Holy hell! An update!

This past weekend got 2 things done and finished up another thing tonight.

First, got the bearings pressed onto the Detroit Locker for the 44 (picture was taken tonight).



Second, got the bender completely wired up as far the Hydraulics goes. Still need to the electric side of things.



Should soon be operational. :sgin:

Then tonight, I got the ball joints pressed into the Dedenbear Knuckles.



Finally... this has been done for awhile... but figured I'd let you know that I finally got the damn air line tapped for 9".

 

Its about time!!! haha

 

let me PM you my address for those knuckles.

 

I know I know. I'm finally getting the space and tools up here in Minneapolis to do some of the project during the week so I'm hoping I can get a lot more stuff done soon.

I'll get right on that.

Hopefully I can get the U-Joints out of the axle shafts on Sunday or Monday next week (Saturday got a bachelor party all day) and get the new ones installed. Once those are complete, it's time to put together the 44 and I can't see that taking more than 2 days barring any more major setbacks.

So I might have a full axle (minus brakes) by next Friday or Saturday. But I'm not promising anything.

 

Nice....but you will never beat Andrew!!

 

I don't want to beat him!

 

By golly there's a lot of money tied up in those axles! You'd better get them finished and enjoy them already!

 

My goal was to have 2 mostly completed axles that I could roll around (i.e. the tires would be on) by end of August. I'm going to push that back to mid September due to my vacation the last week of August, but I'm still thinking it's possible. We'll see... and I may need some R-F harassment to keep me motivated.

 

I'll come down there and harass you if need be! I gota get going on putting mine together too. You have the presses for the bearings and ball joints? or did you rent them. cause I may wana borrow them for some beer or somthing of course

 

I have the a Ball Joint Press Kit, but I don't have the 4WD adapter kit.

You can borrow the Ball Joint Kit, but personally, I'd just head over to O'Riellys and rent both the Press and the 4WD kit. It'll be like $200 bucks to rent, but you get it all back if you return it within 48 hours. Took me like 20 minutes to press all 4 in once I get the 4WD kit (having the right tools always makes things easier).

Just let me know if want to hi-jack the kit though.

As far as the Bearing Press goes, I used a 20 Ton Hydraulic Air Press back home (friend of my dad owns it). So I don't think I can let you borrow that.

I could probably take the diff home with me sometime and get them pressed on if you need it. Again just let me know.

 

You sound like Congress.

 

yeah at the most I'll maybe have you press on the bearings, I'll just rent the press from the store. I'll let you know. I also still might ***** on that bender too so watch out

 

As promised. Work has been done.

Well... hoping I didn't screw anything up and the fix to this is easy. So yeah... first I looked up what was the best way to remove U Joints. Found this page.

JeepWire - Changing Axle Shaft U-Joints

Seemed to make sense. Using this method I got the 2 U Joints out in a little over 20 minutes. Everything was going great.



Then I tried to install my new Spicer 760X U Joints using the same method described on this page. It sort of worked. I could get the Joints mostly pressed in, but that last little bit (to get the C-Clips back on) just wasn't going. I busted out my decent C Clamp and ended up bending the hell out of it (try to get pictures for it next time). Anyway, at this point, I'm at a loss as to how to finish this up... so I decide to start hitting things harder with my hammer in hopes that just needed some elbox grease. Bad choice. As I'm doing this I notice needle bearings start shooting out all over the place from 2 of the Caps... ah hell. So after disassembling both NEW U joints and see that I probably destroyed both of them... I headed to O'Reillys to see if they had cheapo U Joints I could try out since I'm obviously not talented enough to do anything on the first try.

Ended up having a couple in stock for $9/ea. Yeah... I know they will probably be ****... but they will hopefully work until I actually get stuff under it's own power and then I will buy some more Spicers (not splurging for CTMs on a 44).

So I get home and as I'm driving home on me, it dawns on me that the Ball Joint Press kit I just purchased for the Knuckles, would work for U Joints as well. Sure as hell, I look at the direction for the kit and it even lists U-Joints as valid use and has some decent pictures. Ugh... way to trash a couple good U Joints with a Hammer methodology.

Anyway, so I get home with my one $9 U Joint (figured I just get one done tonight). Pull off the caps, and wedge it into the Outer Shaft. Clamp the shaft down, and start tightening the Ball Joint Press (a.k.a. a really big C-Clamp you can put a breaker bar on). Works like a champ. I get the first Cap pressed in just enough to get a C Clip on it and switch it around and press the other side in with no issues. I'm thinking I'm set. Until I tried to move the damn U Joint. Sucker is squeezed in there tight. I can move it but it's really bad.

So here's my dilemma. I'm wondering if I smashed the axle ends (that hold the U-Joint) just a hair closer together with all my hammering. As I can't get this U-Joint to move at all. Didn't want to put on the Inner Shaft until I could get this thing to work. Here's where I left it.



Like I said, it will hardly move back and forth. Not really sure what to do. I tried tapping it with a hammer, see if I could wiggle it into place or something, but no luck. Hoping R-F can help out.

 

You'll be OK with the cheapo joints for the time being. When you get around to installing good joints just clearance the surface on the inside of the axle shaft yoke where the c-clips sit with a Dremel or other tool and you'll be all set.

 

That doesn't really explain why the joint I have now isn't moving? Is that just a part of the "crappy" Joints?

 

it must have gotten too tight somehow. Your assumption on the ends being smashed closer together could be right.

on a side note. Do you have a tube notcher? If not I was thinking of buying one and then that way you can use it and I wouldnt feel so bad about using your bender haha. I have some plans for tube work. Also let me know when you need some help, we should get both our trucks done before spring and head to the dunes, you'd love it there.

 

Yeah. I'm going to mess with the U-Joints tonight. Hopefully get them done.

No I don't have a notcher... but at the same token... I don't have a working bender yet either. But it'd be cool to have access to one. And I definitely hear ya. I'd love to have this done and rolling around.

 

word, well I may pic one up this fall/winter. need to get some stuff done before may. Try working on the u-joint at all?

 

Yeah. I tried it again tonight. I got the busted one out (on the one not pictured last time) and realized I may have damaged the holes a bit. They have scuffs and some bumps inside them that appears to be screwing things up.

My dremel is at my Girlfriends house, so I'm going to pick that up tomorrow and try and sand down the inside of both of the outer's holes and see if that fixes the problem.

So to all those looking to replace your own U-Joints. DON'T USE A HAMMER! It is just going to cause problems. Just spend the $60 bucks to get a U-Joint / Ball Joint Press Kit.

 

I didnt know there was any other way... haha.

Honestly tho, I have always done it with a hammer. If they are junk hard shafts, maybe there we messed up before you tried to put joints in them?

Another easy way to do it is in a vise... Thats how I did my Alloys/300m's. I've never been a fan of ball joint / u-joint presses.

 

yeah the press can bend the yokes.

personally i just hate the dang things all together, but a hammer and torch work well for me. Then I use the press to put them in or a hammer.

Dont forget to weld the caps.

 

I agree we bent our school plow trucks ears using the balljoint/u-joint press haha but ive always used a hammer and vice.
Ive heard its bad to weld the caps? why do people do that anyways to keep them from turning/falling out?

 

To keep the caps form spinning out. Super common on the stock Rubicon 44s, as they have no clips. Not necessary if you have retainer clips.





$$$, but the best friend for u joints...

Tiger Tool

 

Well the shaft that got the most messed up was the new Outer I got from Bronco Graveyard. I don't know maybe I just need to get the hang of it. But I mean when I was trying the hammer method I coudln't for the life of me get the damn U-Joint far enough in to be able to get the C-Clip on.

But the press did it in 3 simple turns. Now granted I'm having issues with the press too (seems things might be a bit too tight). So all and all... I just don't like replacing U-Joints anymore. Haha...

Maybe that's it. Use a hammer to get them out, but a press to get them in. I'd agree with that.

And what do you mean weld the caps? Never heard of it. Just tack the caps to the Yokes? Wouldn't that make replacing U-Joints essentially impossible?

I'll have to keep my eye on it so far it seems to working fine. Usually if I feel it getting really tight I back the press out and re-seat it. When they go in right, they slide right in it seems like so there shouldn't be a ton of pressure.

Who knows... but I'm learning so on with the show. Look for another attempt at an update tonight.

 

Mine are clipped and I have thrown 3-4 clips now. Then the Ujoint goes next.

but you just put a nice tack weld on the cap and the yoke. i put two per cap. then when you go to take them out you just grind it off.