What are the symptoms of a failing u-joint on the half shafts? I have a "clicking" sound coming from the driver's side rear wheel at slow speeds as if starting and stopping for a light. I haven't felt any vibrations while driving. There doesn't seem to be any movement of the wheel in the 3 & 9 o'clock position or in the 6 & 12 o'clock position as if you where looking for a worn wheel bearing. I'm open to some good ideas. Thanks

 

You may have a cyclic noise from the wheel, in my case more noticeable starting up from a stop. One way to check, raise the wheel and see if there's any play between the half shaft and the hub. While holding the half shaft see if you can move the wheel forward or backwards with the shaft not moving. You may even get some noise.
I'm going to change mine out tomorrow if all goes as planned, had gotten some noise and movement out of them.
I'm making up a special tool right now to take some of the pressure off the shaft while pressing out the old u-joints. Hopefully reduces the possibility of accidental damage to the yokes. I've been designing this for a little while and finished welding it up today. With the tool and the hydraulic press, I think I now have everything I want/need to do my half shafts.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have to go to a show Sunday. I hope it stays together. I only have 60K on the Vette and it would surprise me if the u-joints are failing. But it is 22 years old. I'll take it apart Mon.

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...e-washers.html

 

Lt us know what you find... I get a similar sound but mine seems to happen with my foot on the brake when I shift into drive or reverse. I'm thinking its the same thing, I didn't see any play in the u- joints either.

From the link that vetteoz posted, it looks like the Teflon washer is on the outboard side of the grease seal, can you get to the washer easily enough from the back after removing the half shaft or do you have to replace the seal as well?

 

Thanks for the link. Very helpful. I'll try the washers first. I replaced the rear bearings after I was finished with auto-crossing and I remember reusing the washers. I hope the dealership still can order these washers. Our C4's are getting a little old.

 

Your symptoms are just like I had on my '94. On mine it was the washers. That link is the one that helped me also.

I am getting ready to do some work on my current '95 and bought a couple of the washers from the dealer about 3 weeks ago. They are still available.

Good luck.

 

Your symptoms sound more like u-joints on either the driveshaft or half shafts than it does the the washers. When you are stopped there is no rotation at the washer to cause the noise. It sounds like it is taking up the extra clearance from worn u-joints when they are loaded and unloaded.

Good luck.

 

I found a video on you tube that shows exactly how to replace these wheel bearings or in my case the teflon washers, in real time. I start today.

 

Well guys, all that crap didn't fix my problem. I still have a clicking or clanking sound when I start up. In fact it is getting worse. I was so pissed, I just did a burn out hoping it would just come apart, but it didn't.

Okay, what is next?

 

I finished reading the Helms Manual about this problem and not much help there either. Because my past told me that the sound was a u-joint problem, I guess I'll start replacing them. I'm also thinking about the nuckle and all the parts that attach to it. Maybe a worn bushing. Am I the only one with this problem?

 

This may be old news........

http://secondchancegarage.com/public...ft-u-joint.cfm

 

When I did mine, I used this for a visual reference: http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=144562

I took off the inside U-Joint and after having pulled the spindle nut and removed the axel and half shaft as an assembly when I did mine (each side). It was very easy then to change out both the u-joints and the teflon washer at the same time on each side. Being I was taking them apart, made sense to do both the u-joints and the teflon washer at once as it didn't take any additional time to do both at once. The replacements took care of all my rear end noise issues. I also found that the old u-joints were failing bad, full of rust and the needle bearings were self destructing when I took them apart. This was even after finding out that the u-joints had been previously replaced.

That tool I made for pressing out the old u-joints worked great, it only put pressure on the supported side of the yoke while removing them. I was worried about the aluminum half shafts and potentially damaging them, this worked great with virtually no chance of bending them.

 

I'd love to see a picture of your tool you made. I have the same worry about the aluminum yokes.

 

sucks you went through all that work. I am on my 2nd vette and both started to click and it was u-joints. Not a hard job, a bit time consuming. I went with moog and timken on the bearings. I just took everything apart and cleaned it all up while I was at it throw in some poly bushings and your all set forever, hopefully. I dont like to spend extra money but sometimes it beats the hell out of going back in. good luck with it

 

Here's the tool I made along with a mod to the Gadgetman's jack adapter so it just drops into the lifting cup on the jack rather than mount to it.

The tool works on a hydraulic press, comparable to the Tigertool device in the way it presses out the old u-joints.

It's a piece of 1" I.D. pipe (same as the O.D. of the ram on the press) that's welded onto a piece of 3/8" steel. There are a pair of 3 1/2" long 1/2" bolts. On the ends of those bolts I welded on some pieces of 1 1/4" steel pipe that function as a centering device so the ends of the u-joint will center under the bolts when pressure is applied


The same principle should work in an arbor press or in a vice. Might even work with a 'large' C-clamp if there's eliminate the play/slop in it while pressing.

I was able to press the caps down then grab them with a vice grip and pull them out. There was next to zero chance of bending the yokes because you only put pressure on one side at a time and it's fully supported while doing it. Do one side of the u-joint then flip it over and do the other side (obviously after removing the retainer clips).
One other benefit was after the new joint was in (I didn't feel a need to use it then), if they're tight I just flipped a piece of steel rod in the mounting hole and used it like a tamper to push the u-joint to spread the caps against the retainer clips and get the needed slack. I taped up the caps prior to doing this to eliminate any chance of damaging the caps on the cross while spreading the caps in the yoke. It was quick and easy to do and worked out as it should.

I used Moog U-joints and as I was disassembling things, I marked everything with a paint stick I got. I don't know if the half shaft assemblies are balanced or not but that way I was able to put them together exactly as they were found. I also took the time to measure and mark the various nuts and bolts as to lengths, threads etc so everything when back together as it was also. It took a little time but everything seems to have worked out well for me.

Hope that helps.

 

Thank you very much for the photos. You should show Kent-Moore your tool. They might want to buy your idea.

Well, after calming down, I'll go out and buy some U-joints and dig into it again. At least it's all clean and should be easier to work on.

 

If I can offer 2 cents worth of advise: pull the axel and the half shaft as a unit. Remove the spindle nut, unbolt the U-Joint off the differential and once the U-joint is off the differential the whole unit will slide out as an assembly (didn't even remove the caliper or rotor to do it) after obviously unbolting the spring, dogbone (if you unbolt it from the knuckle rather than the diff, you won't affect your alignment settings) etc. Once I had the car up on jack stands (plus I left the jack under the batwing), I just put on the parking brake and was able to get the spindle nut off easily with a long breaker bar (prior to unbolting the spring, dogbone etc).
Once the assembly is out, it's very easy to replace both u-joints on the half shaft without being a contortionist trying to get it out. Same thing with the teflon washer, right out in front of you rather than trying to work on it under the car.
One other suggestion I can make is put a piece of carpet under the differential while reassembling. It helps keep the bolts from skittering all over the floor when you drop one or two (DAMHIK - dropped 2 before I was done with both sides). I had one slide dead center under the tire on the other side and jumped through hoops trying to find it. I even went to the Chevy dealer (before I found it) and found those bolts for the u-joint straps are not longer available from Chevy - at least for my 86.

I was nervous doing this on mine as it was the first real major repair I've done on my 86 myself since buying it last year and after doing alot of reading and prep work, turned out to be a piece of cake.

Hope that helps.

 

That is a terrific idea. It seems like I spend more time chasing down bolts, washers, sockets, extensions, etc. than actually doing the work. I still don't quite understand how a bolt with a hex head can drop 2 inches and bounce up 10 inches then roll another 5 feet.

 

And slide under the opposite side tire when it's less than 1" off the ground and be positioned dead center under the tire

I spent more time running around town looking for a replacement bolt (before I finally found it) than it took to do both sides of the car. By the way, OReilly does carry a u-joint strap kit with bolts that work if you have this happen to you and need bolts in a hurry.

By the way, if anyone is around Minneapolis and wants to try it on their u-joints, you're welcome to try it out.