The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Universal Joint removal

Hey all, another stupid question if you have time. I replaced my motor and trans, and I had to disconnect my drive train to do this. I wanted to re-connect everything, and cant without removing the rear u-joint. I disconnected the rear u joint u bolts to put the front on and got the front re-attached. so now you guessed it, the rear wont go on. it appears I need to remove the u joint to get the driveshaft yoke to slide into the rear end yoke. love to hear a way to get this together w/o taking the u-joint apart, but if theres no way, can some one give me the skinny on taking apart the u-joint while its on the driveshaft? does it totally need to be re-assembled? btw, it has the outside exposed clips. thanks in advance.

You can easily remove the 2 caps that attach to the rear end yoke. Just slide them off & mark them so they go back on the same end of the trunnion. Then you can pry the shaft to the yoke & put the caps back on. If it has a center bearing you can loosen it up or take it loose to get the shaft in position.

I removed the u bolts nuts that held on the u-joint to the rear axle yoke. the axle seperates then and comes apart. not that its time to re-attach, it doesnt slide back together. looks to me like the u-joint ends need to be removed. how do the caps come off? you drive them through w/ a socket and hammer? this u joint seems to be shaped like an x to me so is there is a way to take a center part out of it? I have tried every angle I can think of and I cant see how to get the yokes to slide together without getting the u joint out of the way. i looked on google for instructions too and if the u joint actually does have hammer out ends, when you do that and fit it back together w/ the yoke etc. in the way, how do you hammer them back in?

Im not following. First tell what you have. 4 speed w/2 piece driveshaft? You can take the u-joimt apart but it shouldn't be nessesary. It would be difficult if not impossible to put it together under the truck.

4 speed w/ 2 piece driveshaft, yes this is what I have. I have loosened the center part hanging from under the cab to have a little more play room. the rear of the driveshaft is disconnected from the rear axle. this is the part I cant get re-attached.I am thinking I shouldnt have to take the u joint apart, but cant figure out (as easy as it sounds ) to fit the yokes back together w/ the u joint in the way. i have slid the front of the driveshaft back into the rear of the trans, and bolted it up. I have not removed the spline part of the driveshaft from the shaft hanger at the back of the cab. the only place I am dis-connected is the very rear at the rear axle.

are you trying to install the driveshaft with the wheels on the ground?, try jacking up the truck leaving the wheels and axle off the ground hanging that should give you clearance....make sure the
frame is on jackstands....

i know its confusing to describe. the rear axle front has a yoke. the drive train axle has a yoke. they would slide together if the u joint was not in the way. without removing the u joint, can it be slid together? I cant find a way even though I get close.

Jack up the rear of the frame, and let the rear axle hang down. If you're supporting the weight of the vehicle with the axle tubes, or the weight of the the truck is on the tires, the shaft will be at its shortest point. With the rear end hanging down, the distance gets longer. Only an inch or two, but just enough to make the shaft fit.
Jerry

56 Stepside,
The Wrench is correct. Try to give years, model, and further part desciptions (56Stepside, hmmm?). Anyway, is it long short wheelbase. It helps. For instance I will follow with trick for single piece u joint. If there is two piece to your drive shaft you may need to drop carrier bearing.

Maybe try this before removing the caps as the Wrenchbender suggests.
Make sure truck wheels are chocked and trans is in neutral. You should be able to hold the u joint caps on with one hand while pushing up and rotating the drive shaft with the other. You should only have to rotate it about 90 degrees. You too should have some fore and aft play with the tail of the trans and the drive shaft yoke too. Even if this rotating trick works you will still have to push the shaft aft ; ) to place the uj caps in thier pinion yoke cradle. THis is a trick to as the u bolts are long enough to require the drive shaft pushed forward to clear enough to insert into the pinion yoke, or inststalled prior.
This is assuming you have a single piece drive shaft and the rear u joint to pinion yoke.
I am not a big fan of removing those caps... once one of those needle bearings lies down inside there, the u joint wont fit it's in it's yoke cradle. It can be done and is sometimes necessary, but never been optimal for me.
One last thought... if the truck is lowered, your trans tal and drivve shaft slip will be reduced. In this case jack up the rear on the frame and let the diffy hang loose. This might give you some more fore and aft movement.
you should press and hammer only if replacing the joint.
I think there is a picture of my drive shaft install on the rear end stuff of my fliker site.
If there is two piece to your drive shaft you may need to drop carrier bearing.

Hope it helps,
Brett
Brett

Wow! Is there a spell and grammer check availble here or are we on our own and others subject to our literature abuse?
Cavebull

Hey all, its a 56 3/4 ton long bed stepside w/ a 4 speed trans. it is on jackstands at the axles on all 4 corners

just noticed 58gmcnut said jack stands on the frame, would this give the small amount of play i need to slide it in there and not jack around w/ u joints or carrier bearings?

how many pieces on drive shaft, one or two? If it is one you should have some play fore n aft. At least 1/2 inch...this with swivel of the joint, should be all you need.
I have only replaced two piece shafts on late models so do not want to presume I have an answer for earlier model.

Brett

Yes, you need to let the rear end hang down, as at least three of us have mentioned. That stretches out the distance from the carrier bearing to the yoke, as the driveshaft forms the hypotneuse of a right triangle.
Jerry

Guess I will let the rear hang down "as at least three people have mentioned"
Ignorance can be fixed.... stupid is forever??
wow, I am truly thrilled I took the time to ask my question

Sorry if that remark was offensive, but it seemed the message wasn't getting through. The reason there's a slip yoke is so the driveshaft can change length as the rear end travels through its arc set by the length of the springs. On the oldtime closed driveline, the spring perches had hinges built into them to allow the same type of motion.
Jerry

Sometimes the answers get too technical and you miss the answer in the translation.....

Thanx 58gmc, most times the answers get to technical for me. ive been on the site for a long time now, and I notice now and then you get an answer from someone who doesnt remember there was a time they didnt know everything.

I hope that you got it together. It can be confusing to readers when you mauy leave out details or don't understand what is being said. one shouldn't have to drop the rear axle to get a ujoint in if everything is properly there.
ou state that you took the eng and trans out. did you put the same thing back in to start with so that one knows that everything is the same lenght.if you are taking out the motor and trans you should drop the d/shaft before you do so; just makes it simpler as it has to come out anyway
you should have a slip yoke on the front of the d/shaft. you push that all the way in. next you install the rear ujoint. you should have to pull the d/shaft back in order to install the rear joint at this point.( there should be about 3/4-1" freeplay with the front yoke[spline]) In other word when the driveshaft i all bolted together and installed there should be that much, 3/4-1" free space for that front yoke to move forward into the back of the trans. then bolt in the centr support carrier and bearing and you should be able to go. if you do not remove the centre support you are restricted in forward movemnt in order to get that ujoint into the rear flange.
I think that you did mention that you said that there was a centre brg so that anyone that read it and responded should have automatcally known that you had a 2 piece d/shaft.
you may have changed trans and this may have an effect on the length of d/shaft
people cannot really offer advice unless you give the info to what you have done as they start speculating as to what you have done and then it really gets confusing. most of the time it appears that the blind are leading the blind.
ron