U joint problem
 

Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into
a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup
in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is
there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?


A socket wrench socket and a big vise always worked for me. You're
probably starting it off crooked or not holding the yoke square. If
you don't get it in a few more tries, take it to an auto parts place
before the yoke bores get all mangled and they'll do it for you.

Be careful that one or some of the needles have not fallen into the
bore. Only grease holds them against the wall of the cup.

Bob

wrote:
Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup
in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is
there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?

I used to pop these in and out with a rawhide mallet and a suitable
selection of sockets, one to beat on the cups with and the other as a
receiver. When I got a vehicle with alloy yokes, I had to modify that.
Ford has a nifty u-joint tool that shows up in their factory manuals,
like a big c-clamp with a tube receiver instead of a pad on the off
side. HF sells something that works just about as well, that's what I
use now.

I follow the factory recommendations, remove opposing cups from the new
joint, place one in the outside of one hole and feed the cross into it
from the inside. The leg of the cross should be long enough that it
fits into the cup without it being in place all the way. Then I press
that one cup down past the clip groove. Doing it this way keeps the
needles from getting bumped loose and falling to the bottom of the cup.
That's guaranteed to ruin your day. I then slide the cross out of the
pressed cup enough to start the other cup on it through the other hole,
same reason, and press that one into place. Put the clips on, make
sure the cross pivots freely, give it a couple of shots with the mallet
if it doesn't and that yoke is done. The yoke holes have to be clean,
too, make sure all the corrosion or rust is gone before pressing the
new cups back in. Takes maybe 10 minutes if I'm a little slow that
day.

Stan

wrote:
Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?

Heh, I just did mine last week. Best way I found to start them was to tap
them lightly around the cap circumference with a hammer. When I tried other
ways (using the vise or the nifty u-joint press I got from HF) they would
bind up by not being aligned axially with the hole.

By tapping them lightly with the hammer "around the horn", they found their
way in without much effort at all. When they got inside of the yoke, then I
used the press tool to push them in enough to get the circle clips in place.

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Jon

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!


That reminds me - when replacing those things (_after_ I get them out) what
can I do to make it easier next time? These are steel screws in aluminium
alloy castings.

Couple of tricks for U-Joints -- be very careful tapping the
bearing caps in -- you can dislodge the needles and it is a
real pain to try to get the cap back out without damage !
I have found that with a smooth jaw vise and care, I can
get the caps started and pressed without having to tap on
them, but it is very important to make sure it is lined up
when you press or they do jam.

This part is important -- Once you get the caps pressed in
and the clips on, put the U-joint assembly across an open
vise (or equiv. support) so the ends of the yoke are supported
and hit the end of the other yoke so the caps seat back against
the clips. This only moves it several thousands, but it makes
the difference between the ends of the spider rubbing in
the caps and not. Feel how the joint moves before and
after and you will see what I mean. Do that for each cap
in the joint. Makes a BIG difference in how long until
you change the joint again !!!

mikey

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?

Heh, I just did mine last week. Best way I found to start them was to tap
them lightly around the cap circumference with a hammer. When I tried
other
ways (using the vise or the nifty u-joint press I got from HF) they would
bind up by not being aligned axially with the hole.

By tapping them lightly with the hammer "around the horn", they found
their
way in without much effort at all. When they got inside of the yoke, then
I
used the press tool to push them in enough to get the circle clips in plac
e.

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Jon

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 04:28:24 -0700, the inscrutable "Jon Danniken"
spake:

wrote:
Hey,

Started putting a new u joint into that yoke and shaft and ran into a
proplem. I got one "cup" in but when I tried to put the opposite cup in
it wont go on straight and I have a terrible time. I am afraid this
might mean the hole is out of round or something but not sure. Is there
a way to get this in?

What is the best way to install a u joint?

Heh, I just did mine last week. Best way I found to start them was to tap
them lightly around the cap circumference with a hammer. When I tried other
ways (using the vise or the nifty u-joint press I got from HF) they would
bind up by not being aligned axially with the hole.

By tapping them lightly with the hammer "around the horn", they found their
way in without much effort at all. When they got inside of the yoke, then I
used the press tool to push them in enough to get the circle clips in place.

That's why I bought my 6" HF vise. I use a thick bearing grease on the
U-joint needles, really sticking them into the cup. Then I place one
cap in the yoke and press it in. Then the U-joint is fitted into that
cup and the last cap is fit into the yoke. The pressure of the vise is
enough to seat the caps, then slightly smaller sockets provide the
final movement before the snap rings. Finally, they get the grease
goosed out of 'em. (The old fiber grease isn't as good as the moly.)


That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Got any R-12? (Totally non PC, and proud of it.) Freeze the screw,
heat the caliper body, and turn with a brake line wrench or 6-pt
socket.


--== May The Angst Be With You! ==--
-Yoda, on a bad day
--
http://diversify.com Ending Your Web Page Angst.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 09:30:16 -0300, the inscrutable "jtaylor"
spake:

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

That reminds me - when replacing those things (_after_ I get them out) what
can I do to make it easier next time? These are steel screws in aluminium
alloy castings.

Carefully put a small amount of aluminum anti-seize compound on the
screw's threads, wiping the end so there's no excess to contaminate
the fluid. Q-tips have been known to be useful for both tasks.


--== May The Angst Be With You! ==--
-Yoda, on a bad day
--
http://diversify.com Ending Your Web Page Angst.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:30:06 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 04:28:24 -0700, the inscrutable "Jon Danniken"
spake:

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Got any R-12? (Totally non PC, and proud of it.) Freeze the screw,
heat the caliper body, and turn with a brake line wrench or 6-pt
socket.

Yeah, but at the price of R-12 nowadays you don't want to waste a
drop of it - and the price is only going to go in ^one^ ^direction^.
Use something cheaper, more benign and easier to get like CO2, R-22 or
R-134 for making with the freezing.

Try rocking or tapping the screw in both directions to break it
loose using a box wrench and a small hammer - mass quantities of force
applied on that little bitty bleeder screw are going to have bad
results, persuasion is called for.

-- Bruce --

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 22:09:11 GMT, the inscrutable Bruce L. Bergman
spake:

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:30:06 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 04:28:24 -0700, the inscrutable "Jon Danniken"
spake:

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Got any R-12? (Totally non PC, and proud of it.) Freeze the screw,
heat the caliper body, and turn with a brake line wrench or 6-pt
socket.

Yeah, but at the price of R-12 nowadays you don't want to waste a
drop of it - and the price is only going to go in ^one^ ^direction^.
Use something cheaper, more benign and easier to get like CO2, R-22 or
R-134 for making with the freezing.

One wonders if it's now cost effective enough that the coyotes are
bringing in illegals with one pack worth of R-12 on one arm and a pack
full of illegal drugs on the other. ;)


Try rocking or tapping the screw in both directions to break it
loose using a box wrench and a small hammer - mass quantities of force
applied on that little bitty bleeder screw are going to have bad
results, persuasion is called for.

IIRC, I've had only one freeze on me and a whack from my smallest Ford
hammer (directly on top) got it loose enough to break free with a line
wrench. Then again, I didn't live in corrosive snow country, either.


--== May The Angst Be With You! ==--
-Yoda, on a bad day
--
http://diversify.com Ending Your Web Page Angst.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 09:30:16 -0300, "jtaylor"
wrote:


"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!


That reminds me - when replacing those things (_after_ I get them out) what
can I do to make it easier next time? These are steel screws in aluminium
alloy castings.

Bleed the brakes once a year.Flush the fluid every two. That doesnt
give 'em much time to corrode in.

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 22:09:11 GMT, Bruce L. Bergman
wrote:

On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:30:06 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Fri, 29 Apr 2005 04:28:24 -0700, the inscrutable "Jon Danniken"
spake:

That was last week; this weekend I get to try and remove frozen bleeder
screws from my disc brake calipers; oh lucky me!

Got any R-12? (Totally non PC, and proud of it.) Freeze the screw,
heat the caliper body, and turn with a brake line wrench or 6-pt
socket.

Yeah, but at the price of R-12 nowadays you don't want to waste a
drop of it - and the price is only going to go in ^one^ ^direction^.
Use something cheaper, more benign and easier to get like CO2, R-22 or
R-134 for making with the freezing.

Try rocking or tapping the screw in both directions to break it
loose using a box wrench and a small hammer - mass quantities of force
applied on that little bitty bleeder screw are going to have bad
results, persuasion is called for.

-- Bruce --
Generally to get out a stuck bleeder I heat the tip of the bleeder to
red hot quickly with the torch, then smack it on the head lightly with
a small hammer. You don't want to put enough heat into it on an
aluminum caliper to affect the threads in the caliper, but that's
pretty hard to do given the thermal mass of the caliper and the fact
that the oxide layer makes a pretty good insulator. The heat swells
the screw, starting to fracture the oxide layer - and the smack with
the hammer does the rest. Shocking with a shot of ice-water instead of
the hammer also often works - if you NEED to salvage the bleeder screw
and can't risk flattening the tit on the end with a hammer.