I cant get the U-joints out of my D44 axle shafts and i think i'm gonna have someone else press em out. the shafts are out of the axle and all i need is the joints pressed out, i can install the new ones. my local shop quoted me $45.95 which sounds rediculous for 10 minutes of work. if thats the best i can find i'm gonna go ahead and build a press out of my bottle jack. Also anyone know a place in San Diego to have em done, preferably close to either Encinitas or La Jolla. thanks.

Dallas

just get a bfh and a few sockets........... then hit that some bitch

already tried the BFH technique. these are the original 1975 joints and they are in there. i just about killed my vice, then i pounded the hell out of a spark plug socket. and before you ask yes i took the c clips off.

Dallas

did you try heating them first then the bfh.

hmm good idea, i didn't think of that. will try. also think i will go ahead and build that press out of my mini bottle jack. wont cost me a cent so i might as well.

Dallas

Heating the outside causes expansion to help break the 30 years of road. Also PB Blaster seems to work for me a bunch of times when nothing else works.

Here's THE trick if the crosses are intact: (someone had a link to someone who explained this much better than I can)

First take out the clips (do i really have to say that....)

Open up your vice just enough to let the horizontal plane of the cross sit ON the vice jaws.

Now, hit the yoke (the ear that is facing up right now) with a hammer and the top most cap will pop up and out

Flip, and repeat.

I've gotten 30 year old rusty (like NE, snow ice and salt rusty) joints out easily this way.

I wouldn't fawk with the damn sockets unless I actually broke a cross (or wanted to practice).

Charly

a shop in town did all mine for @29.95 with 2 new u joints!:flipoff2: :D :smokin: :rasta:

do it like CHARLY says, it is way easy, I took apart three axles the other day in about 15 minutes this way and they were all mid 70s originals,,,,

lol...ok, maybe not 30 year old ones, but thery were early to mid 70s.

I may be out of line here but why would you pay someone to do that? If it doesn't come out get a bigger hammer.

Charly's way is the easiest way... plus soak them things in PB for a while before trying again. That stuff gots some magic in it. :D

And another thing, what kind of slimy cheap ass bastards would charge you money for something as simple as pressing out u-joints? Any shop that I have ever dealt with would have done something simple like that for free.

Get out the sawzall or grinder and cut the cross out. The rusty caps come out a lot easier one at a time. I had to do this recently with my scout front axle after beating and soaking them repeatedly

You want to pay somebody to do something you will need to do on the trail????:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Here is webdaddy's method:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/ujoint_install

it helps to glass bead them too- i'd charge ah 10$ each -Jess

If you still can't get them out with the vise and BFH and a few beers, go to Harborfreight and buy a ball joint/u-joint press. That would be better than taking them somewhere.

Originally posted by onetoncv
i'd charge ah 10$ each -Jess

Hey Jess I'm not telling you how to run your business but isn't the $10 you charge a little short sighted? If I took my one stubborn u-joint to a shop and they pressed it out for me for no charge I would definatley return there when I needed some real work done. Another example is removing a pulley from an alternator. There are a few local shops around here that will do things like that for free. I go back to them before I go back to someone who would have charged me for such a small thing. Small favours are payed off by retaining loyal customers.

I tried the heat method and it worked like a charm. Dont know why i didn't think of it, the whole expansion thing is pretty obvious. Those of you who just talked shyte about my wanting to have them pressed properly :flipoff2: and everybody with real suggestions thanks i appreciate it, thats why i come here. :) i think Jess' price sounds resonable, and its about what i expected. around here there is no such thing as a shop doin something for free. they all act like they are doin you a favor by letting you pay them to screw up your rig:rolleyes:. i guess since i live in the most car happy area of the country they will never run out of buisiness tho.

thanks again
Dallas

Originally posted by Charly
Here's THE trick if the crosses are intact: (someone had a link to someone who explained this much better than I can)

First take out the clips (do i really have to say that....)

Open up your vice just enough to let the horizontal plane of the cross sit ON the vice jaws.

Now, hit the yoke (the ear that is facing up right now) with a hammer and the top most cap will pop up and out

Flip, and repeat.

I've gotten 30 year old rusty (like NE, snow ice and salt rusty) joints out easily this way.

I wouldn't fawk with the damn sockets unless I actually broke a cross (or wanted to practice).

Charly

SnortClown showed me this method a few months ago. '74 original u-joints popped out effortlessly. I've been beating my self up with a socket and hammer for years. This method kicks ass!

Originally posted by Charly
Now, hit the yoke (the ear that is facing up right now) with a hammer and the top most cap will pop up and out


i'm kinda slow sometimes and need pictures alot of the time, when hitting the yoke in the step mentioned above is it a horizontal or vertical blow with the hammer ? thanks...

- jack

it would be vertical, the horizontal yoke keeps the cross in place, and you hammer down the vertical yoke, pushing the cap up and out.

Dallas

ok, that makes sense, just having a hard time visualizing it without having one in front of me. thanks ...

- jack

FYI @ 50 buck to do it, a Harbor Freight 12 ton press is only 100 bucks!

$1 a minute is a reasonable fee for shop labor, but I gotta agree with Paul; little, effortless jobs like this is what promotes repeat (bigger $) business.

At 10 minutes labor, you'll spend have that time invoicing the job and doing the transaction. Not even cost effective.

Doing a quick job like this could be the difference between the customer remembering you and coming to you first, or the customer not having a preference and just going anywhere.

Of course, doing 10 minute freebies all day long will run you broke in a hurry, common sense stuff here.


On topic, the method Charly posted is golden.

Originally posted by cj7jeep
If you still can't get them out with the vise and BFH and a few beers, go to Harborfreight and buy a ball joint/u-joint press. That would be better than taking them somewhere.
I got the Harbor Freight press. Best $39.95 I have spent in a long while. Makes short work of u-joints. I have as of yet found one that it couldn't handle. Nice thing is it's small enough to keep in the truck so that if you blow one on the trail you have it. about 1% the risk of having a roller get loose when trying to drive them in with a hammer and socket. I had a joint go in a CV. changed it out from start to finish in about 40minutes...That includes taking out and installing the drive shaft.

Originally posted by Paul Gagnon


Hey Jess I'm not telling you how to run your business but isn't the $10 you charge a little short sighted? If I took my one stubborn u-joint to a shop and they pressed it out for me for no charge I would definatley return there when I needed some real work done. Another example is removing a pulley from an alternator. There are a few local shops around here that will do things like that for free. I go back to them before I go back to someone who would have charged me for such a small thing. Small favours are payed off by retaining loyal customers.

Yess Paul you have a good point but look at the flip side what if it turns into a problem and takes him 25 min to do it at rates like $75 hr that is taking alot from the bottom line $10 is 1/3 or less than most shops have for a minimum I would not pay it I would do it myself but I don't think people should expect anything for free. This is just my opinion. :D

The reason shops charge something is not always because of how long it takes but the problems it can bring. If a person came in I didnt know I would charge them something so that when he comes back hes not expecting it for free everyt time.. not only that but assholes will go break it and then say its your fault! and make you install a new one and by them a Ujoint... SOME people are out to rip you off and as a buisness owner I know...

Change your joint without sockets no need.... Vice, Hammer, cole chisle... done

MIke-

I gotta put in a vote for the little Harbor Freight tool. Cracked an ear once trying to get the original joints out. Never had a problem since with this tool. Got it on sale too for $18.99. It's easier to carry on the trail than a bench vise:flipoff2:

I have a great U-joint tool for the garage or trail. It looks like a C-clamp, but one end is hollow and the other is the driving screw. It wasn't $18.95, though, it's built by Mac. I don't mind paying for good tools that work well.
Charlie

Yup, that's the same thing HB sells, comes in a little carrying case with different sized spacers. Its also used for balljoints.

Originally posted by Snowball
The reason shops charge something is not always because of how long it takes but the problems it can bring. If a person came in I didnt know I would charge them something so that when he comes back hes not expecting it for free everyt time.. not only that but assholes will go break it and then say its your fault! and make you install a new one and by them a Ujoint... SOME people are out to rip you off and as a buisness owner I know...

Change your joint without sockets no need.... Vice, Hammer, cole chisle... done

MIke-
Gee Mike, I can't imagine who it is that you're referring to???????????:)

That's a very good point Mike.
There are alot of cheating asshole out there.

If you're having trouble visualising the Charly "inertia" method, the link I posted a while back to pics of the process is on Outdoorwire.com (Jeez charly - I can't believe you didn't think of me - My name's BillaVista for a reson - I have a link for EVERYTHING!!;)

What you're doing is "springing" the yoke ears (same as you would to remove a TRE with no puller or pickel fork - don't hit the end of the tapered stud - hit the side of whatever it's pressed into) and using the inertia of the cap to your advantage.

Bill

I can overcomplicate anything:flipoff2:

Whats a reasonable price for pressing out U-joints?

a smashed finger or two.