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U-joint

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jaybird

jaybird

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$19.11 and I have a new U-joint and grease fitting. Car's jacked up. Chuck's gone all day tomorrow. Give it to me straight. Can I do this? I have my manuals in front of me...

Tony, you HUSH.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Actually, Janel - you can do it....but, think leverage getting the driveshaft out before you take it to a shop to have them install the U-joints.
 
No shop. If I can't put the U-joint in, I might as well wait until Chuck's home and let him do it himself. Point was to increase my 'wrenchability' and do this on my own. If I have to take the driveshaft somewhere, what's the point?
 
Hi. It's doable, but it's a total pain - sort of like a greased-up Rubick's cube without the color coding. You've GOT to keep a clean work area. If you get any grit inside with the bearings (from the time when you WILL drop the darn thing) you'll be doing the same job in a year or two. The first time I did this I couldn't even spell rench and it worked out fine.

I meant to add: Go for it!

Rick
 
Its one of those jobs I don't waste my time & frustration on
 
Then that's all the more reason for me to do it Tony.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

Before I start the job, is there anything I'm not going to be able to find that I'll need? (that durned gasket sealer cost me an entire evening when I was doing the water pump) Chuck tends to know where every THING in his garage is. I don't.
 
On a 1-10 scale, what's this going to do to my 2 hour old manicure?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yea, they were pretty much shot after I was under the car just hunting for the problem yesterday.
 
Couple of half inch wrenches...car as high as you can get it - mark the driveshaft so it goes back in car the same way it cme out....be prepared for the nuts to be on the bolts real tight (plus, they're the type iwth the little plastic thinges inside that lock them down....if you're going to reuse the nuts/bolts, clean the threads on the bolts with a tap/die....get your bench real clean with lots of light....&, when you drop the old U-joint, take the driveshaft & the new joints to a mechanic - after you clean your hands

Oh, only way I've found to clean my hands after this job is a dandruff shampoo & scrubbing my hands through my hair for a while...in other words: wera gloves!

God luck - everybody needs to do this job once!
 
This is the kind of job you do when you can't afford to hire someone else to do it. Been there done that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
Man, is this really that hard a job, or just a nasty dirty job?

[ QUOTE ]
Couple of half inch wrenches...car as high as you can get it - mark the driveshaft so it goes back in car the same way it cme out....be prepared for the nuts to be on the bolts real tight (plus, they're the type iwth the little plastic thinges inside that lock them down....if you're going to reuse the nuts/bolts, clean the threads on the bolts with a tap/die....get your bench real clean with lots of light....&, when you drop the old U-joint, take the driveshaft & the new joints to a mechanic - after you clean your hands

Oh, only way I've found to clean my hands after this job is a dandruff shampoo & scrubbing my hands through my hair for a while...in other words: wera gloves!

God luck - everybody needs to do this job once!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh ye of little faith! I have my own special box of nitrile gloves. I don't think reusing self-locking nuts and bolts is a good idea, we have lots of new ones.

And why are we talking in plural about U-joint(s)? I'm replacing one...the rear one...
 
Replace 1, replace the other in a short time...you've got the driveshaft out - do 'em both.
 
On a 3 month old car? You think that's really necessary? Surely this bad one was just a freak? Besides, I only bought ONE.
 
Maybe the bad rear one was just a fluke - & maybe the vibration from it didn't affect the front one....maybe...

...& maybe the driveshaft was put in incorrectly & it just vibrated the rear one apart.

....& maybe the new one was just bad in the box.
 
Answers:
It takes longer to jack the car up and remove and reinstall the drive shat than to change the u-joints(2), usually. Therefore...do both.

The first time you do this it is a tough, messy job. A drive line shop will check for straightness, balance the shaft and replace the u-joints for $80.

It is the first job I ever did on a LBC. You can do it. Use a vise and sockets or u-joint tool. It will take hours. A key tool is spray brake cleaner.

Larry
 
I also recommend takeing it someplace with a press to take the old u joint out and put the new one in. You of course can remove the drive shaft.
 
And just drag the driveshaft to a drive line shop?

I just don't see the point in replacing both considering this is a 3 month old build. Car's already jacked up...

But you know, you guys are scaring me away from trying to do this. Maybe I'll let Chuck mess with it when he gets home tomorrow night. Or maybe I'll wait until after our car show Sunday then tear into her.
 
Janel - slide up under her tomorrow - mark the position of the driveshaft in relation to the rear end (then don't turn the wheels) - pull the driveshaft out, put it on a bench & look at how the u-joints go into it....if nothing else, you'll have made Chuck happy because you did the dirty work!

I know you can accomplish that....& if you feel like pulling the rear one, you can't hurt it!
 
I will.
 
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