2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Replacing axle "U" joints

[stressedout]

How do you replace these joints? Do you have to pull the shafts out .

I have 140K on the truck, and both sides are making noise.





Thanks,

Keith

 

[JGheen]

Yes, I believ you have to reomve the shafts and replace the hub bearing seals when finished. I had my passenger side replaced a while back but I had a mechanic do it, but as I understood it he had to remove the shafts, knock out the old u-joints, install the new ones and also replace the bearing seals being he removed just about everything from that side of the axle.

 

[Joe G.]

If you are careful you won't need to replace the seals. I replaced my passenger side U-joint without replacing the seal. That was about 20K miles ago.



There are two sizes of U-joints for a Ram 2500. You want the big one. I suppose the other one is for gassers.

 

[stressedout]

Thanks guys , I will try to replace them this weekend.

Do the shafts slide out or do you have to pull the front gears to get them out?



Thanks

Keith

 

[TFabian]

I believe the 95 is the same as the my 96. To get the axle shafts out, you will need to remove the hub/bearing assembly. If it has never been removed, these are a bear to get off. Also, elevate the axle on the side you are working on so that the gear lube does not run down into the axle tube when you remove the axle shaft. If it does, you will get what appears to be a leak for several hundred miles before it stops.



If you do damage the axle oil seal, the passenger side can be replaced through the axle shift housing. The driver's side requires that the diff. be removed. Be real careful reinserting the axle on the drivers side.



You may want to inspect the hub/bearing assembly and the upper and lower balls joints while you have everything apart. It is not a job that I would want to do multiple times.

 

[RT66DOC]

Joe D. wrote a great how-to about this procedure. As usual, everything you need to know including a few pix. Can't lay my hands on the specific issue of the TDR it was in but you could probably look it up.



Sometimes the FSM helps too.