Driveshaft and u-joint Q's

[highrlr]

Ok, while I was installing my 4" front springs i tried doing it without removing my front driveshaft and while I was trying to position the axle and springs the axle slid way far forward and my slip yoke pulled out, I tried putting the two back together but they wont go together There is a ring that must hold in the grease and it wont fit over the splines on the Dshaft? Also I would assume the Dshaft was ballanced as one so I suppose if I do get it back together I will have to get it rebalanced, right? So how do I get this thing back together and will I have to have it balanced?

Secondly, while I was taking the front part of the driveshaft off the pinion yoke one of the caps came off and needle bearings flew everywhere, now I already got the old ujoint out but when I went to put the new one in I screwed it all up and I am wondering how to do it right. I placed the capless ujoint in the yoke, but once I went to hammer the new caps in the needle bearings fell over right away and most of them fell out of one of the caps How do you do this without the bearings falling out????

 

[wraenking]

as for putting in the new ujoints, i use a vice, and press the ends on. this way you wont be hammering all the needles out.

 

[divorced]

The splines might go together only one way. Look at the splines and see if one is bigger, or rotate the pieces as you try to put them together to make the splines line up.

 

[highrlr]

as for putting in the new ujoints, i use a vice, and press the ends on. this way you wont be hammering all the needles out.

I wish i had a vise to do that, I know there cheap but I dont really have a sturdy work bench to mount one to. I know this can be done with a hammer, ive seen it done before and it didnt look like a big deal at all, I must just suck at it. I would also like to learn how to do one with a hammer incase i ever have to replace one on the trail.

As for the splines on the shaft not lineing up right that cant be it cuz I cant even get it to the point where the splines line up, there is some sort of ring preventing it from going together at all Any other ideas anyone?????

 

[blackblazer717]

take that ring off if its the shaft im thinking of it has threads on it and can be taken off with a pair of channel locks, as for the u-joint and hammer NO NO even if it goes together you will bend up a few if not a bunch of those needle bearings so dont try it. find a buddy with a big vice. i used a bench press just a few days ago....

 

[Afireinside]

As for the hammer method take off the two caps that go to the axle and carefully set them aside,then take the two you need(I usually add a little extra grease to hold the needles better)push them both into the yoke as far as you can by hand then hold one and LIGHTLY tap on one side than the other dont try to do just one side at a time.You will have to remove the d shaft to do this,or you will screw it up every time.As for the collar its just a little press fit so take a screw diver bend it out a little and it should go back on maybe w /a hammer to tighten it back up.In order to line it up right,just make sure that both yokes are evenly lined up.

Good luck

 

[jester]

If you don't have a place to mount a vice, a c-clamp can work. I have often used them to replace u-joints. Works almost as good as a vice and easy to take with you on the trails. Good luck!