school me on u joints.

[swynx]

We have a billion thread on u joints. I feel like an idiot posting this. With that said

I'm going to be replacing u joint soon. Never done them before. I searched Google and came up with some posts that had shoddy pics. I was waiting on dinner to boil so I figured id go to a u joint out of my old driveshaft. See how they work. Pretty simple. Got it out then figured lets put it back in.

I couldn't get he clip on 1 of 2 sides. And it moved freely in one direction but not the other. Is this due to old used parts or did I do something wrong?

Used a combination of a screw driver, a 2.5 lbs mini sledge, a socket and my c press.

Also someone said for the mud 297x is Bette than 760x because there regreasable. I know that the latter is stronger.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

You let one of the needle bearings fall over in the cap which prevents the caps from fully seating. You can break a cap or needle trying to get it back out sometimes. I'd suggest YouTube

 

[BLOODBANE]

Ive always found a good bench mounted vice is the easiest way to do U-Joints. Open the jaws enough to fit the caps into (yoke ears fit on top of the jaws), drive the old caps out. Close the vice and set the cap on the vice with one ear above it set the cap, turn over and set your other cap ( a little grease will keep the needle bearings in place). Use your old caps to set the depth of the caps for your clips. Sometimes a press can help if you cant get them seated enough. When your done take a hammer and whack the sides of the yoke. This has always seemed to free the joint up for me (learned this trick from a guy that had his own shop). If they still dont move or act like they bind, remove the caps and start over....

 

[brinker88]

Here's how I've always done universal joints. By far the easiest way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmWVbiHmJkI

 

[Mac]

I've always used two sockets and a vice. Big socket to catch the cap on one side and a smaller one to push the opposite side.
Dave

 

[ab_slack]

I think there is one important point adsm08 referenced it in another thread

Don't use a press or a clamp to drive the joints out. Lay them on a vise and hit the horizontal shaft at the weld to drive the vertical cap down, then tap them back in. Presses and clamps bend the ears, then the end of the cap blows out when you try to put it together.

What I take from this is if you use a press, clamp or other similar means which puts the force between the ears (such as a large socket on one side and hammer a small socket on the other) the ears bend in slightly in. That would make it hard to get the clips on without compressing the end caps hard into the joint and ain't going to be reliable.

The vid brinker posted looks like a good one.

 

[swynx]

Thanks guys! I figured it was the needle bearings. Also I wasn't real gentle as I have 3 more. I wasn't sure if once you put them in if you could take them out. Because they are press fit.