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Triumph TR6 - Stupid U-joint question

In the bentley manual there is a "warning" in the chapter that describes the changing of u-joints. What is it that is so difficult? How big a project is it for a beginner to change all 6 u-j's? I was thinkin about having it is a winter-project, but I was a bit scared by the "warning" and I dont have a clue about how long it will take.

Horst S.
Horst

I did mine last spring. It took a day to get the car up and drive shafts out, another to replace the u-joints. You need a good solid bench vise.
BC
BC

Horst,
I'm replacing mine as we speak. The drive shaft was first. I followed the instructions in the shop manual...strike the yoke with a rubber mallet and the caps will fall out...NOT!! Took a good bit of effort with first a bearing press and then a large vise to force the cups out so that I could remove the spider. I have not removed the axles yet nor attempted to install the new ones in the drive shaft. I'll probably do that this weekend and I hope it all goes smoothly. BTW, while I had the drive shaft out, I bead blasted it clean (protecting the sleeve with masking tape) and experienced with POR-15. Turned out beautifully. The stuff flows out very well and leaves a great finish. Good luck with your project. I'm sure it'll give you several hours of great memories:)
db
Doug Baker

Gents:
I believe Revington in the UK sell a replacement type U-joint for the IRS TR's. Even after visiting their web site, I'm not too sure how they work. Can anyone out there describe their function or, better yet, has installed them?
D.
dennis

Dennis, Doug, BC, Horst, [and anyone else thinking of doing this project]

All pretty normal stuff to do; a fairly large bench vice, c-clamps, and perhaps a long slender drift [punch] will help.

Two IMPORTANT things to keep in mind:

1 Replacement u-joints should have grease fittings installed.

2 WHILE THE driveshaft IS OUT OF THE CAR, TAKE IT TO THE LOCAL DRIVELINE SHOP AND HAVE IT BALANCED!!kEEP IN MIND THAT IT SPINS AT CRANKSHAFT RPM IN 4TH GEAR, [NON OVERDRIVE]------THE SMOOTHNESS IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT!

Luck all.

Dale
Dale

Here's how ya do it. Take a socket that's just bigger than the cap and another just smaller than tha cap and put them all in a vise along with the yoke. Hold them all in line and press the the cap into the bigger socket. Then take yet a smaller socket and turn it backwards and press the ujoint so it pops the other cap out enough so you can get the ujoint out. So now you have a yoke with just a cap that's almost out. Turn the yoke around and put the cap end in the vise and twist the yoke until the cap pops out. Now hold the yoke in the vise and set the new ujoint in place and with a socket thats just smaller than the cap, squeeze the first cap into the yoke just far enough to get the clip in. So now you have the ujoint and on cap in place. Now using the same technique press the other cap in place, again just far enough to get the clip in place. Amd there ya go, boom-sha-ka-la-ka you have it. (let the vise do the work)...Mark
JM Johnson

Do bear in mind that it is possible to break a vise when using it for removal of u-joints. Evert now and then you find a cup so firmly stuck that the vise and socket will not budge it. If you keep forcing beyond that point, you will trash the internal mechanism on the vise.

Oh yea, balance that drive shaft while it is out.....so good advice there.
SteveP

This thread was discussed between 12/10/2005 and 15/10/2005

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