bballarin

Hi there,

I am planning to buy one of this tools:

http://www.astrotools.com/default.aspx?toolsnum=7865&

Do they have enough clearance to service Corvette C4 Half shaft U joint?

I am overseas and can't find one around to check so I have to guess and make international order.

By the way I just replaced both rear hubs (left one definitely had play) but I can still hear noise (at wheels revs frequency like if someting was rubbing) from rear left, only on heavy engin load (when I step on the gas). Also I can hear a clunk noise from rear left when parked, engine idling, and shifting from OD to R and back. So I am suspecting U joints. I grabbed the left half shaft and turned it by hand and it seems I have a little play on wheel side U joint.

My vise is probably not large enough to press the U joint out of the half shaft and since I have to service the front lower ball joint anyway, I would rather buy the tool above, rather than a larger vise, especially if the tool can do both the ball joint and the U joint. i have a doubt since the aluminium half shaft have a serious diameter and if I have to add a socket to press the U joint bearing cap out, I am wondering if the C clamp is large enough to hold both half shaft and the socket.

As anyone used a regular size ball joint C clamp to press out a half shaft U joint?

Any tip very welcome.

Cheers,

Bruno

87 vette 81 big girl

I am not sure if using a ball joint press on a C4 rear half shaft to remove the U- joints is a good idea or not.

I havent ever tried it that way.

Be better off finding a bigger vise I think to get the job done right.

Find a used "MILLRIGHT" style vise. Probably find such a vise for $50 dollars or less.

You will always have that heavy duty vise around for future repair and fabrication tasks then too.

BR

ex-x-fire

You can clamp that tool in the vise to make it easier. On aliumn. shafts I always use a wrench instead of power tools to tighten the the press.

M. Schumacher

Yeah. I used one from Harbor Freight tools. Clamped it in the vise as already suggested.

samsonb

I've used a ball joint press to replace ujoints on the halfshafts. You can usually rent those ball joint presses from the auto parts stores. But using a vice is a better way to press out/in ujoints as the ball joint press likes to move around sometimes when tightening.

jaa1992

I used that press for soo many different bushings and stuff whaen I did the suspension

bballarin

Thank you for the feedback. I received my ball joint service tool and did both the rear half shaft U joints and the front lower ball joints. Pictures here (but french text sorry):

http://www.corvettepassion.com/t1011...u-joint-cardan

http://www.corvettepassion.com/t1036...ule-inferieure