U joint problems need help plz!!

[Newtothis87]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but I need some help. I own a 1998 ford ranger 4x4 3.0 and the u joints went bad. I tried to replace them myself and on the test drive they broke at the caps and my drive shaft fell off the truck. the u joints were moog 254 and I'm not sure what went wrong. a few things I can think of though. When installing one of the joints I noticed it took a lot of effort and heard a crack. I checked the u joint and the cap had cracked. I replaced it and went to try again but this time in the ear that receives the cap I noticed a half ring of metal sticking up like a burr as if it rolled the metal up like a shaving. reluctantly I filed it down and tried again this time the cap slipped in with no effort I could push it in by hand on one side but not the other. next when installing I noticed the marks I had make on the shaft didn't match up on the differential or the transmission. my friend turned my back wheel till they lined up on the receiving plate. then I installed everything. truck felt good as new for the first minute but the second it hit 50 a loud sound happened and the drive shaft fell out. I inspected everything and most of the caps were still on the ears but some were broken. when Buying the joints I wasn't sure of my cars model and the guys at advanced auto parts gave me two different sized u joints one for the front and one for the back. the one on the front was to small so I returned it and found that the one on the back fit better. so there it is. Maybe when I filled the ear I messed it up? or was it when I turned the differential? maybe the wrong u joints for my car? either way now I have the driveshaft in the truck bed and don't know where to go from here. I don't want to just buy new u joints and try again and fail. I need some help.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

When I first started out doing my own bearings I had a needle bearing fall over in the cup and when I pressed everything together the cap broke. It still happens that a needle bearing will fall over but now I know when to stop pressing and start over. I'm sure you will do better the second time too.
On the sliver of metal, it sounds like you forced a cap in slightly cockeyed. That may have ruined the part that holds the cap. There needs to be a slight press fit, if not it will soon waller out and break.

 

[Denisefwd93]

Look up your local automotive machine shop and take it there it will save you so much aggravation they will make it right just tell him your friend wailed a BFH on it not you.