U-joint bummer

[StG58]

Replaced a u-joint in the Dana 30 this weekend. Went to check the installation today and a cap keeper had popped out. Bummer. Got to looking more closely at the ears on the axle shaft and I bent one of them getting the old u-joint out. Double bummer. Looks like I get to take it all apart and straighten that mess out. It's not much, but it's enough to keep the u-joint cap keeper from seating correctly. Nothing a love tap from a two pound hammer won't fix.

...and that's why you always check our work.

 

[Chris]

That's never any fun. U-joints can be a pain in the butt sometimes!

 

[StG58]

The bad thing is that I thought that those two bearings felt a little tight when I put them togather. Stiffer than usual for a new u-joint. I should have stopped and checked it out then. It wasn't much, but you could feel it. The pair on the stub shaft felt good. Keepers popped right in. If I was a jerk, I'd figure out how to get a new set of Cro-Mo shafts out of the deal. When I had the shaft assembly sitting on the shop floor after just removing it, the wife walked by and said that it looked rusty and ugly. Did I need a new one? I said no, they just look like that after awhile. Wire brushed right up and looked good afterwards. She was working on her JKU, chasing water leaks in the soft top.

 

[bobthetj03]

Little trick my mechanic showed me when changing ujoints, after you get the ujoint pressed into place, put the shaft in a vice and give the area by the ears a couple good love taps with a hammer to help seat in the caps. You'll notice them loosen up and move a lot easier after the said love taps.

 

[Rob5589]

Little trick my mechanic showed me when changing ujoints, after you get the ujoint pressed into place, put the shaft in a vice and give the area by the ears a couple good love taps with a hammer to help seat in the caps. You'll notice them loosen up and move a lot easier after the said love taps.

Yep. Use a hammer to smack the outside bend in the yoke to help seat the clips. Also a good idea to clean up all the surfaces and take a small file to knock down any burrs in the cap bore.

 

[bobthetj03]

I usually take a piece of emery cloth and clean the inside of the cap bore, then take a angled pick and clean out the c-clip grooves.

 

[TJ4Jim]

What I generally do is cut the handle off a 1" copper fitting brush and chuck it in the drill. It does a fast job of cleaning up the bores.

 

[Jorge Bolivar]

And I do just discover that I need to change mines...
Good info, I will need it and be using soon.

 

[StG58]

You guys are great! Ya, love tapped the yoke on the stub shaft and checked the clips on those. It was looking like rain so I didn't do the shaft. It's an easy job, so the TJ was sitting outside.

The grooves for the c-clips are in the caps on my axle u-joints, so they were pristine. Everything cleaned up nicely with a wire brush and a little diligence. Even numbered the caps and the cross so it went togather just like it came out of the box. That one clip just had an attitude, it seems. Oh well, stuff sometimes happens.

Good tips.

 

[mrblaine]

...and that's why you always check our work.

Or, why you don't use a press to install u-joints.

 

[mrblaine]

Little trick my mechanic showed me when changing ujoints, after you get the ujoint pressed into place, put the shaft in a vice and give the area by the ears a couple good love taps with a hammer to help seat in the caps. You'll notice them loosen up and move a lot easier after the said love taps.

No vise needed. Just hold the shaft out in front of you and smack the heavy part of the yoke a couple of times on each side. Flip it around, rest the spline end on a piece of wood or heavy cardboard, and smack the heavy part of both sides of the stub shaft yoke. Inertia will try and keep the other shaft in place and move the caps outward against the snap rings.

 

[bobthetj03]

No vise needed. Just hold the shaft out in front of you and smack the heavy part of the yoke a couple of times on each side. Flip it around, rest the spline end on a piece of wood or heavy cardboard, and smack the heavy part of both sides of the stub shaft yoke. Inertia will try and keep the other shaft in place and move the caps outward against the snap rings.

Well, there you go, work smarter, not harder. Great info.

 

[StG58]

Or, why you don't use a press to install u-joints.

Is that what happened? Two of those caps appeared to be rusted in pretty good. So I did my usual and put a u-joint / ball joint tool on it and pushed them out with that. (After digging the c-clips out) Is there a better, safer way? I've done it with a socket and a hammer before, but launched a socket that way.

 

[mrblaine]

Is that what happened? Two of those caps appeared to be rusted in pretty good. So I did my usual and put a u-joint / ball joint tool on it and pushed them out with that. (After digging the c-clips out) Is there a better, safer way? I've done it with a socket and a hammer before, but launched a socket that way.

I have fixed several alloy axles for folks who have bent ears inward using presses. I have never fixed any ears bent inward for folks who use a hammer on them. You only need a socket for the bottom to let the cap stick through slightly. The other side you can beat the crap out of with most normal shop hammers without damage due to the caps being hardened to about 60-62 Rockwell. They have to be that hard to act as a bearing journal. (trivia you learn when you design a high strength u-joint for someone)

To get the snap ring out, first smack the cap inward towards the cross and see if the ring will spin, if not, smack it again. When it moves, pop it out of the groove and then drive the other side in and before you get too far, pop that snap ring off.

I beat the crap out of them with a good shop hammer of decent size both directions.

 

[StG58]

I have fixed several alloy axles for folks who have bent ears inward using presses. I have never fixed any ears bent inward for folks who use a hammer on them. You only need a socket for the bottom to let the cap stick through slightly. The other side you can beat the crap out of with most normal shop hammers without damage due to the caps being hardened to about 60-62 Rockwell. They have to be that hard to act as a bearing journal. (trivia you learn when you design a high strength u-joint for someone)

To get the snap ring out, first smack the cap inward towards the cross and see if the ring will spin, if not, smack it again. When it moves, pop it out of the groove and then drive the other side in and before you get too far, pop that snap ring off.

I beat the crap out of them with a good shop hammer of decent size both directions.

Nice! I'm going to replace the short side u-joint just because. I'll give that a shot and see what transpires on that one. Thanks!

Any tips you'd like to share on getting those bent ears straightened out? I was going to eyeball it, but that's not very precise.

Thanks again @mrblaine!

 

[mrblaine]

Nice! I'm going to replace the short side u-joint just because. I'll give that a shot and see what transpires on that one. Thanks!

Any tips you'd like to share on getting those bent ears straightened out? I was going to eyeball it, but that's not very precise.

Thanks again @mrblaine!

The snap ring grooves are the perfect width apart to tell you when it is unbent enough.