How to Replace a Rear Axle U Joint

In an effort to save money in these times of rising costs, more and more people are doing their own car repairs. Here is another repair that you can do yourself: replacing the rear axle universal, or U, joint.

Instructions

Remove the Rear Axel U Joint

1

Mark the position of the driveshaft before you remove it so you are sure to put it back properly. Do the same with the U joint, because you don't want to put that in the wrong way.

2

Put the vehicle in gear or, if the vehicle is an automatic, put it in park. Loosen the flange bolts connecting the driveshaft to the underside of the vehicle. Make sure you do the bolts on the rear flange first. If you cannot access some of the bolts, put the vehicle in neutral and turn the driveshaft.

3

Take out the U bolts connecting the U joints, and put tape on the caps so you don't lose them as you slip the driveshaft out. Put one hand on the front of the driveshaft and the other on the back so you can keep the driveshaft from separating as you get it out.

4

Spray the caps of the rear U joint with WD-40 or similar oil. Take out the snap rings that keep the U joint securely connected to its yoke with pliers. Use a wire brush to clean out the yoke's bores as you replace a rear U joint.

5

Set the driveshaft in a vise and, putting a chisel on the rear U joint's center, push one of the end caps from the yoke by rapping on the chisel with a hammer. Try not to dent the driveshaft as you do this. Flip the drive shaft over, and do the same with the other end cap.

6

Clean the yokes thoroughly, then coat the bores with a thin layer of chassis grease.

Replacing the Rear Axel U Joint

7

Line up the rear axel U joint and remove the U joint's caps when you replace a rear axel U joint. Make sure the roller bearings are properly aligned inside the cap.

8

Put the U joint in the driveshaft's yoke from the inside of the yoke, and get the lower cap into position by tapping it from the outside. Flip the driveshaft over and do the same with the other cap.

9

Tap the end cap down a little more, then put in a new snap ring. Repeat this procedure with the snap ring on the opposite side as you replace the rear axle joint. Turn the driveshaft over if the U joint doesn't rotate as easily as it should and tap the center of the U joint with a chisel so the end cap seats itself against the snap ring.

10

Place the rear U joint into the flange, tape up the U joint and slip the driveshaft back into position.

11

Remove the tape as you replace the rear axle U joint, and replace the U bolts that hold the U joint in place in the yokes.