( I do not intend to discredit the above statement) but even if you buy the joint from the same shop that replaces it for you, and it breaks, you are still responsible for it. Whether you bought it from them or not, the are not going to warranty a u-joint that was not given a lifetime warranty. However, buying one from a shopp otherr than the shop doing the work, is like buying tires from one tire shop, and having them mounted by another, and maybe even balanced from yet a different shop. It is just not a good practice, and often a shop will appreciate your loyalty, and might extend some good deals in the future for doing business with them. A good relationship has to start somewhere. I am pretty sure you are not going to spend way too much money for a fairly inexpensive component. It won't be a whole bunch, heak, I would price the joint and ask them how much they would charge to install the joint if you were to buy it from them. It is a fair question, and would give you a reasonable idea for labor. After you get a few ideas, them make a decision. If it can't be done right away, it is only the front, and it will still drive, so then you can save some money and do it when you save a little bit of cheddar. Anyway, think about your options, and consider your options.

75F350.......

 

Hey there! You've got to be one of the most helpful people on here! (If not the most). I really appreciate you taking the time to type all that out for me.

Unfortunatly, I did not break it while wheeling. I have been noticing a weird noise up front while driving and when I looked to see what it was I found the shot U-joint. Its barely hanging in there, its very worn. Im hoping this is the noise that I've been hearing. What confuses me,tho, is that when my truck is in drive, I can spin the front driveshaft freely, but when I move the truck the driveshaft spins like its engaged...


Thanks again,

-Dallas

 

sometimes that happens. Usually from a heavy dose of grease in the locking hub assembly will cause some friction in the front end. Heak I have sen the front driveshaft spin at a very slow rate on the highway. I have been fortunate to not have that happen, but I do know it occurs. For what it is worth you could wrap some duct tape around it to buy some time. If you are not using four wheel drive, and the hubs are unlocked, (wait a minute) which transfer case do you have? I forget which truck you have. You don't have a full time case do you? If you do, you are in big trouble if the u-joint breaks. Write me back real quick, and remind me what you are running.

75F350...

 

I have the 203 that is what we believe to be converted to part-time. I do have manual locking hubs.

 

That is right. I gave another shifter away the other day, and it was for a guy that had
a 203 that was not converted, sometimes I get cornfused.
Anyway, just verify that the front shaft is not spinning from any output from the case, and the locking hubs are working alright, and you can get away with a broken joint for a while.
I broke a short shaft once, and left it for two weekends of wheeling. I did not carry a spare at the time, and was to stubborn to park the truck. The Detroit probably did not like it, but it survived.
If you can't fix it yet, you can leave it for a little while as long as it does not spin. If it does, it will bang around, and might mess up the shaft, that would not be cool.
Could also tie it to the housing to keep it from spinning, as long as it is truly free. Use a great big zip tie, it will hold it.

 

Thanks! That is great to know that I can still drive it, I was getting depressed. How do I verify that the hubs are working correctly? Well I guess they are tho, because the last time I took it out the 4wheel drive was working... (THANKS AGAIN!)

Wooo, I dont have to drive the 4 banger, auto jeep just yet!


-Dallas

 

Well four whel drive is not in question, but 2wd might be. Just go to the knuckles while the truck is suposed to be in 2wd, and spin the axles, then spin the front driveshaft. If everything spins alright, then you have no worries, and you can drive your baby. 4WD you will not be useable, or reliable but you can cruise your ride around in 2wd with little trouble, just dont let loose parts hit each other, or flop around.

 

U joints are way to easy to take it to a shop and pay 50 bucks but thats just me. If you have a bench vise or a 2 pound sledge hammer you can do it yourself. Take the clips off the 4 ends of the u joint then place it on the ground with a socket larger then the diameter of the u joint. Then take a socket the same size or close to the diameter of the u joint and give it a few wacks. the u joint cap should fall into the larger socket. Turn it over and punch the other cap out. just repeat this on all 4 caps.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

I tied up the U-joint shaft thats worn out, and took the truck for a spin to see if it helped. It worked at first, but it started making some god-awful sounds down the road, so I brought it home. When I looked at it, the U-joint had busted the zip-tie...

I have no idea if the noise is from the joint, or somthing else... The power steering ram is going out, and I have a power steering pump to replace it but I havnt had the time. Im hoping the noise is partially from that.. It sounds like metal on metal,somthing.. its hard to explain. I notice the sound only when braking, or turning, but after the last short drive I heard an even worse noise while going up my driveway.

I guess the only way to find out is to tear the thing apart and take a look, which im not all that comfortable doing.


-Dallas