- 1). Jack the car off the ground high enough for you to slide under the wheel well. You can also use car ramps to drive the front end up off the ground. Look under the frame of the car in the center to find the driveshaft. It will look like a long barrel that runs from the rear end of the car upward to the housing of the transmission casing. The U-joint is the piece that connects both ends of the drive shaft.
- 2). Use a set of pliers to remove the snap rings or c-clamps from the joints. Color in the area where each piece of the u-joint was installed. You will need to know where to put the parts on the new u-joint back into the casing area.
- 3). Hold one end of the shaft and lower it, slightly pulling it from the transmission. Place a small piece of plastic over the casing opening to prevent contaminants from entering inside. Remove the rear u-joint piece first then do the second front u-joint. You may want to use tape to hold the bearing caps in place and prevent them from falling off. Place the u-joint on a work bench and use a set of vice grips to removes the "cups" from the old u-joint. You can discard the old u-joint.
- 4). Use a socket wrench that is slightly smaller in diameter than the bearing cap. Use the socket in the vise to push the cap out of the yoke. Use another socket roughly the same size as the cap in diameter as a brace for the opposite side of the yoke.
- 5). Place the new u-joint mechanism into the vise with the smaller socket braced on one side, against the bearing cap. Place the other socket against the opposite side as in Step 4. Tighten the vise to force the cap back into the middle of the yoke. Do not rush this process as you need to fit the smaller socket fits inside the yoke without getting jammed. Turn the yoke and sockets at the same time to press the other side out. You can remove the bearing caps in the same manner.
- 6). Smear plenty of grease into the new bearings. If you are unsure the type of grease to use, read the instructions that came with the new u-joint kits. Using the reverse procedure to move the bearing, begin installing the new bearings. Install the snap rings or c-clamps into the grooves and check for a smooth fit.
- 7). Use a grease gun to smear additional grease over the snap rings or c-clamps. Remove the plastic bag covering the transmission casing. Lift up the driveshaft and align it in place to re-connect it to the transmission. Remember to align the shaft where you marked it previously so it is back in the original position.
- 8). Tighten the bolts to the proper torque with a torch wrench as required in the u-joint kit instructions. Now raise the rear portion of the driveshaft into place and tighten the bolts. Again, check that the marks are aligned.
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