Some Quick Help Needed

[drewp29]

Changed out all the u-joints this weekend.

 

The rear u-joint on the main driveshaft was a huge pain! I was using a ball joint press to push the cap, but the body of the u-joint bottomed out on the opposite side of the yoke (the small yoke that bolts to the rear differential) without pushing the cap out far enough to work with the slip joint pliers. That joint was in pretty bad shape, but it seemed odd that all the other joints pushed the opposite side cap out equally as far as the other cap got pressed into the yoke, which makes me think there was something wonky going on with that joint. Sort of like it was actually the wrong u-joint.

 

I only say that because the previous owner was a bit of an idiot. I do not know them personally, but given the amount of things I have replaced that were done totally incorrect, it is apparent that the idiocy was strong with that one.

 

Case in point, when I replaced the lower rear trailing arms, the previous owner used 2 LEFT HAND ARMS!!! I mean, SERIOUSLY?!!! That's just one example.

 

Anyway, in order to get the bad u-joint out, I used my little Harbor Freight ball joint tool (pops the shaft out of the knuckle) to push one of the caps outward and expose the shaft of the u-joint. I then wrapped some wire around the shaft to make a shim. Then I used the ball joint press to push the cap next to the wire outward. the wire shim allowed the joint to push the cap out farther and it finally came out!

 

The Spicer joints feel nice, and it is apparent that there is less rolling resistance just based on the ability to coast without losing speed on slight downward inclines.