U-Joints – Any good tips or tricks to get the da#$ caps out?

[colby450xc]

I've always used a socket just the right size to fit in the hole of the drive shaft, then pushed it through with a vise. Ive ruined a couple sockets and a couple vise doing so, but now i have a vise the size of a small microwave that must weigh 80 lbs. I think it will stand the test of time as soon as a bolt it to a work bench.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I did a left front u-joint in the woods with just enough tools, tire iron, channel locks, and three rocks.

As previously stated... Hammer and vice

 

[wahlstrom1]

Oh, and if all else fails (a vice/hammer should do it.... I do this for a living, lol) use a sawzall and cut the cross.

 

[Rolled Ranger]

As previously stated... Hammer and vice

I just did one today on the tailgate on the side of the freeway with a hammer and my leatherman. Buy a vise and large hammer always works the best.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

 

[sattech2000]

I do have a large vise and a larger hammer. As you can see from the picture I posted there is almost nothing to grab onto when it's fully pressed out. I was thinking something along the lines of tack welding something onto the cap that would adapt to a slide hammer or give a pounding surface however I like the sawzall idea. Think I'll give that a try. Just thought there might be some other unknown trick out there.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Did you press the other cap the other way then you can jog the ujoint over to tap the cap out and am I seeing that right your doing it with the driveline in the truck. Drop the driveline and work on it on a bench.

 

[sattech2000]

That's another good thought, press it one way then completely press it the other way to help get things loosened up. I know right now it's to tight of a fit to be able to tap it out.

Gonna take the sawzal approach and see how quickly/easily that works out then go from there. If that's dosn't work i'll probably tack weld a bolt to the cap and grip that with vise grips to beat em out.

It's defiantly on the bench. To much crap on my main workbench so that's a set of sawhorses with a piece of plywood. Actually works good for this stuff.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far guys!

Cheers!

 

[F8LBITE]

Hammer and a vise, hands down is the best way to get them out.

This is how I always did it as well. I opened up the vise wide enough to set it on there just like it's pictured and whack next to the cap with a decent size hammer. Once that cap is off spin it 180 and do the same. Then you set the cap less ends of the u joint on top of the vise and repeat.