u-joint, pain in my ass

[buckethead]

im trying to get my u-joint out of my driveshaft that goes to the rear axle. Its being stubborn as hell, any thoughts and or suggestions to help me get this piece out??

[silver_82]

does it use clips or is it the kind with injected plastic?

[buckethead]

I assume its got the injected plastic in it, ive already smashed those damn things to pieces, the two little knobs on either side of the yoke?

[DMONOTJR]

ive personally seen someone use a propane torch or mappgas torch to gently heat up the plastic around the u-joint caps untill the plastic quit oozes (like a pimple)out the ends of the caps, then take a socket the same size as the cap and hammer them in untill the joint becomes loose. just don\'t use an oxy/act. torch, you\'ll overheat the ears or the shaft and possibly weaken them.

[ZR1BLAZER]

On 2007-03-22 19:47, DMONOTJR wrote:

just don\'t use an oxy/act. torch



thats how i do it. gets so hot so fast that the plastic just shoots out.

[riotpolice75]

a vice is most helpful. along with a socket thats the same size as the cap or just a c__t hair smaller and a socket that has an inside bigger than the cap. heat the cap up with a blow torch like dmonotjr said until all the nylon comes out. put the small socket up against one cap and the large socket up against the yoke on the other side over the cap so the cap falls out into the inside of the socket. press it with the vice.



i\'ve also done em with an air hammer when things got ugly.



2 other things:

DO NOT clamp the driveshaft with the vice

DO NOT beat on the yoke with the hammer.







smith

[buckethead]

well I guess Im way behind in the game, I have already drilled out the plastic that was in those holes, also have placed the shaft in the vice, AND beat on the yoke with a hammer!!! SHIT

[silver_82]

ive used an oxy torch, it works fine. I heat it up until it doesn\'t ooze out anymore then tap/hit the yoke with a hammer to get the cap out. repeat this on all caps then clean out the remaining burnt plastic, and file off any burrs.



when hitting the yoke, make sure you dont hit the driveshaft tube it WILL bend. the easyest way to do it is to support the end of the shaft you are working on by the u joint cross bar and strike the yoke downward, this will cause the cap to pop up



good luck, they can be a pain