I have the half shafts out of the car and am now trying to remove the universal joints. I removed the 4 cotter pits but cant get them out of the shaft. Can anyone help me with this.

Mark

Warm the casting around the caps with a propane tourch(use propane or mapp gas so you CAN'T get it hot enough to warp the casting )Soak the caps with liquid wrench ( good and wet ) while they are hot ( it helps draw the liquid wrench in ). Go inside and eat dinner.Have coffee after dinner.

Hold the half shaft in your vise close to the hole that holds the u-joint cap. Use a hammer and a steel bar ( round stock that is a little smaller than the cap ) I deticated a socket wrench for this purpose. Smack the 'socket wrench' hard with the hammer (it's very hard to bend the half shaft - i've done a dozen or so and never bent one yet so hit it hard it's been in there awhile.) Drive the u-jount and cap thru (spraying it with the LW occasionaly)untill the cap falls off the opposite side - then drive it back the way you came from untill that one falls out. Seperate the too sections. Repeat the process for the other two caps. Besure to clean EVERYTHING really good before assy. ( make sure the holes in the half shaft sections are smooth ) A light smeer of greese in the holes will ease assy.

I hope i've been able to help.

- Jeff

Thanks for the advise. I will give it a try and let you know if it works. So far you guys have been 100% on the advise.

Mark

I have changed so many of these things I can't count them and I have never used a torch. Just remove the retaining clip and position the yoke over the vise as stated before , and use a drift or,. as was stated before use and old socket that is just smaller than the end of the bearing cap . This will destroy the socket for further service. Place the socket on the cap and give it a good hard smack you may need to repete this several times but it will come out . It's a good idea to mark the two halves of the yoke assembly so you can reassemble in the same relationship to each other . They may have been ballanced in this configuration at the factory.:classic:

I have been rapping on either side and they wont budge. I have drenched in Liquid Wrench and even pulled off the plastic ring that goes around the inside. I have been hammering away with no luck.

Any more suggestions. :stupid:

I use a heavy hammer like a 3 lb single jack , you must be sure the bearing cap on the off side will be able to go into the gap in the bench vice, give the socket or drift a good hard hit , it will come loose and start to move just keep it up untill the cap is out the other side and romove it. Repeat on the othe half. Use the socket to replace the new unit but it should go in much easier since you have cleaned and lubed the opening. :classic:

I took a set to a u-joint speciality shop for commerical trucks.They had the correct press.They charged $3.00 per joint that included remove and install my supplied.As always the proper tool makes all the difference.

That was going to be my next suggestion . to take everything to a shop to have them pressed out . they have a press and is an easy fix. Not every one has a shop to go to. :classic:

Sure you removed all clips?:stupid:

This happened to me once, I thought I had; and banged and banged and banged.

In fustration I took them to my local zed shop who then promptly removed the clips I had left in and belted them out with one hit!

Moral to story, don't get distracted when you do a job!

Take the shafts down to a shop... Don't screw with those.

If you mess up something on the removal/install, you'll just kick yourself. It's a lot of work to take those out again.

Do it right. And, this time it's cheap.

-- Mike

After a couple of tries I gave up. My local Napa Auto has a independant machine shop behind it. I gave them to to him yesterday and he is going to pull them for me.

"Dont try this at home, folks"

One side has a clip that must be removed.The other end has a fixed metal piece.With the clip removed you hit the cap on the end with the fixed metal stop.This will push the bearing cap that contains the roller pins out of the end that had the clip.With that end removed you can get the joint out from between the yoke.The last step is the removal of the cap in the fixed end.Install is the reverse.Some come out easy some need the pro's tools.Good Luck!!