Half-axel U-joints - HELP!

Ok, so I started to install new U-joints in my half axel shafts on my Jag's IRS. I had the axle shafts and yokes out on the bench and figuered, how hard can this be? I've installed U-joints before. No big deal, right? Wrong! I managed to get one side installed, except that once I got the bearing caps far enough in to allow the C-clips to install, now the U-Joint yoke will not rotate - it is frozen solid! Any ideas? I may have to send these out to be done and I'm pretty sure this one new U-joint is probably wasted. Very depressing!

Basil

[ 07-22-2002: Message edited by: Basil ]</p>

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Basil:
Ok, so I started to install new U-joints in my half axel shafts on my Jag's IRS. I had the axle shafts and yokes out on the bench and figuered, how hard can this be? I've installed U-joints before. No big deal, right? Wrong! I managed to get one side installed, except that once I got the bearing caps far enough in to allow the C-clips to install, now the U-Joint yoke will not rotate - it is frozen solid! Any ideas? I may have to send these out to be done and I'm pretty sure this one new U-joint is probably wasted. Very depressing!

Basil
<hr></blockquote>

Basil;
Tell me you didn't try to install the U-Joints with a hammer!! Please tell me that!!
If you did, or you didn't get the "cap" (holding the needles) lined-up with the "cross", then you probably "dropped" a single needle bearing and that's causing the entire thing to bind up.
Or.. You could have inserted the caps "in" to far, the Zerk fitting (if fitted) could be facing the wrong direction, thus hitting the yoke, or.. you have the wrong U-Joints.
In any case, from what you have written, your only recourse is to remove the "new" U-Joint and find out what is causing the problem

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Charles #677556:


Basil;
Tell me you didn't try to install the U-Joints with a hammer!! Please tell me that!!
<hr></blockquote>

I tried to follow the procedure in my manuel, which says to use a drift slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole in the yoke. (And yes, I tapped the drift with a small ballpen hammer). As I tapped it in, I kept checking to be sure that the "Cross" was not binding. All seemed to be going well until the very end I had to tap it (with the drift) faily hard to get the cap in far enough to allow the C-clips to be inserted.

Now the trick is, how to get it out again! It is bound up pretty tight. I may just send the whole mess to a shop like XKs unlimited and pay them to deal with it.

Basil

Hello Basil,
Your first step is to get hold of your copper mallet and tap the joints quite hard to try and get some movement. Hold one half with the other half resting on a bench or the like and hit the yolk where the cups go in, i.e. moving the cups back to the circlips. If when you do this and one plane of the joint is free and the other tight, then dismantle that plane carefully to catch all the needles. It is very easy to trap a needle on assembly. Instead of a punch and hammer, use a vice to press the cups in.
Good luck,
Alec

HI
First forget what the manual says. I have changed
hundreds of joints and never found one that you
can change with a lite tapping with a hammer. You
need a good press or vise. When you install the new joint only press one size about two thirds of the way in and then start the other side in. Needle bearing being caught and trapped behind the
joint is a big problem. If this does happen you will not normally get the clips in place. Last when you are finished the joint will almoat always be very tight and hard to move. This is where you get to use your hammer. Hit the end of the yoke a couple of times on both side to center the caps and move them out. The joint should now move nicely.
Geoffrey Munger

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Geoffrey Munger:
HI
First forget what the manual says. I have changed
hundreds of joints and never found one that you
can change with a lite tapping with a hammer. You
need a good press or vise. When you install the new joint only press one size about two thirds of the way in and then start the other side in. Needle bearing being caught and trapped behind the
joint is a big problem. If this does happen you will not normally get the clips in place. Last when you are finished the joint will almoat always be very tight and hard to move. This is where you get to use your hammer. Hit the end of the yoke a couple of times on both side to center the caps and move them out. The joint should now move nicely.
Geoffrey Munger<hr></blockquote>

Ive tried that and have come to the conclusion I boogered it up. So I'm sending the lot to XKs Unlimited and pay them to deal with it.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Basil:


Ive tried that and have come to the conclusion I boogered it up. So I'm sending the lot to XKs Unlimited and pay them to deal with it.

<hr></blockquote>

Basil;
Unless you have several bushel baskets full of money sitting around getting in the way, or you just like seeing the cutie at the UPS/Post Office... just take your axle halves to a local drive-line service shop.. The going rate around here (for standard U-Joints) is about $10 a pop (plus the new parts). balancing the shaft afterwards is also a good idea..
Generally a local shop will complete the job in less time than it takes to ship the item somewhere..