Replacing U-Joints on an 05

[Alan Reagan]

The service manual oversimplifies the U-joint replacement on an 05. The only the easy is removing the drive shaft from the truck. Take out the four bolts at the rear, drop the rear and it slides right out. Don't forget to mark the shaft so that it goes back like it came out.



Once out, the fun begins. These babies don't come out with a C clamp. It took a hydraulic press, a torch, rubber hammer, and a couple of sockets to do the job.



Once one side of the joint was pressed completely through the shaft, I had to grip the side pressed out with a vise and then hit the yoke with a big rubber hammer to pull the cap free. I didn't want to heat the aluminum. On the steel portion, I heated the portion where the cap is captured and the cap came right out.



The hydraulic press is the only way to go. You have pretty good control and can feel the back pressure if one of the caps is binding during installation of the new joints. On one of the cap installs, I started in a little tilted and had to gently tap the cap to get it to allign properly.



At 115,000 miles, picked probably a good time to replace the joints. Overall, they were in fairly good shape except for the grease under two of the caps. It was very black like motor oil as thought it had been hot. All others were a nice wheat color and looked fine.



This is one of those jobs that you won't do on the side of the road unless you carry a shop with you.

 

[JCasper]

115K miles is a long time for factory U-joints to last



Mine made it 52K and then I did another driveline rebuild at 80K

 

[Alan Reagan]

I agree that 115K is a long time. That's why I changed them out. Like I said, they were not in bad shape. Just the insides of two of the caps were jet black like motor oil. The rest were fine. It was time. Getting those caps out was a real pain. It takes two people to keep everything balance and straight. If I were doing it alone, I would build a dead man cradle to hold the shaft steady while I lined it all up. With two, one guy can hold while the other makes sure the large socket receiving the pressed out cap is in place.



It was also nice having another set of hands when I started pressing in the new ones.

 

[EDankievitch]

A lil bit of heat goes a long way..... Just don't make them glow in the dark... ...

 

[jelag]

What aluminum are you talking about... I've got 4 trucks and have done joints on 3 of them so far... I don't remember any aluminum parts???

 

[Alan Reagan]

What aluminum are you talking about... I've got 4 trucks and have done joints on 3 of them so far... I don't remember any aluminum parts???

My 05 drive shaft is aluminum. The ends of the drive shaft that house the caps are aluminum. The yoke parts that mate to the rear end and transmission shaft are steel. The shaft is extremely lite but about 5 inches in diameter.

 

[jelag]

Wow... . wonder why your 05 has aluminum and my 05 has steel tube...

 

[Alan Reagan]

Can't answer that one. My first three Rams had steel shafts. Not this one. My amigo that helped me out last night said that he thinks his new one (07 or 08) has a steel shaft. I know his 01 3500 does. Like I said, it's light. Fully assembled, it maybe weighs 20 pounds. Without the steel yokes for mating to the transmission and rear end, the actual shaft doesn't feel like it weighs five pounds.

 

[kscheffler]

I just replaced my OEM u Joint last week. Took the shaft into Drive Lines NW and they charged me $90 for labor and parts for two u joints. It was about 50/50 for labor and parts. I thought that was very reasonable. I had them install lubable joints; thought they would last longer than the grease-less.

 

[Alan Reagan]

I just replaced my OEM u Joint last week. Took the shaft into Drive Lines NW and they charged me $90 for labor and parts for two u joints. It was about 50/50 for labor and parts. I thought that was very reasonable. I had them install lubable joints; thought they would last longer than the grease-less.

After doing them myself, I would pay $90. 00 to have someone else do it. Especially in this cold weather.

 

[RonD]

I will be doing mine soon, I also have a 2005, mine has the 48RE auto trans, what are the Precision part numbers for the rear driveshaft, and are all 3 the same u-joint, ?.

 

[Alan Reagan]

I don't have the box with me but if I remember it was the Precision 320.



It only takes two U joints for the short bed, quad cab, auto. Same front and rear.



I got mine at O'reilly's. They are the only store I've checked that has them in stock.