[Guest]

Ok..I decided with the tub off to inspect the ujoints and found the one at the transfer case end *front drive shaft* to have the needle bearings gone. I took the drive shaft off but am having problems getting the ujoint out. The caps seem to be sealed in there pretty hard. I have never replaced one of these before. What is the easiest way to get them out. I have a small vice if that helps. Do the caps push out the ends??? Thanks...

David
Missouri

 

[327]

You are right, the caps do press out. I take a small socket (about the same diameter as the cap) to push the cap through the yoke. You put a larger socket on the other side for the opposite cap to side into (the purpose of this one is to support the driveshaft yoke ear while pressing the cap and body of the ujoint out of the yoke). In a perfect world you would set this up on a press, or in a vice big enough to fit everything; I usually use a BFH and hit it as hard and as squarely as possible. Just try to be careful of the yoke ears; you do not want to bend them. I've yet to not be able to remove one with a hammer and two sockets, but some can be pretty stubborn.

Max

82 CJ, some stuff stock, some stuff not
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
http://www.alpine14rs.org

 

[Guest]

I use a hammer to do the last bit my vice wont....
FYI- WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHILE HOTTING THESE THINGS! A buddy of mine had to take a break to visit the Emergency room b/c the socket or ujoint cap (can't remember which) shattered and londged a good piece in his chest and another in his arm.....
Wear the goofy looking eye gear....its worth it...

84 CJ7 / 258 / weber

torx: the root of all evil.

 

[Guest]

Well I was successful. Thanks for the idea to use the socket! It worked like a charm. The only problem I had was having one of the caps come off during the install and all the needle bearings flying out on the floor!!! Now that is a pain in the ass to get them all back in there.

 

[Guest]

just a tip I figured out for furure reference-I went to Auto Zone and rented a ball joint puller/press thingy, hooked the trusty impact wrench up to it and got the joints changed in about ten minutes a piece (after the drive shaft was off, of course. Definately easier than punding on it with a socket (and friendlier on the fingertips too), and didn't cost anything extra. Just my $.02

--Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and the world laughs at you.

 

[Guest]

Another tip for next time:
Use some masking tape around the caps that mate to the
x-fer case and diff yolks, remove the tape just as your are reinstalling, just cuts down the likelyhood of the caps falling off...sorry I forgot to mention this earlier /wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif

84 CJ7 / 258 / weber

torx: the root of all evil.

 

[Guest]

Amen to that. I still have a piece of shrapnel in my arm from a u-joint that shattered. Pressing is much safer than hammering.

More power is never enough
85 CJ-7 Locked and loaded