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Good vid. What I like about most of your videos is when you run into a small problem or hiccup, you DON'T edit it out and we get to go along for the ride. That's how we learn to get through some of these problems.

Tip for watchers: If you don't have a large bolt like Eric is using to hit the u-joints as you work on them. Keep an old u-joint cross (the body of the u-joint). It is very good for hitting u-joints in/out in the future. It is the perfect size, and the cross members give your hand a lot of support for holding it well when hitting it. It is nice and hard, doesn't deform easily, and transmits a lot of the energy from the hits right to the u-joint you are working on.

I’ll tell you what I love about this guy, he could’ve made this project look a whole lot easier but it looks to me that you see the whole thing! Sometimes these project are just hard to deal with. great job! great instructions! thanks a bunch

I'm a diesel mechanic from 1967, never ever have I seen such a struggle to replace a universal joint ! My friend I think you need tutoring!

Hi Eric I have been doing this sort of stuff for about 35 years and I get the joints apart the same as you do but when fitting them I put the cups in the freezer for a few hours the cold makes the needle rollers stay put as the grease is cold and when you fit the cups you can press them in with your fingers because the cold shrinks them. Makes it nice and easy. In a busy workshop it is not always possible for the freezer method but if you have the UJ s in advance it makes sense to freeze them.

Eric, I really love seeing you work through your struggles. Most guys on youtube edit them out but not you. Watching you work through them normally involves some little nifty trick i've never seen before and those are the little tricks that i normally take away from your videos that better my mechanical abilities ten fold. Thank you.

Favorite SMA video - usually you make stuff look easy. This is how most of my work at home goes - fights me every freaking step of the way - also made harder because I don't have the exact right tool.

I've changed hundreds of u-joints in my day, from 1 inch steering shafts to 6 inch drive shafts and yet it's still oddly fascinating watch Eric do these.

I do u/jts the same way and have never had an issue. The only difference I do is I tap on the yoke or cross to seat the cup against the snap ring but your way accomplishes the same thing...the key word is tap! When I was 16 yrs old I was taught be a 70 yr old great mechanic and he said he did it this way for 50 yrs so if I followed his direction I'd be OK & I just passed it on to the kid down the street & told him Irwin did it for 50 yrs and I did it for 40 so if you follow my direction you'll be OK...now I'm the old mechanic. I've only taught a few but you will teach thousands & congratulations you're almost to 65K subscribers!

I learned how to do this with a ball joint press, and each time I got lucky when the caps fell out the bottom with a buzz of the impact. These cups are deeper and it would be more difficult regardless of the method used. It was fun to watch a pro do it, with the same tools we'd have up in the back 40! I remember my Dad and I walking one day, when the prop shaft exploded on an old F150. You could use this method on the road if you had a replacement on hand. The advice you gave at the end was golden, the voice of experience. I hope you'll keep the promise to show your method for plastic joints and aluminum shafts, I've never had a chance to do those.

I can’t stop watching your channel!!!!! It’s been two months since I came across your videos. I fall asleep to them. It’s like being home. Your family and friends are just the best kind of wholesome I’ve been seeking in my search for credible vehicle maintenance needs!! I am a fan for sure!!!!!!!!

I hope you get an anvil for Christmas...I hope you wore ear plugs, I had to turn my volume down. That's for sharing and showing how simple and straight-forward the process is.

I'm preferred method for doing this after getting the clips free and the cups moving a bit with a BFH or air hammer is to use a bench vise opened a bit with the 2 ends resting on the open jaws and hammer on the solid part of the Yoke till the cup come out, then flip it over to the other side. And pressing in the new joint is super easy if you clean up the holes nice and use a little grease in the Yoke holes. And clean the slots for the clips really good too!!!

I have learned a great deal watching you, Eric. I wish I had been smart enough to know what I was doing when I was working on my own vehicle, ie changing the clutch disk because it was chattering. Little did I know that there was a lot more to doing that job than just R&R the disc. You sir are a good teacher, keep it up!

This is how you change u-joints in the real world. No special tools required. Good job Mr.O

If you wrote a book, I would buy it. Your approaches are not scientific, but they’re functional. Example: 1. First shock it, 2. Spray it down, 3. Move it one way, beat it back the other. I have read many mechanic books and never seen this written anywhere.

Hey dude! Mrs. O said lunch was ready. Seeing what she has fixed is part of the interest for some of us. She fixes some nice things on her induction hot plate. Perhaps Mrs. O should share her recipes for the lunch time segment.

Eric, Love the videos. Started watching your channel about 6 months ago and have learned a tremendous amount.

Thanks, Eric! I used to do all the normal and "easy" tasks myself until I got to be in my 60s and disabled! Now, I still do what is easy for me to get to and have a shade treee mechanic friend that helps me with anything I can't do and that requires a shop! This pretty much the same method my dad toaught me! He was a master mechanic on both diesel and gas engine vehicles! of course that was MANY years ago! He passed in 1971! I just needed a refresher course! Your video was preceise ns I appreciated that you left in the problems! They aren't uncommon and, as long as one doesn't go nuts and get too frustrated, as you show, they CAN be remedied! Thanks for the video! Keep up the good work! Best wishes!

My Dad when he was alive had made a home made tool that made install U Joint easy. Over the years the tool seemed to fly the coop. It was similar to a press and was held held. I watch him use it and it worked great. He was a mechanic at Caterpillar plant.

The secret to success using this method is a hammer that is big enough to deliver controlled energy. A too small hammer is big enough to do a lot of damage without being able to deliver the controlled energy necessary to get the work done, so you end up just beating the heck out of your parts and damaging them. Also a too small hammer is far more likely to chip off a piece of steel and send it flying because you are forced to trade high speed less controlled blows for slower blows that deliver the energy on target.

Pulling a load of coal in Tennessee and watching your driveshaft pass you is an enlightening moment..

Wow! Haven't seen that much banging and smashing since my VA Ortho Docs did surgery on my spine and leg! Nicely Done! That's you Eric....not them.

weber auto is indeed a fantastic channel, their transmissionvideos are awesome

Eric, I watched this video a while back...ended up trashing the UJ's on my daughters car whilst separating the drive shaft (my own stupidity) but revisiting the video today, to get the UJ's out....I did it the right way...Now don't feel so bad about it all. I had no option but to trash them as the shaft was 'welded' onto the VCU.......but I did gain a bearing puller set to aid the process...RESULT!! Car is currently in two wheel drive, VCU and prop-shafts will be replaced when I get home from work...in a month or two...

yeah, yeah, I should stick with wiring.... love you guys anyway

I was looking for a U-joint video because I had my 94 Grand Cherokee to do. After watching this the job went like butter on bread. Thanks.

BFH, the answer to most of my prayers. Great job Mr. O. You make a good teacher.

Action packed episode,noise,big nasty,And,Mrs O's lunch call,a very productive morning!

I was always told to put the grease fittings opposite each other to maintain balance as opposed to lineing them up !

I just did my wife’s pathfinder and I got a bit of dirt in my eye. That’s all we worry about in Colorado. I do feel for you guys in the rust belt. I did not know it was as extreme till I found S.M.A.

I've seen alot of stuff but your level of detail and concern for correctness is great. Thanks for the Weber link.

It's also good to note that you should check to make sure that the weights on the shaft are still in place

Nice to see that even the pros use one of my favorite tools: a block of wood!

I am so glad to see you having the problems. I am relieved to know that If I have a problem getting one out, It is not me just screwing up or not knowing what I am doing! Thanks you for showing us the troubling issues as well.

You are a patient man Eric, if it would have been me back in the day I would have been choking whoever was bonging the door bell and whoever was close at hand!

Haven't done a u-joint since I was a teenager. Lot's of good tips here Eric, thanks for sharing this with "the people!"

Wow, its amazing what some people will drive with!! That had to vibrate like hell!!

We are South Main Auto junkies! We don't know how to quit you Mr. O.

Thanks for showing me all of those tricks Eric! I have to do that on my Jeep as soon as time allows. It is good to see that the simple way is sometimes the best way.

Eric, you are the Go to channel for my mechanic needs just like Essential Craftsman is for my carpentry needs!! You are a tremendous teacher working and fixing modern vehicles with real world and practical solutions! You don’t over complicate anything and if there’s an easier way your open ears. Awesome video, I couldn’t help to say go caveman go watching you beat on that thing for awhile lol. Cheers!!

Deja vu all over again .. I watch my dad go thru this very process about 50 years ago ..

LOL. Watched a bunch of your videos and never once a discouraging word and you have had some situations where I would have laid a verbal barrage of profanity to ease my frustration. But a little bitty u-joint and a piece of shop towel? Too funny! Love watching your work. Keep em coming.

First U-joint job I ever attempted was on my '94 K1500 - had 222k miles on it at the time- pretty damn good, but I digress. Had that nylon-injected retainer. What a joke! So remembering how my dad and grandfather always rammed them out on the vice, I figured I'd use my brand new handy dandy ball joint press I had picked up at Harbor FRIGHT in Phoenix a couple years prior, before any of those stores had migrated east yet. Long story short, I "opened" the press up - yep ... bent the pee out of it! In the process of that, I also bent the driveshaft. Fun, fun! Couldn't get the internal clips in on the new joints. Had to be at work the next morning, so I went gorilla on the clip, and got it to stay put. Knew it wasn't right, but I was so mad and tired I was in IDGAF mode ... lol! Wasn't until I had turned on this new thing I had found called a PC, and got on this thing called the "internet" that I found you could heat those damn things up, melt the nylon and blast 'em right out easy! Live and learn, LOL! So I did manage to get 3k miles out of that joint, before it came apart rather violently on me, on my way home from work, of course at 10PM, pitch dark, on a busy MA highway! The driveshaft flailed around and smashed my muffler all to hell, but not too much damage considering. Made a hell of a racket, lol! I just yanked the shaft out, threw it in 4x4, and drove 10 miles home. Left a trail of ATF for about 1/4 mile or so until the level dropped. HAHAHA! Since '09 I've been using the 20 ton press. Pain in the ass! I ended up going back to the way you're doing it, because like you said, I've bent driveshafts, and blown out cups since you can't feel a needle that fell over. Did a couple double cardans for the first time on ... I think it was a '99 F350 a couple years back. Used the press on that since it was 9° outside - I would've rather have done that one in the driveway than in my crowded barn/garage/shop ... with a dirt floor. Was a royal pain, but I got it done with no issues. The rust is a killer up here!! Makes life 100x harder than it needs to be. I spit my coffee out on my monitor when you said, "We'll just give up and tell the guy he needs a new driveshaft." BWAHAHAHAA! That was great! That works for me on econobox car brake calipers ... LOL! Those are cheap enough. Can't imagine what GM charges for driveshafts ... My '07 Silverado's shaft is of course aluminum. Haven't done one of those newfangled units yet. At 88k now with heavy towing, so could be any day now. Was glad to see I'm not the only one that left the press idle - I felt like a hack doing it with the hammer and socket, but it was easier. Whatever works, and works right!! :)

That's prolly the best use for that kind of lift good thinking man

Ive watched your videos and been a sub for a while now and I need to say something. You are easily the best mechanic ive ever seen. Youre mechanic intelligence is off the chart along with your diagnostics. Ive been watching those so-called mechanics "the big 6 " and it amazes me how some of them (not all) have made a dime from being a mechanic. One of them even said that "you dont need a scanner or scope to work on cars" or something to that effect. Lol. Im sure you know the guys Im talking about and im sure you get a good laugh but anyway, you are the best man. Your videos are very helpful and you know what youre doing. I just want to say Thank You for your videos and you will always have a subscriber here.

Good one, Eric. We appreciate your sacrifice!

Glad you're wearing your safety squints! Watching this video was giving me flashbacks to my first job after high school at a truck fleet changing u-joints on road calls on the side of highways or wherever the trucks were. LOL, you get pretty creative on road calls. Nice job.

I'm no expert but I prefer to orient the grease zerk such that the grease hole "compresses" when the drive shaft is under load. I was taught that a u-joint is weaker when oriented such that the grease zerk hole "opens" when under load with the vehicle moving forward. A simple 90-degree rotation of the joint determines whether the hole is under tension or compression.

Nothing to it....just do it ! I'd like to see a carrier bearing R@R if you have the chance ? Thanks Eric for doing the real work, no freakin' editing. Let er' eat ,son !

Changed my u joints yesterday using most of your BFH method. You have the best channel.

I've got several of the ball hones for wheel cylinders and master cylinders, from all those years ago when we used to rebuild such things. So to put them to use I run the appropriate sized ball hone through the driveshaft yoke and polish the bores a bit after filing out any burrs. Bit of grease, and I use a vice and sockets to slowly press the cups in. Great video, and the exhaust manifold work on that F-150 is outstanding too!

Watching this reminds me why I never a give a firm estimate to do them. I provide a wide range because you don't know how it will go until you get started.

The problem is is quick lube place is actually going to grease those u joints or any other aftermarket component aka front end.Have a customer with a 2500 ram 4wd have replaced the front axle shaft u joints 4 times. The oem u joints are 4 times the cost of a aftermarket unit but pissing in the wind here has to change them out every 18 months like clockwork.Everyone thinks non greaseable components are crap but in fact in this day and age its the shit.Filled with synthetic grease and sealed for life these components last 80 to 100 k miles maintenance free.The aftermarket greaseable components with their loose seals are designed to expel grease they go dry and fail.Yea if its you or me no problem we will grease these components when needed but your average joe relying on his favourite quick lube they are going to get overlooked.Told my customer this first change on the u joints says oem too expensive said see you in 18 months.

I just replaced a U-joint in my old Chevy 4x4 yesterday. I used a hydraulic press, because I had one and by golly I'm going to get some use out of it! Worked okay. Listening to this video made me want to put on my ear muffs (hearing protectors). I hope you wear eye protection when using that hammer, Eric!

A couple of things that really helped me out,one of the things I did with my wooden handled hammers, was to grind a spiral in the handle using the edge of a bench grinder, I was amazed at how much it helped with grip. The other thing I did was use a small dingle berry hone, to just clean up the inside opening of the yoke, and no I didn't go stupid with it and over size the opening, but just a quick pass through it to clean it up.

I was beating on a ujoint one time and it wouldn't budge. Then obi-wan kenobi appeared and said "use the press Brian". I finished drinking my beer and got out the press. I have used the force ever since.

I dont know if its the correct way, but its the way I learned along time ago and its always worked, didnt know there was any other way, alot of banging and cussing normally gets it done.

Timing is everything. I'm doing the U- joints on my jeep today. I lust finished making a pair of tools to use on my arbor press that is similar to the tools that "YoungsgearLLC" channel uses in their video. I see that the "Weber auto" channel you referenced does them the same way, but with a slightly different tool. Hopefully my 3 ton arbor press will push them out as easily as theirs did, otherwise I will be doing a lot of swearing today. Im commited to post a video no matter how bad it goes since I already have videos on making the tools. Chris

Im watching all your u-joint videos learning alot,thank u mr O

Regular Hammers are OK, but I prefer Big Nasty.

ScannerDanner should have watched your video before doing his u-joint. :D

GOOD JOB, YOU AND PAUL DANNER HAVE MADE MY TRANSMISSION & REPIAR SHOP BETTER!!!!!!!!!

The master mechanic, Mr. Leo, that taught me, used this same method for u-joints. That was 37 years ago and I've never had a reason to change but I do know other methods because sometimes these can be stubborn.

I used to have a phone like that. When I hear it in he video, I get flashbacks and sometimes almost get up or reach over to see who it is.

Cleaning that retaining ring groove reminds me: I need to see my dentist!

Hi from Mr Nick Wiese: This is me 30 years ago, but the guy in the driveline shop used only a pocket knife, pliers, medium ball point hammer & a flat blade screwdriver! He beat on the end of the driveline yoke and the cap backed out, he cleaned out the clip area of rust & dirt with the knife. The old way to get a tie rod end out is to beat on the metal it is in on the side and it will often back out (same idea) I hope you will give it a try. good luck, Nick

Great tips on this video, I especially liked lining up the grease fittings. I've used a large vise, big hammers, worked at 2:00 in the morning and yes, lost a few needle bearings. It's been a while since I've done this but I better go check out that 73 Chevy. Thanks again Eric.

1:58, the pliers are made by Tiger Tool $14.95.

Could this be a job for BIG NASTY?

I recently replaced the u-joints on my '96 Ranger with over 210k miles. I am a diy and this was not my first time but I used a ball joint press, spread the yokes and made just about every mistake you said not to make. I got the job done though, by keeping my sense of humor, as you do so very well. Thank you for another great video!

This is exactly how I do it. Many of them in the woods at 2am in the middle of a mud hole. Got a box in the jeep with spare u-joints, blocks of wood, hammer, old sockets, a chunk of round stock and something to get snap rings out. And yes, have done the dropped a cap and use old needles lol

I wish the factory lined up grease fittings. :-(

You need more cow bell..... {;^)

Brings back memories of the 85 CJ7 I replaced U Joints on so many time that I started carrying a spare in the glove box and the tools with me all the time. No KZfaq back then but I think the Hanes manual describes the job the way Eric did it.

Man, he makes it look so easy...I've had some fun with u-joints in the past. I went to change some on a Yukon XL, and rookie me used a ball joint press. Well, sure enough, it bent the ears of the shaft. $255 later after taking it to a pro to fix and then just finish the initial job...I had another job about 2 years later, this time on a Silverado. I did the hammer method that Eric has here, but there was juuuust too much rust to make it seize in the ears...making me have to go back to the pro shop again. That was the rear shaft. I finally managed to get it though for the front shaft. I did the hammer method, as well as using a press, but without support from the opposite end, only the sides. So pressing from north and supporting from east and west, leaving south open. Between those two methods, and referring back to this video many, many times...I managed to get it relatively easily, including the stupid plastic injection stuff, and so far no issues at all with the joint. Ended up having barely any resistance when finished. Hopefully I don't have to do any more soon...though I feel fairly confident in it now. I guess sometimes you just gotta screw up a few times to really get it lol...

Drinking Game: Take a shot for every sexual innuendo found in this video! :P

you gave that thing the finger.

I can't ask why your not using a certain tool...I have been lerning how to do some auto repair from watching your vids...and this is one I REALLY wanted to know...So...Thank You Eric

You are a great mechanic Eric, love your videos

Title should have been how to change u joints like a barbarian

Your way is the pretty much the EXACT same way my Pops showed me and I still use it to this day. (Tried & True!) Thanks for the Awesome Content, Sir.

EXCELLENT!! I've never done a u-joint yet. I've had to replace the double cordon joints in my jeep, then I just replaced the whole shaft. Now I've got spares to practice on. Thanks Eric.

Eric wonder if the 4 dislikes muppets have ever done a stubborn drive shaft or prop shaft as we call them . REGARDS TO Mrs O Daz UK

how much brake cleaner a week do you use haha

I did the u-joints on my 2002 Grand Cherokee, front & back but not the yoke. Did it almost exactly like you did. Never done it before but it seemed pretty straight forward. One of the joints had the clips rusted so bad that the cups wouldn't move at all. I ended up grinding out the inner sides of the cross & pounding out the cups from the inside. managed it without bending the fork of the shaft. filed out the burrs, lubed the cylinders with u-joint grease & pounded the new joints in. Tapped them after adding the clips to loosen them up & BAM!!! All groovy like the movie!

You’re really great with your techniques & tricks. Glad I found ya. I can learn a lot smarter, not harder techniques from ya. Thanks!

Bro this will be my first time changing out any u joint. It will be on my 2010 Ford F-150. Thanks for the complete video. I seen your struggles. I felt the pain lol. I’m sure I will experience some also. Thanks again. That’s the way to make a video by including the struggles and of course the triumphs!!!

I am a KZfaq certified master U-Joint ologist and I approve this method!

Wow excellent step by step on a u-joint replacement.

the thing I like about watching your channel is rust it's the story of my life every project I do I end up having to fight with rust! great video!

Love the "real world" approach that you use. I've watched the Weber series, and while there is a lot of good information, replacing u-joints (or parts in general) in the real world are never as cut and dry as they are in classroom situations.

I still swear my troubles were caused by lazy cross machining with two dodge U-joints, but I'm not using that shop press ever again either. I thought that would be the sweet part of getting it only to learn that you don't even want to go there. Hammer method is much safer just for starters. Learned a new technique, nice going Eric, bust em both out as far as they go and then step punch em the rest of the way with their own cross. If you can't hang on to that big boy hammer they will come take your man card away. lol, always a riot, thanks for letting us peek over your shoulder.

Done this with my Jeep JK a couple times, shaft and front axles. Now have RCV axles and a HD RZEPPA front drive shaft! if I would have watched you first maybe the u-joints would have lasted longer, but low range 4x4 on rock is hard on them. Love your Channel!

Another very nice video Eric. Thanks for the excellent upload !

Great video as always, very helpful info. I found a huge bolt in my toolbox similar to your's and it worked great with a can of blaster. Thank You Sir, watching you down in Texas.

Thanks for the link to Weber Auto. After changing a hundred U-joints, I finally know the right way to do it. Very interesting.

It say this method is going to be my Go to method from here on out, much simpler than pinching my fingers in my bench vise with the sockets

I've always done it the way you do it. However, the guy I use to have do my driveshaft work in Canandaigua used a 1 ton arbor press. He made it look easy. Didn't matter how rusty the shaft was Vic could change the ujoint in minutes. One of the few things I miss from NY was that shop