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U-Joint job starting at 11pm... UPDATE: need help at 1:45am

jonrpick

jonrpick

3/4 ton status
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What are the realistic chances of me finishing at a reasonable time tonight? :haha: :D

We're working on a 2004 GMC Yukon XL (Suburban). We need to get 3.5hrs north tomorrow morning. The wife drops this on me tonight. We'd talked about having it done, and now she's completely freaked out about the truck going anywhere until they're replaced. :mad:

I've driven on bad u-joints before. These are not bad. Annoying? Yes. Bad? No.

I had to go buy a f***ing $80 vice at Home Depot before they closed to do this. :angry1: Odds that I can keep it from getting scratched by putting paper towels on all of the surfaces therefore ensuring that I can return it tomorrow morning and get my $80 back??? :dunno:

How much of a bitch will it be to remove and replace snap rings with needle nose and bent needle nose pliers?

Finally... will fluid dump out of the back of the tranny once I pull the yoke?

I don't mind doing the work, just not at quite literally the last hour.

Hell, I'm pissed enough to come post on CK5. :haha:

I miss you guys! How y'all been? :D
 
You should be alright.... I had to change one in an O'Reilly's parking lot 600 miles from home and it only took me about an hour or so :D
 
Not sure if you are using a u joint press clamped in the vise to do this but if you are then I think keeping the vise looking brand new is doable, if you have a press, u joints are not but about an hour long job, getting the little clips out with needle noses is easy, at least on my truck, that's how I always do it. Yes fluid will come out when you remove the tail shaft but not an insane amount. But I'd say if you have the know how and the proper tools which it sounds like you do, the job can be done in an hour or so. Hopefully you have a well lit area to work in. Good luck with it and your trip.
 
External snaps are easy enough with a pick or small sharp screwdriver. Tranny fluid will pour out when you pull the shaft out. Drive the back of the truck up some car ramps, and that should be enough to minimize the mess. It'll also give you a lot more room to work under it.
 
Swetty: Thanks for the encouragement.

76: No fancy clamps. I have a couple of sockets. :D

Rene: Good tip about lifting up the back. :bow: I'll use jack stands. I have no ramps or wheel chocks.
 
tRustyK5 said:
External snaps are easy enough with a pick or small sharp screwdriver. Tranny fluid will pour out when you pull the shaft out. Drive the back of the truck up some car ramps, and that should be enough to minimize the mess. It'll also give you a lot more room to work under it.
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and block the front wheels and set ebrake please .

also if steel shaft hope there not the injection molded factory units . :whistle:
 
Factory injects molten plastic retainers in...got to pretty much melt them out. Stupid design.
 
tRustyK5 said:
Factory injects molten plastic retainers in...got to pretty much melt them out. Stupid design.
Click to expand...

Are these in lieu of clips? The new ones came with clips.

Edit: I mean snap rings. I'm already loopy and haven't even started.
 
Yep, in lieu of clips. You have to melt the plastic out, then the new joints will use clips to hold the joint in.
 
Good news... it's got clips.

Ok, the straps are removed from the rear yoke. Seems to be stuck though as the shaft isn't going anywhere. What's the trick?

BTW, upon closer inspection the rear joint seems tight. The front is very loose.
 
Yeah,if they are the injection molded originals,plan on using a propane torch to melt the goo out,so the caps can be removed..they can be a real bitch sometimes..

I just use two sockets and a hammer 90% of the time to change u-joints..one bigger than the cap ,one a bit smaller--I got pretty good at doing them that way after doing about 30 of them...

I broke my vise using it to remove one once,it would open "just" enough to get the shaft and sockets in it,and the threaded thing was barely engaged,and it stripped it bad...had to use the trusty hammer instead..

I rigged up a crude press out of 2" square tubing with 3/4" rods and double nuts that hold the tubing about a foot apart--I use a 4 ton bottle jack to press out the caps..

My friend has a ball joint press that works slick on u-joints,with an air impact gun..he has a press too...despite having all that at my disposal,I still use the hammer the most though..
 
jonrpick said:
Good news... it's got clips.

Ok, the straps are removed from the rear yoke. Seems to be stuck though as the shaft isn't going anywhere. What's the trick?

BTW, upon closer inspection the rear joint seems tight. The front is very loose.
Click to expand...
Never mind. Leverage is the trick. :rolleyes:
 
I'm so close. The last new cap is stuck just almost all the way in. I can't get it deep enough to get the snap clip in place. I need like 2mm more depth. I've tried heating the yoke with a torch in hopes that it'll expand but nada...

I've tried both the socket and vice method and the socket and hammer method. Can't drive it home.
 
Is, by chance, one side of the front u-joint slightly wider? Meaning I need to remove it and clock it 90°??? Just grasping at straws here.
 
Thanks MT.

I tried removing it, and one cap got stuck. It may have gone in at a slight angle because after much going back and forth, a tiny round sliver of metal came out and I could feel a slight ridge inside the yoke with my finger.

Much cussing, hammering, etc, lead to me getting everything aligned. I installed one snap ring with a ton of space behind it, then hammered the whole works down until it hit the ring.

Finally, there was my clearance. 2nd snap ring installed.

Jesus... Seriously. The old rear joint is still tight. I'm not even touching it. Enough. The bad one (front) has been replaced and feels nice and tight, so I feel safe about making many commutes in it. I need to reinstall the shaft and get the fock to bed.

Jesus.
 
It sure ain't never as smooth as watching some homo do it on youtube...

Much ATF leak out the T-case?
 
tRustyK5 said:
It sure ain't never as smooth as watching some homo do it on youtube...

Much ATF leak out the T-case?
Click to expand...
LOL and LOL.

NONE came out. The one pleasant surprise. I didn't jack the back up. Given my work area, jacking under the passenger frame rail made the most sense...except for having to work around the jack stand. So I expected a huge mess and the floor is still as it was before this little excursion.

The test drive went fine. I shifted back and forth between D and R several times while stopped and the clunking is gone. Got it up to over 60mph on the road outside the neighborhood. No more vibrations or noise and deceleration is now smooth.

Another surprise was how easy it was to remove the straps on the rear yoke. I only used a closed combo wrench. It's tighter now than it was before. :dunno:
 
funny, you have good timing

I just got back from rdn2blazer shop where we fought my D60's SuperJoints, learned a thing or two, and BS'ed. Frocking things have to be pressed out, nothing like regular joints, super tight. It was a long day.
 
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