I had an AH-HA moment when I removed the right side shaft. The outer ujoint is completely shot, I am surprised it is still in one piece. I have everything out, spindle nut was fun but got er done. I followed the advice on previous threads about how to replace the joints using a vice and sockets. I broke the vice. Are they usually in that tight? I had one of my father's friends say put some heat to it and it will loosen right up. The shaft is aluminum and I have had some bad experiences with heat and aluminum. Help please.

sounds like it might have welded itself to the halfshaft

Do you have a harbor freight nearby? If so, get their 20 ton floor press. About $120.00 usually.

or take it to a parts store with a press

Can you drill it?

Matthew

Do not use heat. Mine were too tight for a vise, I had to take them to a friend with a press, and also pressed the new ones in while I was there.

1st off, Brian change your avatar. I forgot what I was going to post, TWICE!!

Use a hammer with a socket the same size as the whole and beat it out, had to do that with mine.

Using a vice is sometimes hard when the joints are old. And you need a decent vice to do it, a 5-6 inch at least because they are beafier. And cheap vices will break, that's why good 6 inch vices cost over $120.

Without a press, the hammer and socket works but, you can't use your small ballpeen. You really need a 3lb. short handle hammer. They're sometimes called drilling hammers. They're $12 or less.

Once you get the bearing cup to move a little (break any corrosion), you can move to the vice.

A little heat won't hurt at all but I wouldn't recommend an A/O torch unless you know what you're doing. The best small torcg is a Mapp gas one, looks like a prophane but gets quite a bit hotter (prophane's worthless).

Quote:

Nope Matthew, The bearing cap's hardened. The entire cap has to be pressed out so you can dron the joint down into that hole. And if you used a drill bit the same size as the cap, you'd screw up the hole in the yoke where the new cap has to go.

None of this makes any sense to me. Just drive a wedge in behind the ujoint to pop it loose. A vise is only used for installing it.

Quote:


He is trying to get the uni cap out of the halfshaft eye ; not the drive yoke in the spindle / diff

^^Huh?

He is trying to get the u-joint out of the Half Shaft yoke.

Anyway OP, just get anything larger in Diameter to put under the lower part of the yoke.

Then get a Socket or something shaped like that you don't care to own anymore......place it on the u-joint cap and hit it with a hammer.......hard.....

It is aluminum the cap will move easily within.

This was just about the easiest u-joint I ever removed in 30 years of shade treeing.....

Quote:

CentralCoaster wrote:
None of this makes any sense to me. Just drive a wedge in behind the ujoint to pop it loose. A vise is only used for installing it.

The shaft came out of the car rather easily. The problem was removing the joints from the yokes. Both sides were seized. I have replaced ujoints before and never had this problem. That is when I start asking people with more experience for suggestions.

"^^Huh?

He is trying to get the u-joint out of the Half Shaft yoke.

Anyway OP, just get anything larger in Diameter to put under the lower part of the yoke.

Then get a Socket or something shaped like that you don't care to own anymore......place it on the u-joint cap and hit it with a hammer.......hard.....

It is aluminum the cap will move easily within.

This was just about the easiest u-joint I ever removed in 30 years of shade treeing....."

Absolutely, I did just that and it should have worked like you described, but didn't budge.

Due to the lack of progress I decided to visit my local garage. It took him just under a half hour to get the job done. He said normally it is a very simple quick job but this time the shaft did not want to let go. He was all smiles when he got done, ah Victory. It cost me $36. I am happy. When an experience mechanic with all the right tools has a hard time, I don't feel so bad.

Now I get to put it all back together .

Thanks everyone.

Excellent!

4 lb hammer......didn't work??

6 lbs Hammer.......

Sledge hammer....

Hammer and bailing wire