How do you change out the universal joint?

Answer 1

1. Remove the drive shaft. (much easier then trying this while the drive shaft is still in) Mark the drive shaft so that everything goes back together lined up. Drive shafts are balanced, so if two parts are put together a bit off, you may feel vibrations if the shaft is now unbalanced.

2. If these are the OEM u-joints, you might see white nylon pegs. (On Chevys since the late 70s) These are the "clips" OEMs use instead of metal snap rings. Just use a small drill bit to drill the nylon out. If they are metal snap rings, these must be removed. 3. Use a shop press to press the caps out of the yoke. First one side, remove the cap, and then press the other side out in the same fashion. Repeat until all the bearings are free. You can now remove the u-joint.

You can use a hammer if you don't have a press, but if these u-joint are old and rusty, you could be beating on them all day. I have a 20 ton shop press and there have been times when I needed all 20 tons to press these caps through. If in doubt, take the drive shaft to a shop that has a press. It should not cost very much and will save you a lot of time and trouble.

4. When putting in the new u-joint, be very careful when removing the new caps there are lots of needle bearings inside that could fall out and you will be buying new joints. Take the caps off of opposite ends of the new joint and put the joint into the yoke then put the yoke in a bench vice (or shop press) and press the new caps into place. Use a socket to sink the caps further into the yoke if needed. 5. Reinstall drive shaft