Driveline shudder

[AMink]

I know this has been done to death, but I'm in a bind and need to know how hard it is to replace the u-joints on the two-piece shaft on a 2006 Megacab. I was supposed to leave town today to hunt but had to get a new tire for my trailer. Stupid sticker in the sidewall. Anyway, I noticed the other day my truck was making a loud hummmm at 65ish and noticed a slight vibration throughout the speed range. It stops when off the throttle and it only happens when loaded or pulling. Searches suggest the u-joints giving up the ghost.



So, I look to change the joints but they have no clips. They have some plastic stuff in there that needs to come out via heat! What a PIA! So, what is the best way to go about this and about how long should it take? And can it be done under the truck or does the shaft have to come out?



Please help a guy out; I need venison and only have until Friday to get it!

 

[JR]

Youll need a torch to melt the nylon clips out pretty easy just a little heat and they soften right up and melt out. You should be able to unbolt the rear u joint at the axle and simply slip the front half out of the carrier bearing. If you have to go after the front driveshaft youll need to unbolt the carrier bearing (should be 2 bolts) and the front half will pull right out of the trans. If you dont have a torch and a big vice (or better yet a press) you may be better off taking the driveshaft to a repair shop once you get it dropped out. An experienced mechanic should be able to change a couple u joints out in an hour or so.

Before you remove your driveshafts, make sure you mark them with a paintstick or something permanant that WILL NOT come off, driveshafts are balanced and if you put them back together opposite the way they came out you could have a worse wobble than you started with. Make match marks for front and rear driveshafts so you know you get them back together correctly.

 

[BigPapa]

It's not a "nylon clip". It's plastic that's injected in there hot through holes in the yoke. It will ooze out of the holes when you heat it up. You have to melt the plastic and knock the joint out while it's molten.



I've also seen people mess up a yoke pounding on them wrong. The metal in the 3rd Gen yokes is softer than older vehicles. Just be carefull with the Big Fancy Hammer.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Is your Mega a quad cab? Just asking because the one-piece Dodge DS I bought to put on my truck was for an 06 quad/mega 4X. Seems like Dodge went back and forth with the use of one-piece shafts on trucks of that year.

 

[JR]

I was using the term "clip" loosely, for lack of a better word at the moment. Sorry big papa, next time Ill try to choose my words more carefully. Beating u joints out is risky and sometimes very difficult, even when heated. A press or large vice is the better and safer approach. You will at least need one or the other when installing the new ones, pounding them in will ensure doing the project all over again in the very near future.

 

[BigPapa]

No offense intended. Just didn't want him looking for a nylon clip he wouldn't be able to find.

 

[JHumphries]

I used a press to try to change mine. After melting the plastic, the yokes are rather large and there wasn't quite enough room to get them out easily. I've changed several sets of u-joints over the last several years, but these were a pain in the ... I took what I had done to a good machine shop and they had problems, too. They got it done though.

 

[JR]

No offense intended. Just didn't want him looking for a nylon clip he wouldn't be able to find.

None taken.

 

[AMink]

So I am going to work on this project. First step, index the shaft and other components. Check. Second step, unbolt rear end of drive shaft from differential. Not metric (close to 16mm), but not really SAE either. I can't seem to find a size that fits tightly on the bolt. Is it Whitworth?:-laf

 

[mwilson]

So I am going to work on this project. First step, index the shaft and other components. Check. Second step, unbolt rear end of drive shaft from differential. Not metric (close to 16mm), but not really SAE either. I can't seem to find a size that fits tightly on the bolt. Is it Whitworth?:-laf

There should be clamps or plates holding the u-joint cups into the rear axle yoke... . what are you looking at that is 16mm??? I did mine last year but don't remember exactly what size the clamp bolts were. Are there four of them???



Mike.

 

[GCroyle]

Just be carefull with the Big Fancy Hammer.

BigPapa,

I like that "definition" of the classic BFH.

 

[JR]

I dont know if the 2nd gens are the same as 3rd gens but like Mike is saying should be clamps with small bolts if i remember correctly mine are 8mm. Im not sure whats 16mm (or around that size) i was thinkin maybe they changed them up with the 3rd gens.

 

[AMink]

They are 15mm. I thought I checked that size and it didn't work; checked it again and PRESTO! Shaft out, now trying to get the dang nylon crap out.

 

[JR]

They are 15mm. I thought I checked that size and it didn't work; checked it again and PRESTO! Shaft out, now trying to get the dang nylon crap out.
Yep, they definitely changed the rear pinion from the 2nd gens. my bolts that retain my universal to my pinion are literally half that size.

 

[mwilson]

They are 15mm. I thought I checked that size and it didn't work; checked it again and PRESTO! Shaft out, now trying to get the dang nylon crap out.

I used my OTC ball joint press with the whole driveline placed up on sawhorses, worked really good. Also brought them out with no heat.



I don't what you have selected for replacement joints but I went with greaseable ones. The only trouble is they are not as exact a fit and you will pay hell getting the joint centered so that both c-clips will engage properly.

Some people grind the clips just a little, I got them in without doing so.

You will soon see what I mean depending on the joints you have selected.



Mike.

 

[BigPapa]

Had to come up with something when the 5 year old daughter asks "What's BFH mean?"

 

[EricBu12]

I have the one piece on my 09 quad cab longbed. . very nice

 

[AMink]

What a pain! I heated those things until some of the plastic spluged out. Didn't get all of it, apparently. It took a 6 ton press to finally get them out. It actually pushed the joint through the cap on one side. There was still a bunch of plastic inside. Ended up using a cut off wheel to get the one out. I'd suggest having someone else do them the first time to get rid of the plastic and then the next time should be easy. 10 hours I'll never get back.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Don't feel bad, I got my ars kicked by the joints at the ends of the front axles. I beat the snot out of one of them before I gave up and took it in to the shop.

 

[JR]

What a pain! I heated those things until some of the plastic spluged out. Didn't get all of it, apparently. It took a 6 ton press to finally get them out. It actually pushed the joint through the cap on one side. There was still a bunch of plastic inside. Ended up using a cut off wheel to get the one out. I'd suggest having someone else do them the first time to get rid of the plastic and then the next time should be easy. 10 hours I'll never get back.

Hey at least you can say you did the job yourself and saved the money you would have to pay someone to do it. Then you would be saying "theres 100 bucks Im never going to get back"

That probably doesnt make ya feel any better does it

Actually thats usually what I do on mine right from the get go take a grinder with a 6" cut off wheel and whack the joint just on the inside of each of the ears of the driveshaft. They press out much easier that way. I thought about mentioning that but didnt want to make a suggestion that could get somebody in trouble. Its easy to cut into the driveshaft if your not careful.