I Hate U-Joints
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
I Hate U-Joints
Just wanted to get this off my chest. I spent 3+ hours this afternoon removing the U-joints from the half shafts of the 72. Those greasy, rusty, 35-year-old joints don't come out easily. I don't think I caused any permanent damage to either the halfshafts or myself.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 707
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From: Pitman NJ
I used to do farm work, and I was always changing them on the PTO shafts. I used the vise and socket method. Put a large socket on one end, and small socket on the the other. Knock out the clips, and squeze in the vise pushing it into the bigger socket. I became very proficiant at it.
Sometimes when they were very old and rusted in there, I cut them in half with a torch. I don't really recomend that, because the remaining grease would catch fire. It was also to hot to touch for a few minutes. It would have been smarter to use a grinder with a cutting wheel, but I was young...
Sometimes when they were very old and rusted in there, I cut them in half with a torch. I don't really recomend that, because the remaining grease would catch fire. It was also to hot to touch for a few minutes. It would have been smarter to use a grinder with a cutting wheel, but I was young...
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
me too !! just out of curiosity how much HP can u joints handle. i have the ones with the grease nipples. they just look soo weak with those tiny little saddles and two bolts holding each one on .
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 62
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From: Buhl Minnesota
Just wanted to get this off my chest. I spent 3+ hours this afternoon removing the U-joints from the half shafts of the 72. Those greasy, rusty, 35-year-old joints don't come out easily. I don't think I caused any permanent damage to either the halfshafts or myself.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 893
Likes: 7
From: Orange Park Florida
Be careful when removing the U-joint bearings from the wheel flange! Too much pressure on the flange (you should be using sockets on the bearing heads only) can bend/damage the flange thus making the installation of the new bearings difficult. I just replaced burnt bearings on my '72, and found that the previous owner/mechanic must have pressed the new bearings on incorrectly and damaged the flange. The flange had been squeezed in. When I installed the new bearings, the holding clips would not fit into the grooves, and I noticed the old clips had been filed down to make them thinner so they would fit- not a good idea. Use a penetrating oil prior to removal of the old ones.
Jim
Jim
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Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 2
From: Allen TX
Be careful when removing the U-joint bearings from the wheel flange! Too much pressure on the flange (you should be using sockets on the bearing heads only) can bend/damage the flange thus making the installation of the new bearings difficult. I just replaced burnt bearings on my '72, and found that the previous owner/mechanic must have pressed the new bearings on incorrectly and damaged the flange. The flange had been squeezed in. When I installed the new bearings, the holding clips would not fit into the grooves, and I noticed the old clips had been filed down to make them thinner so they would fit- not a good idea. Use a penetrating oil prior to removal of the old ones.
Jim
Jim
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
I rented the ball joint press from Autozone. Turns out it works fine for u-joints also. The hole in the C-Clamp is just big enough for the cup to fit into as it comes out. I still had to use my 5' pipe on the wrench to get the cups to break free.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Rick B.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 3
I also use a press since it averages 10 tons to drive out a rusted U-joint.
I built a fixture to keep the flange from bending, since that time (30,000 miles) I have only recently had the first one fail. The fixture is made of 1 1/2 steel forming a right angle, with a relief to pilot the flange.
I built a fixture to keep the flange from bending, since that time (30,000 miles) I have only recently had the first one fail. The fixture is made of 1 1/2 steel forming a right angle, with a relief to pilot the flange.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
