Replacing U-Joints: Do You Prefer a Hammer or a Press?

A Hammer or a Press?

  • Total voters
    91
qslim said:
Pro Tip: when you use a hammer don't miss & smash your index finger like me. I hit it so fucking hard I was hesitant to take my glove off & look. Now when the temp gets under about 50 degrees I can't do anything outside without gloves because my left index finger turns a death-like grey color & stops working.

I asked my doc about it, he said "oh yeah, you probably just crushed the artery in it. It won't get better. As a matter of fact as you get older it might get worse, if it does we'll have to take it off" :LOL: .
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yikes. Yeah I put the sockets in place and have my other hand no where near the yoke before I swing the hammer.
 
freedom_in_4low said:
yikes. Yeah I put the sockets in place and have my other hand no where near the yoke before I swing the hammer.
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I hold the socket & swing for the fences. Got away with it for almost 20 years!
 
What do most people do with the centering yoke on the front driveshaft?

Replace?

Rebuild?

Do they come from the factory with a grease fitting? (I’ve never noticed one and I’m not with my Jeep now to check).
 
Most will replace the entire yoke. I've seen someone replace just the centering ball though, it is a press fit. Replacing the entire yoke they're $50-60. Cant comment on whether or not factory came with a zerk.
 
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tworley said:
Most will replace the entire yoke. I've seen someone replace just the centering ball though, it is a press fit. Replacing the entire yoke they're $50-60. Cant comment on whether or not factory came with a zerk.
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The entire yoke would come with everything you need, besides the u-joints?
 
Great! Thanks. I’ve done u-joints on my truck but never on the Jeep. And never messed with anything like the yoke.
 
MountaineerTom said:
Great! Thanks. I’ve done u-joints on my truck but never on the Jeep. And never messed with anything like the yoke.
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MountaineerTom said:
The entire yoke would come with everything you need, besides the u-joints?
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Yep. The ball is on the otherside of the centering yoke (what I am holding)
20210418_115209.jpg


Backside of it here (make sure yours doesnt do this :LOL:) :
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/tworley-build.10974/post-435911
 
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I've done them both ways and never bent or damaged an ear...one must remember there are people walking the earth that can break a steel ball in a rubber room
 
I must have bent my ear when using the ball joint press on my axle joints because one direction was very hard to turn by hand, and it was very hard to get the new joint in; I had to remove one of the rubber boots to get enough clearance. However I do not think a hammer would have been enough to get it out.

I probably need to rebuild my front driveshaft soon and I was planning on just getting all new 1310x's front and rear but I'm not sure if I should just get the dennys rebuild kit and replace the centering yoke as well.
 
Cheetokps said:
I must have bent my ear when using the ball joint press on my axle joints because one direction was very hard to turn by hand, and it was very hard to get the new joint in; I had to remove one of the rubber boots to get enough clearance. However I do not think a hammer would have been enough to get it out.

I probably need to rebuild my front driveshaft soon and I was planning on just getting all new 1310x's front and rear but I'm not sure if I should just get the dennys rebuild kit and replace the centering yoke as well.
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Might as well while it is all apart.
 
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