u-joint (HOW)

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Apr 16, 2008 | 02:14 PM

40LUTZAG

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u-joint (HOW)

Hello. I removed the snap rings and the driveline is loose. Now how do you get the u-joints out.

97 4x4 f-150

Apr 16, 2008 | 03:13 PM

KingRanchMan02

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You have to press out the old U-joint and then press in the new one. Get two sockets, one that the bearing cap will slide into and one that will slide through the eye of the joint to push the opposite bearing cap through. Then you will need an arbor press, a vise, or a large C-clamp to do the work of pressing. Push one cap out, then turn it around in the sockets and push the other cap out. Reverse the procedure to press it back in. Be careful to not knock over the needle bearings or you will be doing it again. Besure to mark the pieces that the joint is coming out of so that they are put back together in the same way that they came apart. Good luck!

Apr 17, 2008 | 03:17 PM

ATC Crazy

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A BFH and a junk (or Craftsman) socket will work too...

Apr 17, 2008 | 04:02 PM

KingRanchMan02

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ATC Crazy

A BFH and a junk (or Craftsman) socket will work too...

That could work for taking the old worn out U-joint out but I wouldn't do it that way and certainly would not use that method to put the new in.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Apr 18, 2008 | 12:30 AM

ATC Crazy

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRanchMan02

That could work for taking the old worn out U-joint out but I wouldn't do it that way and certainly would not use that method to put the new in.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Why not? My friends and I have been doing that for years and they hold up just fine. Hell...My dad owned a shop for a decade and used (still does) this method to press in wheel bearings, etc... Works just fine.

Apr 18, 2008 | 02:30 PM

KingRanchMan02

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I am not saying that this method won't work, just that one needs to hit things squarely or risk damage to components. I have always used an arbor press to do this job.

Apr 18, 2008 | 05:13 PM

Club Wagon

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Using a "BFH" is a crude, yet effective way to R&R U-joints. Trouble is you should never strike bearings you want to use w/hammers. Pressing U-joints in is the safe, reliable & recommended way to do it.

The "Why not? My friends and I have been doing that for years and they hold up just fine. Hell...My dad owned a shop for a decade and used (still does) this method" attitude is often behind many excessively common failures. The traditional brute force "method" was responsible for countless warped brake rotors among those refusing to adopt torque specs for lug nuts.

I strongly suspect that FORD's problem w/blown spark plugs has, at least in part, a lot to do w/the "have been doing that for years" mentality. Mechanics accustomed to tightening the snot out of plugs in iron heads for decades, w/o consequence, did not Climb Onboard when aluminum heads came out. They arrogantly winked at FORD's low torque recommendations.