How to Remove the U-Joint From a 1994 Chevy Silverado

The U-joints found on the ends of the drive shaft in the 1994 Chevy Silverado allow the torque of the engine to be applied to the rear differential without binding as the rear suspension travels up and down over bumps in the road. Over time the needle bearings found in the U-joint's cups will corrode and wear. When this happens, a vibration will be felt while driving the truck, and an audible squeak or clunk may be heard.

Instructions

1

Park on level ground. Secure the front wheels using wheel chocks. Disconnect the negative battery cable using an 8 mm wrench. Place a floor jack under the center of the rear differential and lift the rear of the truck until the wheels are off the ground. Place floor jacks under the axles, and lower the truck onto the stands. Place the transmission in neutral.

2

Mark the position of the drive shaft in relation to the pinion with white chalk. Remove the four 13 mm nuts that secure the drive shaft to the pinion of the differential. Slide the drive shaft towards the front of the truck and lower it down when it is free from the pinion. Slide the drive shaft towards the rear of the truck and out of the transmission. Slide the drive shaft from under the truck.

3

Secure the drive shaft in a bench vice. Take care doing this to prevent crushing of the drive-shaft tube. Tighten the vice only tight enough to hold the drive shaft steady. Heat the area around the U-joint cups using a propane torch. After several minutes of heating, the plastic retainer that secures the U-joint cup will melt and ooze out of the hole in the drive-shaft yolk that it was injected into. Continue heating until the plastic stops oozing out of the hole. Repeat the process for all of the U-joint cups that are secured in the drive shaft and the transmission slip yolk on the front of the drive shaft.

4

Slip the ball joint press over the drive shaft yolk and align the hole in the press with a U-joint cup. Screw the center shaft of the press against the cup on the opposite side of the U-joint. Tighten the center shaft using an adjustable wrench until the cup is pushed out of the yolk. Repeat the process for the remaining U-joint cups.

5

Clean rust and debris from inside the yolk using sand paper or a wire brush. Apply a thin coating of chassis grease to the inside of the drive shaft yolk. Carefully remove all of the cups from the new U-joint, and add a small amount of chassis grease to the needle bearings inside. Set the cups aside carefully. Insert the T-shaped center of the new U-joint into the drive shaft yolk. Slide one of the cups into the outside of the yolk, and carefully slip the center of the U-joint into the cup. Slide the ball joint press over the yolk and use the center screw to push the new cup into the yolk until the retaining clip supplied with the new joint just slips around the cup protruding from the inside of the yolk. Repeat the process for the remaining U-joint cups.

6

Slide the drive shaft under the truck and lift the front transmission slip yolk into place near the rear of the transmission. Turn the drive shaft to align the chalk mark on the drive shaft and pinion. Slide the transmission slip yolk into the transmission. Reinstall the drive shaft on the pinion and tighten the rear U-joint U-bolts to 15 foot-pounds using a torque wrench. Lift the truck off the jack stands and remove the stands. Lower the truck to the ground, and test drive to verify the noise or vibration is gone.