Front Axle U Joint Question

I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
greatly appreciated.

"Ed Wojciechowski" > wrote in message
...
>I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
>U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
>greatly appreciated.

Read the manual?
About a 3 hour job, if properly tooled and skilled. Do both sides.
--
Stupendous Man,
Defender of Freedom, Advocate of Liberty

Get a BFH and start daily spraying with PB about a week before you want
to do the job.

--
jeff

Stupendous Man wrote:
> "Ed Wojciechowski" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
>> U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
>> greatly appreciated.
>
> Read the manual?
> About a 3 hour job, if properly tooled and skilled. Do both sides.

Getting the axle nut off can be hard. What worked for me was heating
the nut with a propane torch for about a minute, spraying with PB
blaster, tapping the nut hard all around with a length of lead pipe and
a hammer and then using an 18 inch breaker bar. Came off pretty easy
after this treatment (before this I couldn´t remove it even with a 4
foot tube on the breaker bar).



Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
> I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
> U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
> greatly appreciated.

It always amazes me that folks go and take off that nut or basically
take the hub apart. That nut holds the wheel bearings in place and the
pressed in bearings in place. Unless you are going to change the hub,
there is no reason to undo that bolt from my experience. The hub and
axle all remove as one piece.

If you have that nut off and use an axle puller or slide hammer, you
will destroy the hub. It will fall apart. It still could get wrecked
if you use a slide hammer. The bearings can crumble. You would be
hammering and have a shear pressure issue with the bearing cages.

The trouble is getting the hub off the steering frame. I soak
everything for a couple days if I have the time with penetrating oil,
then I unbolt the 3 bolts holding the hub in place. I personally have a
spare bolt the right size that I use to thread halfway back in so I can
pound on it with a 'BFG' or big !@#$% hammer. I do one top one, then
the bottom one with the steering cut hard to one side, then I turn the
steering hard the other way to get at the back top one to beat on it.
It takes very hard solid hits to get the hub moving.

One thing to watch for is the axle seals. if the u-joint has been
vibrating for a long time, it might have taken out the axle seals.
These are located inboard inside the pumpkin. The OP should check the
tube for fluid. If there is fluid in the tube, he needs seals. It is
something like 3 or 4 hours shop rate to change the suckers, so while
it's open... They punch out easy enough, but you need a threaded rod
and washers the right size to pull the seal back in place or a special
Jeep tool for axle seals. Basically a fancy threaded rod....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

nrs wrote:
>
> Getting the axle nut off can be hard. What worked for me was heating
> the nut with a propane torch for about a minute, spraying with PB
> blaster, tapping the nut hard all around with a length of lead pipe and
> a hammer and then using an 18 inch breaker bar. Came off pretty easy
> after this treatment (before this I couldn´t remove it even with a 4
> foot tube on the breaker bar).
>
> Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
> > I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
> > U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
> > greatly appreciated.

If the hub comes out easily, this is a reasonable 2 or 3 hour (first
time) job. If you live in the salt belt, the bearing hub will be rusted
solid into the steering knuckle. Spray every day for a week with PB
Blaster or Kroil, put it up high on some 6 ton jack stands (24" up), and
use a BIG hammer. I might suggest having a shop do it, it's that tough.

Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
> I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver
> side U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it
> would be greatly appreciated.

I put antiseize on mine when I put the hub back into the steering
knuckle and when I had to change the u-joint the second time (POS
'lifetime' joint you can't grease so they fail in a couple years or even
as soon as 8 months for one) the hub popped out really easily the second
time. I noticed it as we were loading for a trip and had the sucker
changed out within an hour including going to get the part.

The first time, well..... I have that sacrificial bolt for a reason....
;-)

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

RoyJ wrote:
>
> If the hub comes out easily, this is a reasonable 2 or 3 hour (first
> time) job. If you live in the salt belt, the bearing hub will be rusted
> solid into the steering knuckle. Spray every day for a week with PB
> Blaster or Kroil, put it up high on some 6 ton jack stands (24" up), and
> use a BIG hammer. I might suggest having a shop do it, it's that tough.
>
> Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
> > I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver
> > side U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it
> > would be greatly appreciated.

Yep, RPITA^3 the first time, antiseize and the second pass is a piece of
cake.

Mike Romain wrote:

> I put antiseize on mine when I put the hub back into the steering
> knuckle and when I had to change the u-joint the second time (POS
> 'lifetime' joint you can't grease so they fail in a couple years or even
> as soon as 8 months for one) the hub popped out really easily the second
> time. I noticed it as we were loading for a trip and had the sucker
> changed out within an hour including going to get the part.
>
> The first time, well..... I have that sacrificial bolt for a reason....
> ;-)
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
> Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
> (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
>
> RoyJ wrote:
>
>>If the hub comes out easily, this is a reasonable 2 or 3 hour (first
>>time) job. If you live in the salt belt, the bearing hub will be rusted
>>solid into the steering knuckle. Spray every day for a week with PB
>>Blaster or Kroil, put it up high on some 6 ton jack stands (24" up), and
>>use a BIG hammer. I might suggest having a shop do it, it's that tough.
>>
>>Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
>>
>>>I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver
>>>side U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it
>>>would be greatly appreciated.

http://web.archive.org/web/200407240...0WheelBearing/
http://www.4x4wire.com/tech/axle/ujoint/
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
>
> I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
> U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
> greatly appreciated.

I had a '96 GC (now sold) and it had CV joints with boots instead of
u-joints. Are these harder to change than u-joints?


L.W.(Bill) Hughes III wrote:
> http://web.archive.org/web/200407240...0WheelBearing/
> http://www.4x4wire.com/tech/axle/ujoint/
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Ed Wojciechowski wrote:
> >
> > I have a '96 GC, 4.0 with 165k on it and I need to replace the driver side
> > U joint. How difficult is it and any suggestions on how to do it would be
> > greatly appreciated.