Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Share Posted August 19, 2007 Ok, so my universal joints started making noise driving home a week ago. Thankfully, I was 1 mile from home when I noticed it (not 200 miles away like the week before!). I've not replaced U-joints before; I suppose this is a How To write up but I'd like input from others to see what their method/experience was like. I'll clean it up and re-post it later. Oh, this is on a 95 V6, manual tranny; I'm not sure if autotragics are different. I'll start by saying that unless you have a decent garage set up and another vehicle or if you can spare a few dollars and have a shop you know/trust, just pull the drive line and take it somewhere, it's not worth the headache... The sound was far more frequent than once per rev of the wheels so I didn't think it was brakes, axles, etc but I checked them regardless as I haven't pulled the rear drums since I bought the truck 3 years ago. It was hard to tell where the noise was comming from as the drive line is one long resonance tube and the fact that the noise did not occurr with the rear axle jacked up/tires spinning/in gear/motor running. I felt a significant amount of slop in the rear U-joint and decided that it was the most likely source and needed replacing regardless. $30 for 2 U-joint assemblies at Autozone later, I pulled the drive line. Note 1) Clock mark the bolt flange at the rear differential. Some people use paint, I use a file as I've had the paint come off. While you are at it, clock mark the drive shaft ends to the shaft its self. You want to assemble it the same way... Unfortunately, my truck spent the first 2 years of life in Rodchester NY so it had a film of surface rust, annoying but not that bad. This makes removing a 12 year old steel/steel press fit rather difficult to break free. First thing I did was brush away as much grit/rust as possible, ring the steel (hit it with a hammer a few times, it helps break free corrosion) and soak it with penetrating fluid overnight (my new favorite is Croil:creeping oil). Note 2) The C clips are on the inside of the journals, make sure the replacements are the same and that you remove them and clean the bearing cup inside surface before trying to drive the cups out. Using an undersized socket (11/16) as a drift punch, I found I couldn't budge the cups what so ever. This is with the drive line clamped in a 6" mill vice mounted on a 700+ lb mill and striking with a 24oz dead blow hammer and 3lb hand sledge as seen in the photo. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 Ok, hammering didn't work so I rotated the drive shaft 90 degrees, placed the socket against the vice jaw, blocked the other side so the cup had room to move and cranked the vice tight... REALLY TIGHT!! Nothing moved, even when heated with a torch. Ringing the steel was the trick, it finally broke loose. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 Ok, now it was simple to drive 1 of the bearing cups completely out. Problem is that the cup on the other side was driven completely in and there is NO WAY to pivot the spider out with the cup on the end. Simply not enough room. Note 3) Be VERY careful with the journal inside diameter that the cups press into!! If you fugger them up badly, you need to have them welded and rebored or just a new drive shaft!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 This meant the remaining cup had to be cleaned, properly aligned and driven back through and out the other side of the freshly greased journal by striking the exposed end of the spider. I used a deep dish socket (5/8 or so) and a 24oz dead blow hammer. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 With the second cap driven out the far side, the bolt flange with the spider is now removable. I opted to remove the ends first, then work on them as I thought this would be easier and I believe I am right. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 Now it was just the same process using the vice to drive out one bearing cup, then cleaning/greasing the other side and driving that end back through. The spider is removed, bearing journals cleaned with steel wool and greased. Oh, my thumb no longer looks like that, but I'll explain later... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Share Posted August 19, 2007 This is what the spider journals looked like when cleaned. Holy Crap!! The scores are .02-.03"deep!!! No wonder it made noise?? Nope, that's the effect, not the cause. It gets better... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 Ok, this is the process of installing the new journals. Exact opposite of removal. The spider HAS to be inside the cage first, then the journals pressed in on either side. What a pain in the acks design!! Make sure to have the spider firmly seated in the side you are driving in first, or the needle bearings can be displaced/fall to the bottom sideways, like the photo shows. You'll know this happened when you cant move it the last little bit to secure the C clip, then everything has to be driven back out(did this twice). Extra grease globbed in the cup on the needle bearings seems to help them stay in place. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 Oh, I found it easier to set cup all the way and install the C clip, then press the other side until you can do the same. It took me various combinations of vice pressure, dead blow and hand sledge to achieve this... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 Ok, then repeat the whole damn process to attach the end to the drive shaft... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 (edited) I'll finish the gory story after dinner... B Sorry, correction. I'll finish it tomorrow... B Edited August 20, 2007 by Precise1 It's late, I'm tired and have to get up early for work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 nice write up...I sold a guy the tail shaft off of a driveshaft I had and it was a PITA to get that stuff apart...esp since I had never done it...I ended up using 2 blocks of wood a BFH a 6" extension and an old flat tip...I worked both ends loose after soaking it in pb by hammering them a lil on each side then I removed 1 side and carefully removed the other with the flat tip and gentle taps to get the cup off... I wish I would have had a press life would have been easier... the grease makes the needle bearings stay in real nice but make sure they're all there...1 of the 1's I pulled was missing 1...in that 2nd to last picture I hope thats some sort of cutting fluid/gasoline/or some other working fluid in that jar in the background Good write up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Share Posted August 20, 2007 LOL, yeah, PITA is a very good discription! Thats why I recommended just taking it somewhere unless you are stuck, broke or have a GOOD place to work and another vehicle. Er, 1 of the bearing cups I pulled was filled with rust and one of the needle bearings was in two pieces, does that count? Oh, that was Croil in that that jar. It seems to be deforming it... Like I said above, I'll finish this tomorrow... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 One needle in two pieces? Phshaw.... Frankenvan had one bearing where there was only about 1/2 of the needles still intact enough to be called "present". Of course, they were now only 1/2 needles. They were rather flat sided. The rest had been pulverized to a rusty dust, which compacted into a kind of pressure sintered bushing. It was making very, very little noise. Just an occaisonal thunk. I pulled it apart thinking I was being overly AR! I purchased one of those taiwanese sub $100 12 ton hydraulic presses from Harbor Fright just for these jobs. It's far from the most precise piece of equipment, but it has worked quite well on every project I've tackled, including a couple 1-ton u-joints. For really rusty jobs, I soak and then load up the deal with a couple/few tons of force and then turn my head and smack the side of the yoke with a hammer. Very satisfying PATANG and part launching ensues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 I just use a socket, a vise, a hammer and a c-clamp in I need to. Just hit it HARDER!!! and make sure your wife is not standing close by... when the socket goes flying past her head! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 Another tip on the hydraulic press I forgot to mention... I mounted it on a bench/stand so the "working area" is jusssst right that I can rest the driveshaft on my shoulder while pressing the u-joints in and out. Small detail, but it frees up a hand and makes the job easier. Just make sure to use a proper face shield as projectiles will be launched from eye level! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 Yes Martin, a proper hydraulic press would have been much better to use, but I already have 2 motorcycles, a car, a universal gym, a mill, roll around tool box, a work cart, work table, shelves, 10 rims, etc in a 2 car garage. There just isn't room for something I would use a few times a year at best... Made do with what I had, it went fairly well once I figured out the recipe. I had the drive shaft laying the length of the mill table and just stacked some boxes to support the other end, no over the shoulder shaft holder here... And YES, I was definitely wearing safety glasses!! 87pathy, I couldn't get it to budge one bit with a hammer alone. 3lb hand sledge was as far as I went. Once it broke free, then maybe it would have worked, but not before. Besides, a 6" mill vice will exert 4-5+ tons of pressure easy, so why launch sockets if you don't have to? That said, I did launch a socket and unfortunately my thumb was the next stop for the 24oz deadblow. If I was using the hand sledge, I would have crushed the last thumb joint of my left thumb. As it was, I just pulped all the meat and burst it open like a grape. After the initial blood spray, it went mostly numb other than feeling my pulse in it. A definite sign you have done a good trauma job... By the time I got it bandaged, the nerves had reconnected to the brain and work slowed at that point. The whole opposable thumb thing is pretty important for handing tools, I was down right paranoid of hitting it again and I had a tendency to scream (or at least whimper) any time I bumped it. Oh well, it's mostly healed and some feeling is begining to return... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 Ok, the thumb pulping occurred when I was working on the front U-joint, second in line. After I had finished the rear one on sunday afternoon, I installed the driveshaft with the idea that I would do the front one the next weekend. The rear axle was on jack stands, I started the truck, put it in gear and looked underneath. The rear end of the tranny was wagging back and forth more than I would have thought possible. Ok, no driving until the front one is replaced. Much to my suprise, I learned that it was the primary source of the failure. When I drove one cap off, there was a shower of rust and bits of needle bearings. As you can see, there was only one dry journal, but it was TOTALLY dry!! I know I have greased the U-joints twice in the 3 years I have owned the truck, but for some reason none of it got there. I haven't had the time to determine if the grease channel was not properly machined, blocked or whatnot. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 Ok all of that said, replacing the U-joints isn't very difficult (other than maybe breaking the old ones loose) or expensive (I paid $30 for 2 life time units from autozone) but can be challenging if you do not have the right equipment or a good place to work. Patience is key and try your best not to damage the journals that the bearings press into. If you are in a rush, don't have many tools or uncertain, you may just want to take the driveshaft somewhere reliable and have them do it. You'll be paying mainly for labor, but they'll get it done much faster and hopefully, correctly. Experienced people may find this write up tedious and unnecessary, but I wrote it mainly for the noob or youngun' who could benefit from some information. After all, we weren't ALL born mechanics... After changing the U-joints, some of the driving vibration (that I accredited to my damaged front end) went away, clutchwork/shifting is smoother, my clutch throw out bearing has ceased it's occasional barking when cold (replaced 3 years ago; damn, I hope it hasn't been damaged!!) and the rear end slew I could feel when accelerating in a turn 1st or 2nd gear is noticibly less (the rest I believe to be tired bushings). If you feel any combo of these symptoms, take a few minutes and check out your U-joints. First, try simply rotating the drive shaft back and forth by hand. If you feel clunking/play at either end, try to isolate/imobilize the other side of the U-joint connection (in gear, parking brake on, watch for any rotational movement that is visible). It will become apparent with 5 minutes of futsing. If there is any real play, odds are they need replacing... Second, jack up the rear axle, start the motor, put it in gear and let it idle. Look. If there is any twisting, shaking or noise from the drive train, even if there isn't much rotational slop, they are probably binding. Odds are they need replacing... This is something that is much easier to deal with on your own schedule than if they start to bind some day. I was lucky, it occurred 1 mile from home on a friday after work. 2 weeks before could have left me stranded 200 miles from home on a weekend. Good luck!! B Oh, grease them, just for good luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 As it was, I just pulped all the meat and burst it open like a grape. OUCH!!! That sounds HORRIBLE! I hope it heals well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Um, yeah. I pretty much have to agree with you.... Fortunately I'm a pretty good healer, probably from having all the first hand experience over the years. There doesn't seem to be any bone/joint damage, the bruise is mostly healed, the split is completely closed and it's not numb anymore. There is a knot of scar tissue and it is quite sensitive, but I think that will all fade away. Now, if I could only stay away from hammers for a while... Thanks for the thought, Bud!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Now THAT'S more like it! That is a wasted u-joint. It's amazing to me that they do not make a lot more noise than they do when in this condition. Good write up! Ok, the thumb pulping occurred when I was working on the front U-joint, second in line. After I had finished the rear one on sunday afternoon, I installed the driveshaft with the idea that I would do the front one the next weekend. The rear axle was on jack stands, I started the truck, put it in gear and looked underneath. The rear end of the tranny was wagging back and forth more than I would have thought possible. Ok, no driving until the front one is replaced. Much to my suprise, I learned that it was the primary source of the failure. When I drove one cap off, there was a shower of rust and bits of needle bearings. As you can see, there was only one dry journal, but it was TOTALLY dry!! I know I have greased the U-joints twice in the 3 years I have owned the truck, but for some reason none of it got there. I haven't had the time to determine if the grease channel was not properly machined, blocked or whatnot. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Dredging up the past I wish I had a pick of the Cortina drive shaft UJ I replaced.... Spider had worn right through the cup Note: The sound I remember from this was a "Tink" noise sort of like a stone hitting the drive shaft, and best diagnosed by accelerating and decelerating. Nice blood shots B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLL Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 i appreciate DIY work here thank you for sharing. i would like to ask something about clunk noise i hear or feel at back during shifting up or down. it makes clunk when it accelerates and while shifting 1st to 2nd slowly(decending a hill on tarmac). we replaced back 4 big bushings, it is smoother but still there. also for few months it started to make clunks or clanks, when i try to kick gear down 4th to 3rd or 3rd to 2nd. what can be the reason? also there is same clunk when decending on OverDrive on, when i let it go off and it makes a faint "clunk" again. made diff inspected nothing is wrong with it. also it shifts up or down correctly. no vibration or no sound different than clunks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 It could be the U joints, the rear end or even in the tranny (but probably not). This is what I would do. Jack up the truck and support the rear axle well (heavy duty jackstands,etc) with the rear wheels off the ground. Chock/block the front wheels. Get in and start it. Put it in gear/reverse, etc. Now that nothing has moved, have a friend get in it and shift while you are under the truck(forward/reverse, use the e-brake to apply torque to the drivetrain). Odds are you will hear, if not actually see where/what is clunking. Just be very careful, please!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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