How Long Will This Take?

[wilpetty]

Take out the driveshafts and replace U joints. Unexperienced with it but Have a vice and everything to do it the redneck way Also transmission mount time. Just need a time range I need to expect to use up this week

 

[kennyw]

I remember the first few I did only taking a couple hours per drive shaft. I was just installing them with a socket and hammer at the time too.

 

[wilpetty]

By socket and hammer, you mean placing a socket on the u joint and banging it out? (I watched a youtube video of a guy doing this). I will basically be doing this except with a vice and a c-clamp as needed.

 

[kennyw]

Basically, that is it. Main thing is to use two different sockets. One on the back side that is slightly larger than the u-joint, one on the driving side that is slightly smaller than the u-joint. The vise is a better method, but a hammer will get the job done if you are careful.

 

[rebelgregory]

Really depends on your tooling and skill. Figure 20 minutes to get the driveshafts out, 1 to 1.5 hours to replace joints (5 or 6?) and another 15 for tranny mount. So maybe 2ish hrs.

Also, remember to put the zerk fittings so that they are in compression, not tension, when torqued up. I had one break at the fitting.

 

[wage92]

you need a torch dont ya? to melt the nylon?

 

[bigred88]

Autozone or Oreilly's will loan out a ball joint/u joint press. I've only used those for my front axle u joints, I didn't even know such a thing existed last time I did driveshaft u joints, so I did those the hammer and punch way.

But the press might make things a little easier, and make for fewer thumbs struck by hammers.

 

[badmix]

you need a torch dont ya? to melt the nylon?

i came here to post this same thing. if its factory U joints, you gotta heat em up and watch them explode and they will fall right out. lol.

 

[paratrooper307]

A press will definitely make the job easier and reduce the risk of damage or injury. Borrow the loaner, and if you plan on doing more work on your rig to include ball joints, the kit from Harbor Freight works well and pays for itself pretty quickly.

 

[Avery4jc]

Autozone or Oreilly's will loan out a ball joint/u joint press.

if you plan on doing more work on your rig to include ball joints, the kit from Harbor Freight works well and pays for itself pretty quickly.

x2 on all of the above.

Also if you end up doing it in a vice use two small sockets and clamp it tight across the caps then hit the driveshaft yoke instead. Works well.

 

[rampage]

For your tranny mount I hope your using the same material as your engine mount (i.e. rubber/rubber or polyurethane/polyurethane).

 

[Deuling]

First get the c-clips off or if factory melt nylon out.

Lay it in vice with the the ears of one yoke resting on the vice head on each side, don't even need to clamp down, just snug a little so it doesn't twist.


BFH and wack the yoke that's facing up. One or two hits is all it normally takes.

Pull caps and take out the one yoke. Flip 90 degrees so the cross of the u joint are resting on the vice tops, then wack the yoke that's now facing up.


Done.




Clean everything up. Take caps off the u joint, angle the cross in, then slide the caps in both ends trying to get the cross in each cap just a little bit for guidance.


Then slowly clamp with vice and draw caps in. Then get one cap punded in just far enough to get c clip on, then pound the other cap in.


Same thing for the other side.




It'd be much easier to show you in a 30 second video lol

 

[Stomis]

I will advocate doing it the redneck way with a vice a sockets. I've never liked doing them with a press of any kind simply because its way to easy to cock a cap, over press it, and ruin something.

If they won't go in with a good 4in bench vice something is wrong and you will know before things break. The hammer method is a good way to remove and start the ujoint. I've put them in with just a hammer but if you miss you'll be spending way too much ttime filling the bore back straight.