Wounded but still doing it's job.

[Sycostang67]

I learned I cant do any of this. I cant for the life of me remove the u-joints or the carrier bearing. If I had a press I might be able to do the u-joints but cant get them to budge at all. I looked at the carrier bearing but soon realized my replacement wasn't going to fit even if I did get the old one off. At least I have the shafts out and can take them in. Thankfully I am employed full time starting next week so I can afford to have the work done. I've been working 4 days a month but they offered me a part time(3 days a week) depot driver position then the full time guy lost his license so they gave his route to me.

 

[david85]

Never had to do a carrier bearing, but I've done U joints all the time using some well sized sockets, a strong bench mounted vice and a 5lb hammer. Sometimes a torch is needed for added diplomacy to loosen things up but so far I never encountered a U joint that wouldn't talk after about 5 minutes.

If you wanted you could probably just drive the tuck on the front axle and have the drive shaft done at the shop. Don't know if you are going to save much for the removal and installation but its just a thought.

 

[Sycostang67]

Stupid slip yoke on the back of the BW1356 prevents driving on the front shaft. I already have both halfs of the shaft out so I'll take them in. I'll just drive the stang or the jeep until it's fixed.

 

[Alex S]

for what its worth and how cheap they are go and get a u-joint C-clamp

F$$ing around with sockets and a vice just gets frustrating quickly, the clamp makes easy work of removing u joints and if you have an impact gun it can be done in 10 min (I've done it)

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[bike-maker]

I used to rebuild drive shafts. Used a bench vise with some custom machined cylindrical pieces for the U-joints, but a well picked socket is dang near just as effective. As for the carrier bearing, do as Mel suggested and attack it with a cutoff wheel. Get down to where only the inner race is left. Chop as close to all the way through the inner race as you can without going through it and hitting the drive shaft. Then take a big, sharp cold chisel, put it in the slot you just made with the cutoff wheel, and smack the sucker with a hammer. Bearing races are hard as hell, but they're also brittle; a couple good smacks with a hammer and chisel will crack it, then it will just fall off. This works for just about any bearing that has been pressed on.

 

[Sycostang67]

I have a bench vise but it doesn't quite open far enough to fit the drive shaft and a socket.

I changed the u-joints on my sisters 98 blazer, they were sealed to the shafts with plastic. I had to use a torch to melt it so the joints would come out. I was also at my uncles shop and he had a torch and a hydraulic press available. He's currently indisposed after having some vertebrae fused so that isn't an option right now.

 

[Sycostang67]

Got it buttoned up yesterday, new heavy duty(made in USA) u-joints and carrier bearing and then balanced it. Different style of u-joint than I am used to, the grease fitting is in the end cap instead of the body. You need a grease needle to fill them so I will have to pick one up. No more squeaks or vibrations now.