98 tahoe 4WD U joint replacement

[sloppydrippins]

I'm trying to replace the u joints in my 98 tahoe 4wd 4dr. Getting a rumble/vibration at about 50 mph and up. I've got a crappy Chilton book I'm trying to go by, the trouble is I'm not sure which type I have. After removing the driveshaft from the vehicle, the two opposing ends of the cross have the snapring on them and I can see those are needed for the straps to hold the whole thing in place. What I can't decipher are what type the other two are in the same cross, pressed into the yoke. I know there's an injection-molded setup that you can remove by heating the caps up with a torch. The replacement u joints I bought are straight up snapring units. I know how to get those to go back in, but I was hoping that by including the following pics someone could verify that they ARE indeed the injection molded type I would just need to heat them up to get them out.

 

[wicked2000]

have you tried hammering one end pushing the u joint all the way to one side. Then the top piece will come out. When the top piece comes out then hammer back in getting the whole joint to come out. I believe thats how it comes out.

 

[1weasel]

Yeah, those are the ones with the plastic pins in them. Heat them up and beat them out.

 

[sloppydrippins]

ima do it.

What I tried first was to put the yoke in my big ol' bench vise with a 30mm socket on one side and a 13mm on the other. Unfortunately it didn't move at all, which was my first suspicion they may be the injection-molded type. I used a torch to heat up the caps and got the funk out. Unfortunately, even after I did that I still can't get the joint out of the yoke. After the cap got hot enough, all the stuff came out or I assume it was all of it since it puked out and then stopped coming. I figured it would now be loose enough to move, but with all my beating and using the vice I've gotten nowhere.

 

[newmarketeod]

Just did mine, you gotta beat them pretty good to get them out of there. But be careful or you will bend the ears on your driveshaft and have a long day

 

[sloppydrippins]

49 views, 4 replies

A local machine shop switched out the u joints in my shaft for $20.00. I love doing the work myself, but this one was a no-brainer. Thanks to those of you that actually gave me some feedback, though.

 

[ravingmadman]

Dude, major win. Nicely done. I normally rent the tool from schuck's that is a big C-clamp with a 1/2" drive on it, and jump on it with my breaker bar to get the little buggers out. Nicely done.