U-Joint Replacement

[RoGuE]

My dad brought his Suburban for an emissions check and a free brake check, and when they had it lifted up they did a complimentary inspection. They noticed the u-joint was coming apart and my dad had mentioned a rubbing noise at certain speeds, and they said that the u-joint was a possible culprit. They also said it could possible break away if it wasn't fixed soon. They quoted him for $155 to replace it (this is an oil change shop that has a small garage on the side).

Is this is an easy job to do? It seems to be held on by c clips, but I don't don't what is entirely involved with dropping the drive shaft.



This is a pic of the damaged end of the u joint. The opposite side of the joint (but still on the same "fork" for lack of a better term) is also cracked looking.

 

[motorguy222]

A basic u-joint is usually held by some type of clip.If you just change the joint and dont pull the drive shaft out,it should be a somewhat easy job.I say somewhat because things happen.

 

[Eddie]

I usually find I need a press or large vice to dissemble a U-joint. I also usually remove the drive shaft but, before I do, I carefully mark the pieces so it goes back together the same way. I do this to preserve the balance. You also need a plug to seal the AT opening when you remove the shaft so ATF doesn't leak out.

 

[Texan4Life]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
I usually find I need a press or large vice to dissemble a U-joint. I also usually remove the drive shaft but, before I do, I carefully mark the pieces so it goes back together the same way. I do this to preserve the balance. You also need a plug to seal the AT opening when you remove the shaft so ATF doesn't leak out.


+1 to getting it out in the open where you can work on it. When putting in new needle bearings I recommend coating them with grease to help them stick and not fall off during reassembly.

 

[hsd]

Not familiar with Suburbans, but most newer driveshafts do not have replaceable U-joints. They are pressed in and swaged vs using removable clips. A good driveshaft shop can usually machine the yokes to use standard U-joints and clips.

 

[Herz]

If the Burb is like my Sierra, you need to melt out the plastic stuff, only if they are OEM ones.

Dropping the shaft is quite simple, Mark the shaft so you install it in the same position as before. Should be 4 bolts at the rear near the diff, undo them. Push the drive shaft towards the transmission a little untill it drops. Then pull it out of the transmission, note any damage to the yoke, i like to iron wool the yoke so it is nice and shiny, thats all thats involved in dropping the shaft.

Now is a good time to replace the rear tailshaft seal, it costs like 14 bucks at the dealer and is super easy to replace.

 

[mechtech2]

Some have clips, and some have plastic used as retainers. You have to torch them to melt it out.

CLEAN the holes really well, and lube them. A bench vice with a socket works great for assembly. when it is together with the new clips, tap with a hammer all around . It helps seat and relax things. You can have a tight U-joint loosen up properly by doing this.

 

[RoGuE]

I may be getting in over my head here with all this talk of having to plug up the transmission, bench vices, torches... I was under the impression that you simply dropped one end of the shaft a couple of inches, knocked out the old u joint, replace and done...

Let me ask this, how much will the replacement parts altogether be? Also, am I under a tight time constraint here according to what the pic in my first post showed? Can any permanent or severe damage occur while I try to figure out everything that needs to be done?

 

[MarkM66]

The caps press in, so I really don't think you can do it while the drive shaft is still under the vehicle. I'm sure there's a youtube vid on it.

Does the ds bolt to the trans or is it a slip yoke?

I've pulled many driveshafts, and if the vehicle is level, fluid doesn't come out, or very minimal, so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[fdcg27]

They don't typically come apart that easily.
The driveshafts I have had to replace u-joints on had the cups as a tight press fit in the yoke, and used snap rings to retain the cups, although the cups fit tightly enough in the yoke that the snap rings seemed a little redundant.
You will not get things back together without using a bench vice.
I doubt that you could get the cups back in with a hammer, and you really don't want the blows of the hammer to knock all of the 150,000 or so little needle bearings all over the garage floor, since you then get to find all of them, clean them, grease them, and start over.
The u-joints I have had to replace were not hard jobs, but did require attention to detail and patience.
Driveshaft removal itself is a piece of cake, and they aren't even that heavy.

 

[mechtech2]

I would not drive the vehicle on the street.
Maybe drive it into the garage, or something like that.

 

[RoGuE]

I was going to consider bringing it into the shop I mentioned earlier that was going to charge $155, but they had mentioned to my dad how easy it would be to do and they just have to pop off the old one and put the new one in. But based on what has been said in this thread, it seems like it's a little more involved than that. A few local dealers gave a quote at approximately $250 or so. Does that seem like a typical price for the job?

I normally do this stuff myself and learn, like when I changed the diff fluid, trans fluid, oil changes, etc., but I don't want to end up getting to a point of no return and having to have it towed...Unless maybe I'm thinking it's a lot harder than it actually is...

Edit: The investment of tools has me worried too, such as the bench vice. Could something such as a C-clamp be used instead?

 

[mechtech2]

You can take it off the car pretty easily.
If you can not replace the U joint, then you can bring the shaft/parts to a shop.
Still way less than having them do the whole thing.

 

[The_Eric]

I hate to say it, but I think you're a bit unprepared for this task. It is an easy job for someone who has done the work before and has the tools, but for someone who doesn't have the afore mentioned knowledge and equipment, I suggest you let the shop handle it. If you get carried away, you can bend the yoke of the drive shaft, then you may need a new one...

If this is the type of thing you wish to try (in the future) I suggest you buy some basic tools and equipment and continue to read (learn) and try progressively bigger projects.

 

[RoGuE]

The more I think about it, the more I think I agree. Also, I'm busy with school and work, and the fact that it isn't my car and it isn't always at home makes it even more difficult. The timing is the bigger problem than the ambition to do it. I love fixing things myself knowing it's done right.

What would a reasonable price be for this repair? From a dealer for example.

 

[mechtech2]

Also consider a rear trans seal at this time.
The shaft is out, and is easy to change. The part is about $10

 

[RoGuE]

wow, I called a few dealers and they all wanted close to $300 to fix it. The small shop (Express Oil Change if you have it in your state, typically located in the southeast it seems) wanted $165. I inquired about the rear trans seal and was quoted $60 at the dealer.

Something else I was wondering about, would it be a good idea to have both u joints replaced at the same time?

 

[mattd]

replace both joints in the shaft, yes. silly not to.

Have the job professionally done. If you've never done it, you will have a very hard time, especially without proper tools. You need a bench/vise, torches, a big hammer and small hammer, and a socket to put the new cups in. screwdriver/pick/punch if the U joints use C clips or other sort of clip. If not, torches to melt the plastic. Enjoy the smell.

Plus sockets/wrenches/etc to remove D/S from vehicle.

 

[Steve S]

It shouldn't be super expensive to have the u joints replaced there is a drive line shop I use that doesn't charge much more than doing the job your self to the point of just bringing the drive line in and having then do it . Get a price quote . especially if the u joints are glued in.

 

[scott37300]

U joints are really easy to do and fairly fail safe if you want to try it yourself. You also don't need any special tools besides a ball joint press which most auto stores will rent for free. http://www.advanceautoparts.com/1/1/5351...art-940579.html

Here is a youtube video of how to use the press, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd1z5J_l-yw. It shows using an impact gun but a 1/2" ratchet should work good. Just pull the drive shaft, usually only 4 bolts. Lots of them are 12mm and 12pt socket so a 6 point socket won't work. So you might have to buy a 12 pt socket of the correct size if you don't have one. Most wrenches are 12 point and will work also. Once the driveshaft is out then just set it on a bench or ground and set the press up and go to work. One thing to watch out for is the plastic caps, if yours has them they need to be melted out first, can't press them out until the plastic is melted.

My public library has alldata for free use. It's a great repair manual online for all vehicles. Just print out what you need and your good to go. Pretty much the same thing as the factory repair manuals.

In my opinion if you are interested in learning then this is fairly simple to do and like mentioned if you get stuck or don't feel confident then just take the shaft you have out to a shop to put the new ones in. My guess would be 20 bucks to press the old ones out and new ones in if you already have the shaft out and have the new parts.