Before I get in trouble, I used the search already and couldn't find what I was looking for. What is the best way to replace the epoxy u joints on the main driveshaft and how long should it take?

I've heard torch them, but also heard you need a special tool and I dont want to buy one.


Thanks

 

No special tool. The only way that I know of to get them out is to heat them so they melt out. Your replacement u-joints should have retaining clips instead of nylon plugs.

 

Ya that's what I thought... but now I can't even seem to get my drive shaft out, I'm sucking today, now it'll have to wait till wednesday

 

You just need to apply pressure, then heat the joint. The nylon retaining ring will flow when heated, allowing you to press out the cups one at a time.

 

Heres my method.. After removing the drive shaft from my Blazer with the u-joints on each end I take my electric grinder with a cut-off wheel attached to it and trim off the old u-joints flush to the inside of the yokes. I spray a little penetrating oil on the remnant cap slugs still in the yokes and then use a 3/4" socket to set over the caps and tap them out from each side of the 2 yokes. They always come out with any difficulty. So simple and easy. I would recommend when reinstalling the shaft to the yoke on the rear end of your Blazer you get and use new retainer clips and bolts. Also, use Loctite threadlocker on the bolt threads. I think I paid about $6.00 for the last set I got at NAPA auto parts.
Approx time from start to finish all tools away and cleaned up ready to drive... 1 hour 30 mins.
I hope it all works out for you whatever way you do it.. Skoot61

 

Alright so I'm up for torching the things, no offense to skoot, sounds like that'd be the way to do it without a torch. But do you guys have any tricks to getting the driveshaft out, I don't want to wack it or something and throw it out of balance and all; and I know to take the four bolts out, but after that I'm stuck and can't get it to budge at all.

Thanks

 

For removing the driveshaft, remove the 4 bolts (two per strap). Then take a pry bar between the yoke on the rear diff and the u-joint and pop it loose.

About using a hammer to remove the u-joint cups. If you are talking older cups (ie not retained by injected nylon), then this method will work quite well, but if you have a vice, you can be more controlled with the removal after cutting out the old center section of the u-joint. With the injected nylon in there, good luck hammering those puppies out. I had my driveshaft in a 10 ton press and it sounded like a shot gun went off with a little bit of pressure and heat applied. The trick is to get it nice and hot to where the nylon oozes out the injection holes, then apply the pressure.

 

If you have removed the retainer clips and bolts from the rear-end yoke the shaft should hang down free with the U-Joint attached to the shaft. You should then be able to slide the splined end out from the rear of the transmission by hand. If your shaft seems to be stuck at this point and won't "budge" from coming out of the transmission .. I would tighten a "C" clamp on the yoke at the other end and use it to hammer against to drive the spline end out of the tranny. A 3lbhammer would work effortlessly.Don't worry, you won't throw it out of balance.
Good Luck! Skoot61

 

So I got my new u joints in on last friday and it has made a hell of a lot of difference, a loud noise and vibrationI startedgetting is gone (why I realized they were shot), another smaller, deeper vibration and noise is gone (I just thought it was my larger tires in the summer heat). And I'm actually getting better gas mileage, never thought this would contribute to mileage at all, but it has helped and I'm not just driving better, probably driving slightly more wreckless now actually. I'm happy