Help!!! a few questions

[AUK5]

Hey i just picked up a 12 bolt and dana 44 from Jim. thanks. didn't get much work on the swap do to rain and working in the back of an apartment complex.

1. whats the best way to get the u joint out of the drive shaft. i have a 1990 so i got a conversion joint?

2. the brake lines on the 12 bolt i can't get out. i used pb blaster. is there any trick on getting them out?

3. how do you get the parking brake cable out?

Im new to the whole axle swap and i know its not complicated these are the problems i ran in to before the rain hit. thanks

 

[obijuan]

not sure on that particular joint number but you can use some PB if needed again on it then press it out using some sockets, a big c clamp, vise, or something. take a big socket on one side (bigger than the ujoint cap) then a smaller socket on the other cap. then press the ujoint in to the big socket and take some pliers and pull the cap off. then do it again for the other side.
find a bolt just the right lenght to fit between the ears to prevent them from bending.

do you have a line wrench for the brake lines or are they already boogered up? you can use a "super wrench" where the harder you push on it the harder it bites.

for the ebrake cables, you ought to be able to just disconnect them at the coupler near the frame in the middle of the truck. IF it came from another blazer. if not you need to take the drum off and theres little clips that you press together to slide it out of the backing plate. you will see it and its pretty obvious.

 

[dyeager535]

In my experience I find that melting the injected plastic/whatever junk out of the yokes makes u-joint removal easier. It's not necessary, but if it makes it easier, it means less chance of yoke distortion when you do push the joint out. Just takes a propane torch.

What part of the ebrake are you trying to get out? The backing plate end?

If the 10/12 bolt backing plates are the same, (can't recall, never messed with a 12 bolt) then you can probably unbolt the backing plates from the axle complete with the brakes intact, and bolt it up to the new axle once it's installed. Better than completely disassembling and reassembling two brake setups.

The cable clips into the backing plate with a multi fingered fitting. You have to compress all the fingers and it will slip back out.

 

[AUK5]

thanks for the info. looks like i will be getting the super wrench today. unfortunately the parking brake cables are a lot longer on my truck than the ones on the axle. thanks for the info

 

[dyeager535]

As an addition on the brakes, don't just try to remove the fitting if it seems stuck. You'll either twist the lines or break the fitting off in the wheel cylinder. Soak the fitting, use a tighten/loosen method, whatever, or you may end up replacing lines and/or wheel cylinders.

Happened when I did my 14 bolt, yet another run to the parts store I hadn't anticipated.