Good evening,

Now that you know (in my 2 previous posts in this section) what to replace, the question is how to do it easily and how to do it the right way without killing the parts as you put them in or damaging other parts whech is very common.

This will make you cry, but I can remove 2 joints on any one piece automatic shaft and replace the joints in about 2 minutes, that is one minute to remove and replace a joint with perfect results every time unless yokes are damaged. I am a pro, It will take a first timer around an hour per joint sometimes to get it right. If you do as I say you will do it fast and easily with great results and no frustration.

I get a lot of shafts in damaged more than they were due to people working on them at home.

Here ARE THE 2 primary rules:

1) DO NOT CRUSH OR TENT OR BEND YOUR TUBE.

2) DO NOT HIT ANYTHING WITH HAMMERS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR HITTING.

U joints:

Ford u joints are held in with external clips. Remove clips with pliers or a hammer and screwdriver if the are rusted in or tight.

If your joint has a flange or transmission yoke on it, do the following:

1) to remove a yoke or flange yoke, when clips are removed, place shaft in a vise with end you are woking on in the vise, gripping on the point where the tube is welded onto the yoke. If the weld is held in the vise, you cannot crush the tube, as the yoke inside offers support. If this cannot bo done as the tube is larger in diameter in the middle and you can't grab the weld, easy does it, do not crush the tube. position the soke you want off sideways with the clips off. Use a hammer to hit the yoke to move it into the ujoint, therefore pushing the cap out. Take care not to crush the ring that holds in the clip. There is ALWAYS a spot to hit with a drift or punch or the hammer head on the yoke body away from the ring. If the joint is so tight that it does not move and you must strike the yoke where the snap ring retainer groove is, use a socket or flat piece of steel so you spread the force out over the surfave and do not crush the ring groove in.

Your cap should pop right out, if not all the way, do not worry, hold the par itself in the vise now and strike the weld yoke to pull the shaft away from the cap in the vise to finish pulling the cap. If you know for sure you are discarding the joint, you can start on the opposite cap and let the needles fall down in the other cap and try again, letting the needled inside fall on the first cap and use them aot gain even more.

Flanges are tricky, but automatic transmission yokes and slip yokes are easier, as you can hold the transmission yoke or slip yoke in you hand (with the shaft in a vise) and hammer on the side of the yoke easily, popping the cap right out. If there is a harmonic balancer ring on a rubber there on the yoke DO NOT HIT IT WITH A HAMMER AS IT IS CAST IRON AND WILL BREAK, it will move and run crooked on the rubber mount as well.

Onve you get to the point that you have 2 trunions (inner part of the u joint that the caps slide onto) exposed, open your vise and take shaft out and close vise to where the 2 exposed trunions will lay on too of both vise jaws . When the jaws are closed as close as they can without gripping anything and are supporting the 2 trunions, beat on the weld yoke with a hammer DO NOT HIT THE TUBE. This will easily pop out the cap, flip driveshaft over and to the other side. When the yoke and shaft go down, joint holding the cap stays up, the cap comes up and out fast.

Whether you had a flange, ats yoke for automatics, a slip yoke, or anything on they should easily come apart with a hammer and vise only.

Now comes the part everyone screws up. Putting in the joint.

1) USE A FILE TO TAKE OFF ANY BUMPS AND BURRS CREATED BY REMOVING THE JOINT ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE HOLE IN ALL YOKES. If you do not do this, there will be sideways pressure on the cap and needle bearings causing the bearings to INSTANTLY dig in and gouge the trunion upon installing the joint and cause instant pre wear and damage to your joint. Gouging the trunions is the same damage as 4 years hard driving. The joint will feel crunchy or have a "popping" feeling in a spot while turned if the trunions are cut or grooved and you should throw the joint away ans start over.

2) Hold shaft in vise with holes you want to install joint into SIDEWAYS. with holes well filed ans smooth, remove caps from joint (put the same capes bock on the same trunions) and place one trunion through one hole, and the other trunion back through the other hole. If you are using greasable joints, but a dab of grease in all caps now so they do not start dry.

3) DO NOT GET DIRT on or inside joint. Hold one trunion all the way through the hole, place cap over that trunion fron outside. USE OTHER TRUNION TO LINE JOINT UP ACROSS THE WELD YOKE, AS YOU DO NOT WANT TO HAMMER THE CAP IN CROOKED). now hold the joint in one hand and tap the cap STRAIGHT into the hole not striking it crooked, and maintaining being lined up with the other hole and joint. TAKE CARE NOT TO HIT TOO HARD AND MAKE THE CAP SMACK THE JOINT IN YOUR HAND BACK AS YOU WILL DRIVE THE TRUNION RIGHT OUT OF THE CAP AND NOTHING WILL HOLD THE NEELDE BEARINGS UP INSIDE THE CAP AND THEY WILL FALL. Drive the cap in easily and while supported by the cross.

*****DRIVE THIS FIRST CAP CLEAR PAST THE GROOVE AS FAR AS YOU CAN BEFORE YOU RISK COMING OUT THE OTHER SIDE.***

Now take the cap for the opposite side and place it over the trunion it goes onto. The reason you over drove the first cap, is so that now the cross can be pulled out through the other hole and support the seccond cap, and still hold up the bearings in the first cap!!! The joint will now mostly self align itself, it may need a slight wiggle or push, and drive in the seccond gap while keeping it's trunion supporting the needles in to too.

Instal clip on first cap.

Use a punch that is almost the size of the cap (so you do not cave in the cap or bend it is) and place the yoke ear with the ring in it down on the vise or any socket or flat surface that holds the tube up off the bench, and drive the joint and both caps in home to make the first clip and cap go firmly against the retainer. Sometines the clip will bend out slightly when it is home. Install the seccond clip. ***IF IT DOES NOT GO HOME AND HAS A 1/8" GAP AND THE JOINT WILL NOT TURN OR IT IS CRUNCHY, YOU DROPPED A NEEDLE OR A FEW IN THE FIRST CAP. sTOP, REMOVE 2ND CAP AND BACK THE 1ST ONE MOST (BUT NOT ALL) OF THE WAY OUT, REMOFE CROSS, AND PUT THE NEEDLES BACK UP)

Now with a hammer, strike a sharp hit to the side of the yoke to loosten the joint in the yoke as the joint will probably be pushed hard to one side. The sharp vibration will let the joint find the exact middle and it should turn baby smooth with no bumps or popping or crunchiness.

If the joint is still really tight with unrealistic pressure, put the empty trunions on the vice like you did to remove caps and strike the weld yoke (with the rings still in) and give it a couple good shots on either side. You probably have some dirt in the groove where the ring is or a weel burr in the brove if it is crushed a little. You can crush the dirt or lunp in the groove down and gain the joint a little room to move. Now smack the joint on the yoke again while shaft is in the air to loosen the joint. Continue this until it mooves fairly easily and smoothly.

Install other parts on shaft and joints like this with these techniques. All joints should move ealily. Now take your one piece automatic shaft in for straightening and balancing.

STEADY BEARING

Not many bearing pullers can reach as long as the spline is, and you probably dont have access to a hydraulic bearing spreader, so pull off the rubber bracket, you may need to use a screwdriver.

hold shaft in vice right on the weld behind the steel shield/flinger. use a kick *** big punch, hold it behind the bearing and drive it right off. BE SURE NOT TO WRECK THE SPLINES WITH THE INNER RACE OR LOCK RING (IF EQUIPED WITH A SMALL LOCK RING) AS THE RING MAY STICK INSIDE THE BEARING AND HIT YOUR SPLINES) this assembly will fit over your splines with little effort.

If the inner race stary on, put it over the back of the vise, or an anvil, and hit it hard with a hammer to either spread it to pull off or shatter it. Watch your eyes!

If you damaged the flinger taking off the bearing it is okay. If it is welded on just hammer it straight, usually new ones that drive on tight come with the bearing. Some do not need the flinger as some makers attatch a rubber shield on the hanger that protects the bearing, but it is always best to keep a steel flinger on to shield water and crap from betting in your bearing.

Make sure spline is clean of any burrs you may have created, and drive on new flinger (if needed) wiht a piece of pipe for even pressure. Tack weld it on if it is loose or get the driveline shop to do that while balancing later. Drive on new bearing with a piece of small pipe on the inner rave DO NOT HIT OR STRIKE THE RUBBER SEAL, DO NOT USE A PUNCH TO HIT THE RACE TO DRIVE IT ON OR YOU WILL DISTORT THE SHAPE OF THE RACE AND IT WILL WEAR OUT VERY FAST. Drive it home. Do not worry abut lock rings as they are stupin and cause more problems driving them on as they frequently put pressure on the bearing or come off or do not fit right. Lock rings are not needed and create problems.

Grease anything that needs it, and have your shaft straightened and balanced.


Rob

 

From a Spicer driveline technician.....very well said!

 

I have to say that our shop in town is the only one our spicer rep chose to do work on his truck. I have worked for all 3 shops here in Calgary that are worth mentioning as being able to do driveline.

Rob

 

Sounds like a real PITA. I'm almost afraid to tackle it myself. If I take it to a shop, what parts should I have them use? Must it be balanced again after the repair? How much am I looking at?

It sounds as though the whole driveline drops down and you can replace the u-joints off the truck. Is that right? I have a 2001 4x4 5-speed.

Why can't you drop one side down and replace the u-joint, then drop the other side and call it good without removing from the truck?

 

Just noticed about a 1/2" of the shaft that goes into the rubber cone shaped part of the transfer case is a bit polished. Normal?

 

Jackal,

The polish is the rubber wearing on the steel. This is normal on every shaf. Worry when there are very deep grooves you can feel with your hand see with the naked eye. This means the yoke can shake in the case and cause big problems plus leak.

The front and rear of your 2 piece shaft are mated togather and the balance on one end has a huge effect on the other end. For some reason, the front and rear change the middle and the middle (where the steady bearing is) will affect the front and rear.

Yes you need to get the shaft re balanced. That means both the front and the rear.

How were you planning on getting the joint out of the weld yoke while it is hanging from your truck? You will be pounding on it and it will swing all over the place and there is a good chance you will damage the tube or something else.

Take it out, mark which way it was on the spline, and remove the clips and put it in a vise like I said. With a vise, or even a socket that will let the cap fit in, driving the joint back and forth to make the joint come out is very easy. Some people even use a large socket and drive both caps one way to make a cap fall into the socket, then turn it around and push it back with a punch and hammer.

It is not hard.

The cost of making your shaft straight and balancing it should be around 70 in US funds I would guess. Shop around though.