Chevrolet 26008858 Joint Kit,Propeller Shaft Universal

To remove the driveshaft, start by placing it on a bench equipped with a vise. Use a small pair of pliers to remove the snap-rings. Support the cross on a short piece of pipe or a large socket and press it out by closing the vise. Grip the bearing cup with locking pliers and remove it. Inspect the bearing cup housing for wear and damage. If necessary, replace the driveshaft. Make sure the dust seals are properly located on the trunnion. Press a bearing cup into the yoke and use multi-purpose grease to hold the needle rollers in place. Insert the trunnion into the bearing cup and press both cups into place. Use a socket to press them into the yoke and install the snap-rings. Repeat these steps for the remaining bearing cups. For the injected-plastic type, remove the snap-rings on the inner part of each bearing cup. Press out the bearing cups and remove the trunnion. Clean all plastic material from the yoke and reassemble the joint using the same steps as the outer snap-ring joint, but with the snap-rings on the inner part of each bearing cup. If difficulty is encountered during installation, strike the yoke with a hammer to allow the snap-ring groove to move into position.

A driveshaft is a tube or pair of tubes that transmits power between the transmission or transfer case on 4WD models and the differential. It is equipped with universal joints at either end and in the center for two-piece driveshafts. On 2WD models, the driveshaft has a splined yoke at the front that allows it to slide back and forth within the transmission, with an oil seal to prevent fluid leakage and dirt entry. For 4WD models, the driveshaft may have a splined yoke or companion flange at the transfer case end, and two-piece driveshafts usually have a slip joint at the front of the rear section. Center bearings support the driveline in two-piece driveshafts, mounted in a rubber cushion on a frame crossmember. The driveshaft requires minimal service, with the universal joints being lubricated for life and replaced if problems arise. It is important to keep the driveshaft clean and inspect it for damage, ensuring the small weights used for balancing are in place and securely attached. Any noise or vibration while driving may indicate a problem with the driveshaft, which can be verified through a road test.

Before starting this procedure, one should always purchase a Universal Joint Service Kit for your model vehicle and, at least, skim over the outline of the method. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the driveshaft. Hold up the driveshaft on a bench on which you have placed a vise, and thereafter use a small pair of pliers to untie the snap-rings which are on the two ends of the universal joint yokes. It is mounted on a short pipe or a large socket and the second socket is pressed out of the cross by closing the vise. Drive the cross through until it is flush with the mating surface, and then, with pliers, extract the bearing cap. A universal joint repair kit will therefore include a new cross, seals, bearings, caps and snap-rings. Check the bearing cap bores in the yokes for wear and damage; if they are so worn that the caps can be roughly shaken off, the driveshaft will have to be renewed. Make sure that the dust seals are in the right position on the cross After this place one of the bearing cap using the vise to be pressed in the yoke up to 1/4 inch deep. Squeeze chassis grease to keep the needle rollers fitted into the caps, then, put the cross into the partially fixed bearing cap and ensure that the needle rollers do not come off. Maintain equal distance from the arms of the cross and insert both caps in their respective position by slowly tightening the jaws of the vise. Push the caps into the yoke with a socket slightly smaller in diameter than the caps in one side; install the snap-ring; then push the other side to move the cross assembly closer to the installed snap-ring and fix the other snap-ring. Perform the same on the other two bearing caps. If this joint has ever been rebuilt and you will be using new snap-rings, then you will need to take off two snap-rings fixed at the interior part of each bearing cap. This must be done if this is the first time the joint is being rebuilt since the pressing operation will shear the molded plastic retaining material so that it will not be necessary to pull out snap-rings. The U-joint is usually reinforced with a plastic material and it may be required to heat the U-joint to over 500 degrees to melt the material and apply force to separate the elements. Cut the bearing caps, take off the cross, before washing all of the plastic material from the yoke especially round the injection holes use a punch. The reassembly here is the same with outer snap ring joint only that, the snap rings are located at the internal side of each bearing cap. After fixing the position of the bearing cap it is pressed until the snap ring can be fitted. If the joint remains slightly rigid after assembly, it is recommended to strike the yoke with a hammer to 'spring' the yoke ears so that the joint will open.

Any noise or vibration while driving may indicate a problem with the driveshaft, which can be verified through a road test.

In 2WD models, the driveshaft has a splined yoke at the front that allows it to slide back and forth within the transmission, with an oil seal to prevent fluid leakage and dirt entry.

Problems with the driveshaft typically manifest as noise or vibration while driving. A road test is warranted to determine if the issue lies with the driveshaft or another component, prompting an inspection of the driveline.