Opinions on fixing up a 1989 Cherokee Laredo 4x4

Paul,

Use a hammer on your screwdriver to get under the clip and lift it enough to grab it with pliers to pull it out. Lay the long shaft yoke on a block of wood with the short shaft yoke holding the joint ends vertical and not touching the wood. Pound on the short shaft yoke really hard with a big hammer until the joint cap starts to protrude. Pull the cap with vise grips. Invert and repeat. Then use a punch or bar directly on the cap to pound the joint free of the long shaft yoke.

You gotta hit hard. If it gives you any trouble anywhere along the way, heat it with a butane torch.

Steve

Paul wrote:

Jerry,

Sage advice for a drive shaft yoke, but I think he's working on the front axle shaft joints here.

Steve

Jerry Bransford wrote:

Oops. :)

Jerry

Big hammer time. I take a hammer and small screw driver to get the inside clip out.

I then lay the axle on something solid like a brick and use an old 3/4" socket and hammer. I put the socket on the cap of the u-joint and hit it 'hard'. Sometimes I use vise grips to hold onto the socket so it doesn't bounce away.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Paul wrote:

I was able to get the clips off and pound out the ujoint with a hammer but the seized up bearing caps refuse to come out. I have the shaft in two pices but can not get the ujoint out of the outer axle shaft. I will continue to pound and pull.

Paul

Everything is apart. The seized bearing caps were awfully difficult to remove. I got a chisel and hammer and started to smash. First the ring where the rubber gasket used to be fell off and then the cap finally started to move, slowly. Eventually rusted pin bearings started to shoot out and finally the caps fell off. The seized caps and bearing were pretty much rusted to hell. On one cap the bearing were rusted into one big mass. On the other the bearings were basically dust by the time I finished with them.

I spent a little time clean off some rust, tomorrow I will try to reinstall everything.

So far this job has taken about 15 hours. I guess that's what happens when a u-joint lasts 15 years. If everything works out well I will probable do the other side and the driveshaft u-joints. Now that I know what I am doing it should be easier. Plus I have the sacrificial bolt, and the other one is not seized which should help.

NOTE And if anyone else has to do this job and is doing research listen to the above posts. A big hammer (15 pound sledge) and the sockets are the way to go.

NOTE For a seized u-joint, use a chisel to get in between the bearing cap and yoke, where the rubber gasket is. Wedge the chisel in that crack. Keep working up to bigger and bigger chisels forcing the cap away from the yoke. It will slowly pull away, I kept spraying liquid wrench into the gaps that form.

Paul

Hammers, sockets and chisels are great, but not designed for this type of job. And there could be flying metal that can scratch an eye even with good safety glasses on. That doesn't feel good either!!!!

What is wrong with a proper tool?

$29.99 and here is a ball joint tool that should work $39.99 and another bj tool $59.99

Sometimes these tools go on sale!

I just replaced the left one on my 88 XJ and might redo the right side again (replaced in May 2001). I have to remember to grease them with a gun more often. lol Yes I know the ones that are greaseable are not as strong as the non-greaseable ones. :-) I wonder if synthetic grease is that much better? Probably yes!

JMHO later, dave AKA vwdoc1

There is no tool that I know of or that you showed me that would take off a bearing cap that was seized on. The tools you showed are to push the u-joint through the yoke which was not my problem. Yes they you have replaced the sledge hammer but I am not about to wait for these tools to be delivered when everyone says they can do it with a hammer quickly and for free.

Like I said the chisel was the only way I could think of to get those caps off. I guess I should have recommended wearing glasses when doing this like I was. If somebody is doing this job I expect they have a little common sense.

Has anyone else had seized bearing caps? How have you gotten them off the u-joint?

I would also recommend changing the u-joints before they seize up.

I was going to replace the caliper pins because the hex area was rounded but I can not find the exact same pins. The auto parts places are trying to give me a replacement part that has a socket end instead of the hex end. Anyone have a suggestion?

Paul

You are right and no tool is going to take the place of a BFG on rusted caps or a lot of other Jeep parts. LOL!

If the caliper slide bolts are the same diameter as the hex ones, then I would go with them. Those allen key holes are trouble when worn out.

Be wary though, I saw one supposed Jeep 'mechanic' put a set on a friends and they were way smaller which allows his caliper to rattle around. I think that is extremely dangerous, but he hasn't sheared one off yet, soo 'maybe' it's ok, but...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Paul wrote:

OK OK you win! BFH it is then! lol Just be safe and use your common sense.

I just did my XJ's Left Side U-Joint, but I used my 20 ton press. I actually thought those tools from Harbor Freight would have made it easier, but according to you guys maybe not. I have heard of people using a good vise clamp, but maybe that was just for installation. I'll save my money and not buy one of them either, unless someone wants me to try them out! The tools I provided links for should allow you to push the u-joint so that one cap is almost push out of the yoke, then push the u-joint the other way and push the other cap through the yoke. One tool description says "Remove even the most stubborn U-joint with ease" At least that is what I think it should do! :-)