How to Replace a U-Joint on a 2001 Suburban

The 2001 Chevrolet Suburban is built on the GMT 800 platform, a truck platform shared with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC K1500. The drive shaft in the Suburban transfers power output from the transmission to the rear axle. The drive shaft is fitted with U-joints at the front and rear that allow the drive shaft to pivot up and down in response to suspension travel. U-joints are usually long-lived but eventually require replacement.

Instructions

1

Park the Suburban on a level, paved surface. Wedge wheel chocks under the front of the front wheels. Raise the rear of the Suburban with a jack and support with a jack stand underneath each axle tube.

2

Slide a drain pan underneath the front of the drive shaft, where it meets the transmission. When you pull out the drive shaft, some of the fluid will leak out.

3

Move to the rear of the drive shaft where it attaches to the axle. Use a wrench to remove the bolts that secure the straps to the U-joint caps at the pinion yoke. Remove the straps.

4

Slide the drive shaft forward slightly to get the U-joint caps out of the yoke. Pull the drive shaft out of the rear of the transmission.

5

Locate the retaining clip on the outside edge of the U-joint cap. All of the caps with the exception of the ones retained by the straps will have these clips. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to compress the clips and remove them from their grooves.

6

Find two sockets, one that will fit just inside the yoke on the drive shaft that holds the
U-joint cap and another socket that is larger on the inside than the U-joint cap, and will rest against the yoke on the drive shaft.

7

Mount the drive shaft yoke in a vice with one socket against the U-joint cap and the other socket against the yoke. Close the vice. The socket against the cap will be pushed into the yoke and the cap on the other end will be pushed out of the yoke. Close the vice until the cap is pushed about halfway out.

8

Remove the drive shaft from the vice and use a pair of pliers to finish removing the cap that was pushed out. Slide the U-joint trunnion out of the other cap and remove the body of the U-joint.

9

Mount the drive shaft back in the vice, this time only the socket that pushes the cap. Close the vice to push the cap the rest of the way through the yoke. Remove the drive shaft from the vice.

10

Remove two opposing caps from the new U-joint. Line the inside of each cap with some wheel bearing grease. Be careful not to disturb the needle bearings that line the cap. Seat one of the caps in the drive shaft yoke. Mount the drive shaft back in the vice and close the vice to push the cap about halfway into the yoke. Open the vice and carefully slide the U-joint trunnion into the cap. You do not want to displace any of the needle bearings that line the inside of the cap.

11

Seat the opposing cap in the drive shaft yoke. Mount the drive shaft back in the vice and close it to push the caps together. You will need to hold the U-joint body while you do this so that the other trunnion slides straight into the cap.

12

Open the vice and use the cap socket to push each cap far enough into the yoke so you can see the groove for the snap-ring. Compress a new snap-ring with needle-nosed pliers and fit it into the groove. This is all you need to do to replace the rear u-joint. You will have to do this twice for the front U-joint because the drive shaft and slip yoke that fits in the transmission both require this process.

13

Slide the drive shaft into the rear of the transmission so that the rear U-joint caps line up with the pinion yoke. It may take a couple of tries to get it just right. Seat the U-joint caps in the pinion yoke. Install the straps and bolts. Use a torque wrench and socket to torque to bolts to 18 foot-pounds

14

Raise the Suburban, remove the jack stands and lower it to the ground.