Why is it everything I touch turns to S***!---U-Joints

Papageof · Aug 7, 2004

I am trying to change my u-joints since i had them, they clunk, and I was bored. Well, the stupid bolts won't come off the driveshaft. I have used my impact gun (all be it a cheap one) up to 125psi with no luck. Very nearly stripped one too. They just won't come out. So I tried to drive the u-joint out of the yolk on the axle end and pull it that way... No luck (yes, I pulled out the snap rings). You know for a car that is so "easy" to work on these cars are a pain sometimes. So then, I stopped for lunch, and I put the ?spaggeteos? in the microwave and it dies.

Anyone have some miracle that will help me here. I need u-joints changed and a microwave.

HISSIN50 · Aug 7, 2004

yep, those two issues suck. make sure you have a high quality 12 point 12 mm socket for the DS bolts. some guys (Jrichker) will push on the wrench with their leg for leverage. i can just push them free with a 3/8 ratchet (one time being a big guy is nice).
when that fails, i like to whack the wrench with a 4# hammer. it breaks things free nice - and you can see if you are stripping (something you cant accurataly assess with impact tools).

for getting joints out while the DS is on the car (how i do it), a press really helps. ive bent up several 6 inch C clamps doing them. AZ loans a ball joint press, that might fit and work (really heavy duty C clamp).
alternatively, you can use a socket just smaller than the end caps on the Ujoint, as a drift. whack away with a 4# hammer (one of my favorite tools, if you did not notice. ).

soaking the end caps in PB might help a little.

good luck.

Papageof · Aug 7, 2004

Yeah, I read a post you made a while back about this, I was really just venting. I am letting it soak and i will go back and try the wrench. I dindn't even think to try that cause i am so small i figure if the gun can't get it, no way i will. Thanks for your response though.

cardudeusa · Aug 7, 2004

If yours are anything like mine were, the ONLY thing that is going to work will be a propane torch. They have Loctite on them and you have to heat the whole bolt up for about 15-30 seconds. Try not to catch any oil or gas lines on fire that wouldn't be good. I also try to keep the flame away from the pinion seal, I didn't feel like replacing that because I melted it. If you don't have a torch they sell them at most parts stores for $10-15. You may still have to double wrench one or two of them, but trust me a heat them up and they will come out.

Papageof · Aug 7, 2004

I ended up getting them out after all. I only spent all day on this. I didn't even get my oil changed I had to double wrench them allright... I had to use a 1.25" wrench as a cheater to do it. That thing is nearly 2 feet long and i still had a hard time. Oh well, clunking is gone, as am I. To bed that is. Good night everyone and thanks for your help.

89MustangGX · Aug 8, 2004

cardudeusa said:
If yours are anything like mine were, the ONLY thing that is going to work will be a propane torch. They have Loctite on them and you have to heat the whole bolt up for about 15-30 seconds. Try not to catch any oil or gas lines on fire that wouldn't be good. I also try to keep the flame away from the pinion seal, I didn't feel like replacing that because I melted it. If you don't have a torch they sell them at most parts stores for $10-15. You may still have to double wrench one or two of them, but trust me a heat them up and they will come out.

I agree -- that's the way I do mine every time -- they alwasy come right out. Don't forget to put Loctite back on them!

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

HISSIN50 said:
whack away with a 4# hammer (one of my favorite tools, if you did not notice. ).

Down at the shop we called that one "The Ford Hammer". Then there was the 10# sledge in the corner we called "The Emergency Ford Hammer". Can you tell we didn't really like Fords? Kinda silly, since they made up 80% of our business

I did my U's the easy way: took out my DS, sent it to OverlandDriveshaft, and had them do change them for $35 and spin balance it. That way if anything get's F'd up it's their fault. I don't screw around with aluminum DS's.

timewarped1972 · Aug 8, 2004

a torch, a hammer, penetrating oil, a breaker bar, and, a good woman.......
let me explain, when all else fails, your pissed, greasy, tired, hungry, you need a sweet woman to come out and say " why don't i make you a nice spaghetti dinner? " ( solves the microwave dilema ) and while she's makin you a nice dinner you heat them bolts with a torch and whack them with that hammer a few times, then put some penetrating oil on them. go in and have that wonderfull dinner, and go back out and take another whack at it. if that doesnt work, try more penetraing oil, go back inside and have that wonderfull woman entertain you for a few hours while it soaks in ( the penetrating oil ), and after that, if they wont come loose, you won't care, you'll be exausted, you'll sleep like a rock and awaken refreshed so you can tackle it the next day.......lol.....sorry i'm in a mood today.....but seriously, big breaker bar and lettem soak for awhile....penetrating oil sometimes takes awhile to really loosen them up if their rusted.......and the heat from the torch should hopefully cook any loc-tite.

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

I'd still rather pay someone else to do it better, faster, and cheap cheap cheap. Then, rather than spending the day beating my head against it getting dirty and sweaty, I can spend it making money elsewhere, or jumping my wife. This is too inexpensive to be worth the trouble, doing it yourself to save money is like driving two states over to buy gas for ten cents a gallon less.

Idwitheld-1` · Aug 8, 2004

stangbear427 said:
I'd still rather pay someone else to do it better, faster, and cheap cheap cheap. Then, rather than spending the day beating my head against it getting dirty and sweaty, I can spend it making money elsewhere, or jumping my wife. This is too inexpensive to be worth the trouble, doing it yourself to save money is like driving two states over to buy gas for ten cents a gallon less.

Yes, agreed, but what if you have only one car? I rememeber once I walked 4 miles to nappa for a mech. fuel pump because I moved to a town where I knew no one. You do what you have to do to get it done!

How can the microwave help out your car problem?

1. Jack the back of car up as high as you can go.
2. Place wrench on DS bolt head.
3. Place microwave under car such that the end of the wrench will contact the top corner of microwave. (pay attention to the wrench orientation- we want a loosening setup)
4. slowly lower car and wrench. The weight of the car pressing the wrench against the microwave should loosen the bolt. 3600 pound torque wrench.

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

I musta asked for that one...

Papageof · Aug 8, 2004

Don't think that didn't occur to me!

Idwitheld-1` said:
Yes, agreed, but what if you have only one car? I rememeber once I walked 4 miles to nappa for a mech. fuel pump because I moved to a town where I knew no one. You do what you have to do to get it done!

How can the microwave help out your car problem?

1. Jack the back of car up as high as you can go.
2. Place wrench on DS bolt head.
3. Place microwave under car such that the end of the wrench will contact the top corner of microwave. (pay attention to the wrench orientation- we want a loosening setup)
4. slowly lower car and wrench. The weight of the car pressing the wrench against the microwave should loosen the bolt. 3600 pound torque wrench.

Papageof · Aug 8, 2004

One other question. I drove the car around today and noticed a vibration in the shifter around 80mph that I don't think was there before. I unfourtunately couldn't get my tourque wrench on the bolts, do you think they are too loose? I poped them with the impact, and cranked on 'em preatty good.

Also, if I tighten them up do you think I should pull them and replace the loctite or will it still do the job to just tighten them?

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

Does it go away (at 80) when you push in the clutch? Sure it wasn't already there, but you didn't notice 'cause the U's were bad? Your DS could be out of balance now too. Not very likely, but I've seen it happen a few times.

Always use new locktite.
Crank them as hard as you can.

Papageof · Aug 8, 2004

I don't know about if it goes away, I didn't get to drive it that much. I probbably drank too much tranny fluid last night cause I've been sick all day. About the loctite... so i should pull the bolts out reapply and replace. I just put some on last night, it wouldn't be enough?

stangbear427 said:
Does it go away (at 80) when you push in the clutch? Sure it wasn't already there, but you didn't notice 'cause the U's were bad? Your DS could be out of balance now too. Not very likely, but I've seen it happen a few times.

Always use new locktite.
Crank them as hard as you can.

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

Crap. Why'd it double post that?!

Papageof · Aug 8, 2004

eh?

stangbear427 said:
Crap. Why'd it double post that?!

stangbear427 · Aug 8, 2004

Well, it was a double post. When I submitted it, I got that "server is busy, try again later" BS, and when I checked back it had been posted again, after you replied. I hate computers...

Papageof · Aug 8, 2004

I know the feeling.

HISSIN50 · Aug 9, 2004

Papageof said:
Also, if I tighten them up do you think I should pull them and replace the loctite or will it still do the job to just tighten them?

if you are referring to the 12MM 12 point bolts, i would loosen them and apply thread lock to them. they do tend to back out. if that is not what you meant, sorry - i got lost on this thread.

Why is it everything I touch turns to S***!---U-Joints

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