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TR6 TR6 u-joint help

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I

ichthos

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Hello,

OK, just for once I would like to have something go smoothly on this car. I am putting in new u-joints in the rear axles. I am currently working on the driver side. I removed the axles, and then cleaned and painted them. I installed the heavy duty u-joints from Goodparts. I only have each u-joint installed into one yoke at the moment. One of them is loose enought so that if I grab the other two posts of the u-joint, I can shake it side to side and it moves. The other is so stiff that I have to force it with both hands. If I remove one of the retaining clips on the one that moves stiffly, it moves about the same as the other u-joint. Should I sand down the retainers to make it work? Any help or suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Kevin
 
Update: I finished installing the u-joint nearest the brake drum and they both turn smoothly and with about the same resistance. Now I know there is a problem with the u-joint nearest the differential. I don't see what I could have done wrong.
Kevin
 
Update: I finished installing the u-joint nearest the brake drum and both sides turn smoothly and with about the same resistance. Now I know there is a problem with the u-joint nearest the differential. I don't see what I could have done wrong.
Kevin
 
One possibility is that a roller fell over while you were inserting the cross, and is trapped between the end of the cross and the bearing cup.
 
TR3driver said:
One possibility is that a roller fell over while you were inserting the cross, and is trapped between the end of the cross and the bearing cup.
Click to expand...

<span style="color: #990000">Randall - would THAT condition maybe look
like this photos? After the stuck end cap was ground off?
And don't forget the needle bearings usually arrive in
temporary packing grease. Usually, you need to remove and
clean the needle bearings before installing proper grease.

But then, I could be wrong, I know very little about auto mechanics.

dale

needle.jpg
</span>
 
I second Randall's opinion and ask for a motion to carry.
 
Tinster said:
would THAT condition maybe look
like this photos?
Click to expand...
Ayup, that's it.
 
And that is why I removed my u-joints (with great difficulty) and elected to pay a pro to install them. I like to stay within my "comfort zone"! I have the same "pay a pro" philosophy with rebuilding hydraulic components too. Some guys are good at this stuff and some of us aren't.
 
Ha, ha ha, ha BobbyD-

A professinoal mechanic made that obvious blunder.

He told me the u-joints were defective- I told him
firmly his work was defective.

I took the car to another mechanic.
A good thing I purchased 12 U-joints !!

d
 
Tinster said:
A good thing I purchased 12 U-joints !!
d
Click to expand...

When are you going to open up that auto parts shop in PR?

Two quality levels OE or Aftermarket = Amos or Crypty...

We can have a naming contest?


My suggestion would be.
El loco de piezas de automĂłviles tienda con tres gatos

Pat
 
BobbyD said:
And that is why I removed my u-joints (with great difficulty) and elected to pay a pro to install them. I like to stay within my "comfort zone"!
Click to expand...

i tend to agree. there's something about these uj's... they just don't fit easily. i've done driveshaft uj's on mg's, fiats, and various american cars. the tr6 was by far the biggest pain in the butt of 'em all.. i ended up taking the uj's and driveshaft to a pretty decent shop where they pressed them into the shaft/yokes. they actually destroyed one while trying to press it in, so if these guys had a tough time with it, you can imagine how it would go for the average backyard mechanic.
 
I ended up just lightly rubbing one side of each of the retainers on 220 sandpaper for the one yoke. All the u-joints were either loose and/or rough when I removed them initially (which is why I replaced them), but that particular yoke area one was a little stiff when I removed it from the car. I thought was a little odd. I was very careful when installing them, so I know I hadn't messed up the roller bearings. In any case, they work like a charm now.

I will not go to a mechanic unless I have to. It's not that I am brave or comfortable working on my car al the time, but there are a number of reasons for this. I like to learn how to do things myself (with help from TBCF members of course). At least I know what has been done (correctly or incorrectly). I don't have the money for a mechanic most of the time. Even if I mess up (which is rare) it is still cheaper if I have to buy another part and install it. There are some things I have to go to a mechanic for, like some to the instances that were cited, but I find that half the time they do poor work, if they actually fix the problem at all. It is rare for me to find a mechanic that actually admits they have made a mistake or didn't really fix the problem at all.
 
Thanks for letting me know these are difficult u-joints, Steve. I always think it is me. I initially learned how to install u-joints by putting them in my 65 Ford Falcon. I read a book and the operation was textbook perfect. Then came the TR6. I actually had to cut through one side of each u-joint with a cutting wheel to even get them out. The tolerances seem very close on everything on this car. This car can be a pain to work on for me, but I love this car, and it is always worth the time and money for the driving enjoyment it brings my wife and me.

Kevin
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I will not go to a mechanic unless I have to. [/QUOTE]

My dad said "before you take it to be repaired, make sure it is good and broken." In other words mess it up worse by trying to fix it. There is a learning exercise in there someplace.
 
I have replaced u-joints on Triumphs and a couple of German cars. The Triumph joints were harder than those on the German cars. I found them a very, very tight press fit. I remember reading and looking at manuals where they showed this being done easily using a vise with large and small sockets as drifts. It was nowhere near as easy as they said. I think if and when I do this again I'll give serious thought to cutting the old u-joint in half/quarters so I can press the old bits out easier at the start of the process.
 
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