I was considering doing that, seemed prudent. Glad to know that's a standard practice!Wrap some electrical tape around the caps long ways to keep them from sliding apart.
I was considering doing that, seemed prudent. Glad to know that's a standard practice!Wrap some electrical tape around the caps long ways to keep them from sliding apart.
Way to shallow.Well, ran a quick pattern on the front. It looks decent to my untrained eye.View attachment 324538View attachment 324539
Understood! Thanks for the input!Way to shallow.
Also, make sure you cycle your front axle when it goes back in, the Artec brackets are known to cause interference issues.
Although while I appreciate trying to save a buck here, my suggestion would be to toss the damaged joint and buy a new joint to keep as a spare. If you do need to do a trail repair, installing this one will require changing it out at your first opportunity or it will quickly fail. For a few bucks, why do a repair twice?When I was putting in U-joints, I accidentally pinched a seal on one. Then in the process of trying to get the cap back out, I scattered needle bearings everywhere. I manage to find all the needle bearings but decided to just get a new joint so that I wasn't worried about the pinched seal. Today I reassembled it and re-greased it. While not perfect, it will make a good trail spare.View attachment 324683
You underestimate my ability to really fuck things up! I wouldn't put it past me to do it again!Although while I appreciate trying to save a buck here, my suggestion would be to toss the damaged joint and buy a new joint to keep as a spare. If you do need to do a trail repair, installing this one will require changing it out at your first opportunity or it will quickly fail. For a few bucks, why do a repair twice?
Chalk it up to a lesson learned. My guess is you will likely never damage a seal like that again!
You underestimate my ability to really fuck things up! I wouldn't put it past me to do it again!
But seriously, I'm keeping it as my trail spare for a couple reasons: it's a sunk cost. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have bought a trail spare, so this is better than none. Also, if I repaired a u-joint on the trail with the minimal tools I keep with me, and got myself back out, I would be happy to change it again with a proper tool set in a clean environment. Even with a perfect joint, I wouldn't trust myself not to get sand or what have you in the joint.
For those reasons, I'm happy to have a joint that has minor seal damage with me on the trail. Once it gets me back home, it's gonna be trashed and replaced anyway.
That said, I see your point, and there is validity there.
Also, a side note. I see you’re in Los Alamos. Do you happen to work at Oppenheimers Lab? I have a buddy about to move out there.You underestimate my ability to really fuck things up! I wouldn't put it past me to do it again!
But seriously, I'm keeping it as my trail spare for a couple reasons: it's a sunk cost. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have bought a trail spare, so this is better than none. Also, if I repaired a u-joint on the trail with the minimal tools I keep with me, and got myself back out, I would be happy to change it again with a proper tool set in a clean environment. Even with a perfect joint, I wouldn't trust myself not to get sand or what have you in the joint.
For those reasons, I'm happy to have a joint that has minor seal damage with me on the trail. Once it gets me back home, it's gonna be trashed and replaced anyway.
That said, I see your point, and there is validity there.
Solid advice!If you’re breaking a axle shaft joint on a stock shaft, you’ve likely ruined your shaft as well so a trail spare joint may or may not be of use.
I recommend finding a local scrapyard and getting a set of spare shafts(inner+outer+joint) and throw them in the back of your Jeep when you’re out wheeling. You can usually find them for about $50-75 a side, then you can swap a good joint in there, and your trail side shaft replacement is a 20 minute endeavor instead of a 2+ hour ordeal.
More often than not, the joint doesn’t break, it spins the cap and stretches the ear of the joint and then spits the cap out. (The cap spinning is why I recommend tacking the caps)
For sure, I'll get it higher when I go to cycle everything! My plan is to get the rear axle swapped in tomorrow and maybe begin on the front axle.From looking on my phone. Good for now I'd say. It will be easier when doing the lift, ca's, etc. if it is higher. You can always pull the tire on the drooping side when cycling but better not to have to right? You were probably planning on that just throwing it out there. Good progress!
Welding a nut to it could work.Braindead, but a quick pic after installing shocks and swayloc!
View attachment 330978
Also, anyone know how to remove a stuck bolt after drilling it out and breaking off an extractor in it?View attachment 330979