U-joint removal with a ball joint press

[workgoats]

Many of us don't have a sufficient shop press or a vice big enough to press out u-joints.  The option many of us has been using has been a shop hammer, a big bolt and a large socket.

A handy tool to have at home is a ball joint press.  The one from Harbor Freight is economical and usable.  It also is great for removing and installing u-joints and is even readily portable.

Here is a video of the removal of a u-joint from a driveshaft.  Installation is almost as easy.

vimeo.com/55713635

[mopar65pa]

  where have I seen this before? 

[workgoats]

where have I seen this before? 

Not as many people have made fun of me on this post yet...

[rjtx667]

I bought that ball joint press kit a few years ago... this weekend is the first time I have used it on ball joints, before that it was always u joints.

[SixGun]

So maybe I didn't recognize Ron (which I do) and maybe the fact that his Caliber is in the background might even pass me by.  However, that RamJam pit is unmistakeable!! 

I did mine with a vise, sockets and a big mallet to break it loose.  The vise was barely large enough.  The facings on my vise are torn/broken all to hell and the handle is bent from using a cheater bar on it frequently.  So it's time to upgrade to bigger and better. 

I really like the idea of putting the ball joint press in the vise though.  That gives it the clearance most people's vises don't have.

[REB]

Hey great idea, learn something new every day. Does it work on the large 1 ton chevy truck ujoints? And or any way to make it work on the ujoints on a 4X4 front axle shaft joints?
REB

[rjtx667]

Hey great idea, learn something new every day. Does it work on the large 1 ton chevy truck ujoints? And or any way to make it work on the ujoints on a 4X4 front axle shaft joints?
REB

I have not done a front drive shaft, but I have used this method on the front axle shafts. It was a bit of work and getting the parts in just the right location, but it worked without an issue. I do not see any reason why you could not do it on any u joint

[workgoats]

If the caps are too large to do without the various adapters, there should be one in the kit that will let it work.  Everything I have is small enough to use without adapters.