Propshaft woes

[Hightower]

Whilst the front axle was laying on the drive waiting for it's latest coat of paint to dry (after a good wire brushing etc) I decided to take a look at the front prop, which needs an overhaul.

All the circlips came out okay, with a little persuasion, but I'm darned if the UJ's want to move. After much squeezing in a vice, together with a bit of heat and some gentle tapping with a hammer (and I do mean gentle as I don't want to damage the yokes) I managed to get one half of one UJ out. The other half is still refusing to budge, as is the other one at the other end due to the fact that they are the originals in a 30+yr old component with all the associated rust.

Now, a couple of questions:
1) how hard can I hammer these things out without damaging the prop
2) should I just cut out the UJ's and then hammer through the remaining bearing cups
3) is there an easier way of doing this

Any help would be appreciated before I add 2 props to my list at Paddocks  :|

[Saffy]

Not sure if I can word this........get soft faced heavy mallet out, open vice up, put the prop/yoke in the vice so that you are able wack one side of yoke downwards in such a way that the UJ itself is drifting the cup below out (the one opposite the one your wacking). You can only wack so far before the UJ bottoms out and the arms touch the yoke. At that point flip it over and wack the ther way with the aim of drifting the other cap out... at this point roller bearings should be flying. If your lucky the caps might fly out but probably not. So at this point got a really floppy UJ/yoke assemble with two caps partial out, there should be enough room to slide a small (~5mm) drift under so you can tap the cap fully out from behind, do same to other side, yoke should be separate now with one side still with spider and caps intact. Using similar technique as before rest the UJ arms across vice jaws and wack yoke in such a way to use uj spider to drift the cap outwards, rotate repeat for final cap...

[Hightower]

Saffy,

Thanks for the hints.  Trouble is, that the things won't move due to the fact that they're held in with 30yrs of rust.  How hard can you whack before you risk breaking/bending something you shouldn't?

[Saffy]

Saffy,

Thanks for the hints.  Trouble is, that the things won't move due to the fact that they're held in with 30yrs of rust.  How hard can you whack before you risk breaking/bending something you shouldn't?

How can one say in words how hard you can hit it? The first risk is deforming the yoke so that the lip of the orifice rolls over this preventing the cap from coming out even more so, that can be done if hitting with a steel hammer even lightly. The method I tried to describe is frankly brutal and is for stuborn rusted UJ's, using heavy hammer with something soft to cushion impacts or a heavy copper mallet and the yokes have suffered no ill effect, occasionally may need to clean up any roll over that occurs but the do give way in the end.
At some point in this you will have nothing to lose but to try increasingly brutal whacks (whilst trying to minimise damage - don't be an animal) until it gives way, if something breaks/bends then so be it - it was worth the attempt you'll just have to get a new one. When it does give way inspect the yokes for serious deformation and fracture, but really I have no ever encountered any such problem.

[Lucy1978]

I ted to support the prop on a vice and use an old bolt as a drift to hit the bearing cup. Then give it some welly with a lump hammer.  Not had any problems as yet and have done a number this way.

[Range Rover Blues]

I've jjst doen one using an old UJ spider to drift things in and out (or out and in).  Might be worth a wire-brush in a drill and possibly a bit of rust-eater for a couple of days.

[bogie]

I use a socket to push it out and a socket for it to push in with the vice.  Done this way for years n works a treat!! :D :D :D

[Hightower]

Well, it broke my vice  :shock:

Now need to replace that (with a heavier duty one) as well as fix the prop  :(

[Saffy]

* Saffy hides

[Hightower]

* Saffy hides

lol

TBH, I don't think that the vice was up to it in the first place.  It was one that was inherited on the work bench.  Am now looking at heavier duty ones, as long as they have the jaw opening width to get a prop in . . . . .

[Lucy1978]

stear clear of irwin record I managed to break one of those before I had even been bolted to the bench.  Best bet is somethign like a Record 25 of Eblag. Something like this beasty