u-joint replacement

[doughboy5499]

I think my u-joint in the rear is going out. Ever since I replaced the rear pinion seal I have had a weird squeak. I had mentioned it here before. Thought it might have been the nut was on to tight. I never had it looked at and have been driving it with the annoying squeek. Well now recently when I start up and put my foot in it, it sounds like "stones" in my drive shaft clanking around. When I let off the gas the "stones" sound stops. Well I have not really driven my truck out of town for a month or so since I returned to my job ( was laid off ) here in town. Yesterday I drove out of town and I got it up to about 50 mph and the whole truck started shaking real bad. I was told from a couple of friends that it all sounds like my u-joints. I am going to go ahead and replace it anyway but, what do you all think now? Can someone give me some detailed instructions as to how you change the u-joints. Doing all this repair work my self is kinda fun and I am learning alot incase I ever have to do it again. Thanks to everyone!

[quickbiker]

Try to get underneath of it and push up and down the the drive shaft to see if anything is going on. If that's fine, I'd pull the rear diff cover and check the gears. If find the oil clean, no chunks of metal, and still have all your gear teeth, I'd check the tolerances. Check for gear pattern, back lash, and fitment of the carrier between the bearings. If you changed the pinion seal, there is a pretty good chance that the crush sleeve may have changed dynamics when tightened, and that will change the whole gear pattern. From memory, the backlash is between .005-.013". Carrier should be snug between the bearings, and gear pattern speaks for itself, should be in the center of the gear on the driving side of the teeth. Good luck. Here's a few pics of when I did my pinion seal and locker. Well, I guess I was doing a few other things in there also that day.

[doughboy5499]

I got the the u-joint replaced today and i have a slight squeak here and there but, so much better. While it was off I checked for abnormal play - NONE. Pulled the diff cover, no contaminates and everything looked good clean and tight.

What a PITA to get the caps off the old one. They have the plastic molded seals in there holding them in. I did not have the tools to do it right so I took the drive shaft to a friend of my dads and asked if he could get it out for me. He charged me $10. I was told to press the caps out. He gets the torch and melts the plastic seals out so he could get the caps out. I have not heard of this technique but it worked. Here is another run around part. We get ready to put the new U-Joint in and here Advanced Auto gave me the wrong one. It did not have snap rings on the inside of the caps. I take it back and find out they have none in stock for the 4wd but, could order it overnight. I get my money back and got to Autozone. They do not even have any and cannot even get any in their store. (Stupid Place ) I go to NAPA they have 8 on the shelf and it was cheaper than Advanced. So now everything is put back together and is doing much better. What a horrible last 3 weeks it has been dealing with my truck!

[killian96ss]

I was told to press the caps out. He gets the torch and melts the plastic seals out so he could get the caps out. I have not heard of this technique but it worked.

This is actually a very popular technique and I have seen it done many times.

Steve

[BobbleSmitty]

I never had it looked at and have been driving it with the annoying squeek. Well now recently when I start up and put my foot in it, it sounds like "stones" in my drive shaft clanking around.

I had the same problem!! Just replaced both of my u-joints today with only 28,000 miles on the truck. The noise has gone away and the clunking sound is gone!!! I got the greasable kind of u-joints with the zerk fittings so they don't get all junky like the other ones. The rear one was the really bad one, the front was on it's way, so I decided to replace both of them while I had it on the lift.