hey guys i need to replace the u joints on my drive shaft. i have a 95 f-150. ive never done u joints before, could someone give me some insight on how to do it or point me to a thread that explains it? thanks!

 

its not hard at all. if you have tools.

its pretty basic to do. birng now the drive shaft, remove the joints and install the new ones.

 

I bought a ball joint press kit at a discount tool store for 50$, perfect for u-joints. That or you if you have a large vice on a workbench, you can use an oversized socket and one the same size as the bearing cup and press them out that way.

 

okay! so for getting them out, i just remove the clips, and take a socket that is the right size and pound on one end till the cup on the opposite end falls out, then just do it the other way?? and what is the needle bearings i keep hearing about.

 

Needle nose pliers, a big socket, and a hammer. That'll get 'em out lol. Hit the socket with the hammer and it'll break loose and come out with enough hitting

 

so what is the needle bearings? ive read some articles that say be careful for them and dont break or lose them, so what are they?? and in your opinion, should i put grease able u joints in or just the solid ones??

ive been told that since i am using the truck to pull hay wagons and other heavy equipment to use solid ones because they are stronger or something...

 

A u joint is a pretty simple piece. Buy one somewhere to familiarize yourself and it won't seem so mysterious. The center cross piece is usually hollow with a grease fitting. There are 4 end caps. Often they are 2 different sizes so they only fit one way. The needle bearings are in the end caps ( or cups ) and allow the cups to ride on the cross piece. They are simply little hardened pieces of steel rod they are held in place with grease. If you drop the cup when its off the cross piece they can fall out of place and because they are about the size of a 1/2" needle you may loose some. If one is missing the u joint will turn lopsided because it rides on the bearings. The bearings are generally what fails in the u joint . That's why it wiggles. Usually they didn't get lubrication regularly and they grind instead of spinning smoothly and turn to dust. At a good 4wd parts store or maybe a tractor supply you can find heavy duty joints that are solid in the center for extra torque strength. The grease fittings are on the end of each cap so you must be careful to fill each one when servicing instead of just the center. I recommend using a vice, press or a ball joint, u-joint tool instead of a hammer. You are less likely to loose or damage the bearings with the right tools. Also you can bend the yoke out of shape banging on a tough joint with a big hammer. Most parts stores loan them. The yoke and the shaft are balanced at the factory. Before you remove the joint , mark the shaft and yoke. It's not a bad idea to have a machine shop rebalance it for about $20, although its not as important at low speeds if it just a field truck. On the road over 30 mph you will notice an imbalance. Finally make sure you lube the joints regularly especially after heavy rain mud or snow. Use a high impact bearing grease. I like synthetic marine grade bearing lube because it won't wash out.

 

One thing you can run into is that the bearing cups are rusted into the yoke. In a case like that you're better off to cut out the X with either a torch or metal cutting blade mounted into a skill saw. A grinder would work too.

That way instead of trying to press out two rusted cups you're taking them one at a time and applying half the force.

It's a lot easier on the yoke that way.

 

i see, so im going to be pulling hay wagons and trailers with this truck, it doesnt have grease able u's in it now but i was thinking about putting them in, are the grease able ones weaker than the ones that arent grease able??

 

As nearly as i can remember i've always bought the NAPA extra strength U -joints. Did the job once and never had to replace them again for as long as i owned the vehicle.

Same thing if you went to rockauto.com

You pay a little bit more for a professional grade part but it's worth it.

As for grease fittings vs "permanently lubricated".?

I would rather be under the truck hitting all of the grease points every three months. The synthetic marine grade that Warlock mentioned is probably the best. We've been using it on our heavy equipment for years and it holds up under conditions where almost any other grease will run out.

Permanently lubricated is better for the average driver that spends little or no time doing maintenance & upkeep. They hold up all right but once the seals deteriorate part failure is not far off. They have to be replaced more often than a greaseable part that's been well cared for.