Removal of universal Joints, front axles

[Cosmic88]

I am replacing the swivel balls on both sides of the front axle. The old ones were pitted / corroded all around preventing a good seal and killing the seals. Upon removal of the left Ball I found all of these pretty little roller bearing pins, as it turns out, from the u joint. That discovery put me in a lovely mood.

I know the shop book says to place the stub shaft on the horizontal and lightly tap on the stub shaft yoke. After removal of the retaining clip and some PB applied all around, tapping the yoke moved the bearing "cap" slightly downward (about 2 mm) but that is it.

Any suggestions for easier removal soz I kin remove the little bugger and put in a new u joint??

In reference to a previous thread ("worst series repair job")... THIS JOB IS THE WORST ONE IN MY OPINION. consider my vote cast.

[gudjeon]

Try this tapping technique around all four sides until you can get a cap to come up proud of the yoke. If you can then get a grip of this cap on a vise and wriggle it out. Hammer back on the exposed part of the U-joint "X" to push up the other side. It can take some working back and forth, but it gets there with some persistence.

[TeriAnn]

After spending hours fighting U joints I put replacing them on my list of projects I farm out.

These days I just drop my axle or propshaft off at my local automotive machinist, do a little shopping and for a couple dollars pick it up again.

No fuss, no muss, no getting out the lexicon of cuss words.

These days I farm out U joints, some bearing races and windscreen replacement (the sealant they use is really icky and hard to get off. I smeared it all over the place as I fought gravity and the innate cussedness of seals that wanted to move as I assembled things).