U joints

[JoshT]

Doesn't sound bad for the work performed, but I don't see why it took two hours to do.

Drive onto lift. Remove 4 bolts. Use shop press to remove and reinstall two u-joints. Reinstall 4 bolts. Grease joints if servicable. Drive off lift.

Recently replaced the axle yoke on a driveshaft for my 85. No lift and haven't installed the driveshaft yet, but I do have a shop press. Going slow it took all of about 10 minutes to press the old yoke off and the new one on. My 85 was missing the drive shaft when I bought it and I found somebody parting a 91 or 92 locally. The truck I removed the driveshaft from had the bed removed, so it took maybe about 10 minutes to pull the bolts out and slide it out and that was with the guy standing there bugging me the whole time. I'd have figured with a lift and press in the same shop it would have taken an hour tops.

Maybe 2 hours is standard rate for the job. Maybe Minnesota is bad for driveshaft bolts so it took longer, the ones here in Georgia had probably been in place since 91 and came out easy. Doesn't matter as long as you are happy with it.

 

[professor229]

I went back to talk to the mechanic/owner to get a quote on new exhaust on my HHR.... his quote for that was excessive and with a smile. Knowing him well enough it meant that he had more than enough work to do for quite some time. He does good work but it nearing retirement and his car wash business is booming or as he calls it, a gold mine. So he doesn't have to hustle anymore and only works three days a week now. Monday is his day to sit. answer the phone, and write down appointments. Fridays he is often closed and heading somewhere. I happened to ask him about the bolts AND the U joints and if a large beastly looking C clamp that I inherited from an estate sale, would have easily pressed out the joints and he simply said "yes" but I didn't know that at the time. I thought about jacking up one side of the Ranger, crawling under and removing the four bolts but, if I snapped one off, then what do I do? This is a seven foot box so the shaft is not easy to find and I did NOT want to get caught up with a bunch of Plan B strategies so I just bit the bullet and had it done.... I am happy with the results.... and yes, I turned down his estimate for the HHR exhaust. and instead pulled the back drivers wheel and found the problem... a heat shield had come loose... it was spot welded at the factory..... and the vibration etc. of the loose shield wore two holes in the pipe that runs above the rear axle.... I bought some Tiger Tape, rolled up a bit and shoved it in each hole and wrapped the pipe with the remainder after cleaning up the pipe.... and heated it with a heat gun instead of running the car for 20 minutes as suggested... .it did the job. This is our grocery getter and the rest of the exhaust system is in good shape..... He quoted me $500... the Tiger Tape was $8 at Walmart. My time? Well of course, priceless.......