Should this be so hard? Took one u-joint out of one half shaft last night. It took an hour to beat it into (or out of, as the case may be) submission. Not sure if it was an original from 1980 or replaced sometime in the early 90's. One went bad at the time and I believe the mechanic replaced both on that half shaft - long ago and not sure which was done. But in any case, they've all been in there a long time. My approach was to lay the free cross member across the two jaws of a vice and to then hammer on one of the rings in the half shaft using a socket to distribute the force of the blows. After many many strikes with a 3 pound hammer I finally managed to get the cup out far enough to pull it off. But trying to then get the other cup to move back into the half shaft ring was taking every bit as much beating as it took to move it down in the first place. So I beat it all the way out. However, there wasn't enough clearance to then rotate it free of the half shaft. Finally, I broke out a dremmel an cut the cup in half - it is surprising thick and, being a bearing surface, quite hard. This gave me enough clearance to get the joint out.

Am I missing something here or are they just that much of a female dog? I've looked at various online sources, and they all generally point to the technique I used - less cutting the cup. But if every one will be this hard to get out, I dread getting new ones in.

 

Step #1: Buy a HF 20 ton shop press.

Step #2: Buy a "Corvette Companion Flange Support Tool".

Step #3: Buy a regular angle grinder with a package of 10 thin cut-off wheels.

Step #4: Do what you did, but with the above tools.

I'm not trying to be funny or coy...I just did all my u-joints and having the right tools made a 2 hour job out of a 20 hour hell.

 

Step #5 - Sell the car as it sits. Add $5,000 - buy an already rebuilt replacement which someone else sank $10,000 into.

Thanks for the reply. So in response to my question, should it be this hard, the answer is yes.

 

I concur with the support tool. All that beating with a heavy hammer will bend the yok making it impossible to get the new u-joiunt in strait and/or not bind. A press helps a lot to not bend but a support tool is highly recommend even if you make one yourself.

 

Yes - they can be tough. I usually spray some PB Blaster in the ends prior to hammering to at least attempt some assistance. They ARE tough to get moving and a press makes the job much easier, but not everyone has one around. A press is not expensive, but some like me got rid of them as they take up space and don't get used a lot.

 

I honestly wasn't trying to be funny or a pain in the ***. As I said, I did all 6 of my u-joints myself and I had never laid hands on a u-joint before I started the project.

I'm VERY sorry to say that you are doing a difficult job in a difficult manner. Versus doing a difficult job in an easier manner.

There's nothing that will make the JOB easy. There are just ways to make the experience more enjoyable.

The press is a handy thing to have around and isn't ridiculously expensive...under $200. The support tool is absolutely imperative and not overly expensive. And a grinder, in my opinion, is an indispensable garage tool to have anyway.

 

c-clamp/vise and large sockets works for me.

 

Rent a (Ball Joint Service Tool Set) for free at your local parts store. It's easier if you have air tools, but can be done with hand tools. When I did mine I picked up the new Moog U-Joints with major online discounts at Advance Auto and paid a mechanic I know a hundred bucks to remove old and install new. Worth it!

If you get greasable, get the Moog with the needle fitting on the end, they are supposed to be stronger. so far no issues with mine.

 

Harbor freight 3-jaw or 2-jaw puller with a socket:
Attachment 48354420

 

Yes, sometimes they can be difficult to get out.

Will

 

No worries - I took it as your honest input on the task. Some things just need the right tools.

 

i looked into the led bulbs when they first started
being sold.
very little choice then and the size of bulb and cost was
too much to mess with.
good to see that some nice bulbs are being made.

good info in here so far.

 

I have been hitting these with pb blaster for a week or so. I do have some large C-clamps which on the screw end will get on the cup and the other end will fit over over the ring. So that might at least start them moving. And I do have a ball joint puller. So lots of options short of a press. But on the other hand, paying someone to do it is not a bad option vs. tools i may never use again - I mean I've owned the car almost 38 years and this is the first time I've dealt with the u-joints myself.

On the topic of greasable or not, I'm leaning toward not. Some of these joints are original and still working after 90,000 miles. I doubt that I'll put another 90k on. But given a good reason, I could be talked into greasable.

 

It take me a few seconds to remove U joints. I lite up my cutting torch and cut them in half, then tap the parts out of the yoke.
Won't even heat up the shaft. Going together is the easy part.
Worked for me all these years, especially on the constant velocity joints.

Dom

 

my 68 half shaft u joints were the toughest u joints I have ever changed on any vehicle.


I had never cut a u joint prior to those, always hammered or pressed them out.

 

I've done a bunch of U-joints over the years (its where I learned to swear), but I've never heard of the support tool. You have a link to one?

 

Mark all shafts with some paint so it goes back together correctly. Take the shafts to a small automotive shop and have them swap out the joints with a U-Joint removing / installing tool. (might be Moog, runs off compressed air)
Its a 20 minute job, done correctly. No hammering, no squeeze vise, no sockets, no 20 ton press, no cutting torch, no 3 jaw puller, no cussin'.
I think I paid $35 labor.

 

The REALLY stupid ones will spend $300 in tools to spend 6 hours doing what a professional could do in 30 minutes for $35. And the professional would do it better. And warranty it.

In case you're wondering, I'm a REALLY stupid one.

Smart money would, indeed, leave it to a pro. I had spares and wanted to fiddle...that's why I got the car in the first place.

 

I have seen guys break the ear off a driveshaft trying to save a few bucks. Then you are really screwed.

 

I am more and more liking the idea of letting a shop do it. But just to confuse the issue, I am considering having the shafts powder coated. So that would mean bring them in to have the joints removed, then get them coated, then bring them back to get the new joints pressed in. But unless someone sees an problem with that, I think that would be the way to go.

To the comment on marking them, that is already done with paint. But, if I have them coated, I'll need to stamp some identifiers into the metal and do so deep enough to be seen through the power coat.