U joint replacement help???
U joint replacement help??? I found my car has a small leak by the front u joint. It looks like a grease is flung all over in that area. How hard is it to change the u joint by the tranny and the seal where the driveshaft goes into the tranny? I think those would fix the leak. Like I said, it looks more like a grease then a oil. Any info/help would be great. Thanks!
If it was leaking from your rear tranny seal then the fluid would have a redish tint to it, being that your supposed to have dextron 3 in the transmission, and as far as the ujoints go, if they are stock, then you have to torch them to melt the nylon thats holding them in. You could beat on them with a socket and a hammer but its a major pain in the ***.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 517
Likes: 1
If it IS grease and not tranny fluid, the u-joint could've ruptured. Does the u-joint look mangled/bent/twisted?
Changing u-joints is easy. Mark the realtionship of the driveshaft-to-pinion flange with white-out or paint. Unbolt the flange bolts from the pinion end, and just pull the driveshaft toward the rear of the car and it'll fall right out. And as bambaboy says, it may be a PITA to get the u-jont out, but a socket & sledge hammer works fine. JUST BE CAREFUL WITH THE DRIVESHAFT while pounding on the u-joint caps. While the driveshaft is out, you may want to get it re-balanced if it hasn't been yet.
Replace the u-joints & re-install. Not a big deal. I just did this on my truck. Very simple.
Changing u-joints is easy. Mark the realtionship of the driveshaft-to-pinion flange with white-out or paint. Unbolt the flange bolts from the pinion end, and just pull the driveshaft toward the rear of the car and it'll fall right out. And as bambaboy says, it may be a PITA to get the u-jont out, but a socket & sledge hammer works fine. JUST BE CAREFUL WITH THE DRIVESHAFT while pounding on the u-joint caps. While the driveshaft is out, you may want to get it re-balanced if it hasn't been yet.
Replace the u-joints & re-install. Not a big deal. I just did this on my truck. Very simple.
Thanks for the info guys. I thought it might be a pita. The grease has no red in it. So it must be the u joint. I guess I have a project this weekend. The u joint looks to be in good shape. Could it just be that the u joint leaks? I'll fix it anyways.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 517
Likes: 1
No, I wouldn't "fix it anyways." I'd figure out what it actually is. The only thing down there that throws grease is the u-joint, so that's a good place to start looking. If you pull out the shaft & the joint looks good & leak-free, I'd begin to investigate further.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 517
Likes: 1
If you see that the u-joint is ruptured, it's obvious that it's been leaking. Otherwise, look to see if it's bent/twisted/mangled/damaged.
The pics are from my truck I just did.
The first pic is a new joint. If you see the endcaps are damaged or broken, they're probably leaking. Also, notice the grease fitting - if that's not there, it's leaking.
The second pic is the bad u-joint I removed. If it looks anything like that, then it's most likely time to replace it. I'm surprised it didn't break free on me.
The pics are from my truck I just did.
The first pic is a new joint. If you see the endcaps are damaged or broken, they're probably leaking. Also, notice the grease fitting - if that's not there, it's leaking.
The second pic is the bad u-joint I removed. If it looks anything like that, then it's most likely time to replace it. I'm surprised it didn't break free on me.
Trending Topics
Can the nylon inserts be drilled into with a small bit and this help to remove the u-joints? We have new u-joints and would like to install them. I have found out that they are in there good. I saw the nylon sticking out of the flanges. We have about 120k on the stockers and think since the driveshaft is out, now is the time to get the u-joints.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?
Pouria Savadkouei
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 345
Likes: 1
From: TX
Torch worked well for us. Going back was pretty hard. The u-joint was a tight fit in the driveshaft in the diff end. For some reason the clips that hold the caps on were too tight. I shaved about 3 thousands off of both clips and this helped.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 517
Likes: 1
If you bought the right u-joint kit, you shouldn't have had to shave the clips...
