Desperate Help Needed!!!!! ASAP

Working on my axle U-joints.... But I've run out of leverage. All I have is my trusty H.F. Press tool, which has worked fine for drive line joints, but its just not doing the trick for these axle joints. I have the shaft(s) out, and the axle side of the U-joint out, but the short shaft side is giving me trouble. I've tried everything, heat, hammering, breaker bar on my press tool, Nothing is working.
The XJ is our only vehicle right now, and I dont have anyone nearby to call for help... other than maybe you guys...So is there anyone willing to come out to my place in Gresham, and give me hand.... or a ride to a shop who has a press, or who has a press themselves, and can press the rest of these old crusty U-joints out of my axles for me? I'm totally out of commission until I can get this resolved!
Gas money, home made dinner, beer, etc. can/will be provided.
Thanks in advance.

PM sent I have no tools or know how when it comes to working on jeeps but i can shoot ya a ride to get what you need. jimmy

Is there a c clip that needs to come out you might have forgot?

No all the clips are out. The problem is that these U-joints are 205k miles old, and are corroded in the ears. One side of the passenger U-joint cap exploded on me when pressing it out, and the other cap came off with a ton of red dust inside. These things are just way overdue for replacement, and have bonded with the ears of the shafts. If I had a decent work bench and a vice, I could lock my press tool into position and get the leverage I need. But as it stands, It's "free-floating" and I just cant get enough leverage on the spindle of the press to get the caps off of the old joints. I've tried heat, hammering, pressing (obviously) ...nothing is working. But I'm sur eIf I had access to a bench and a vice I could get these things out.

I have a 3 1/2 inch vice we would just need to bolt it to something. not sure if that woould be big or strong enough though

Hmmm.... that might be on the small side..... it MIGHT work, but yea, we'd need something pretty solid to mount it to. I PM'd Darren, he said to reach out to NW-ZJ-SCOTT, that he might be willing to help...I'm sending him a message right now. Darren said he'd be willing to help out to, but he's clear up in Woodland. I dont know what kind of facilities/tools/equipment he's got, but that's an option.... I'd still need a ride there and back though... we'll see what develops here in the next hour or so.

You got my number

HE-MAN said:

You got my number

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Yes I do, thanks for that by the way.... I may be hitting you up at some point either tonight or tomorrow, depending on what unfolds.

8.25 rear by chance?

Front shaft ? which side? I'll give you a whole shaft if I have it. Just give me yours that needs to be put together in trade. Call me 3603568684

I'm assuming its a front shaft sense your doing a u joint.

Im gonna start prank calling both of you at 2 am!!!!! I also have a 8.25 shaft i grabbed from nw scott

found this in a post as well


i had the same problem with my rear u joints. Being a northern vehicle they were rusted on there. The socket and vise wouldnt work plus a cheater bar (breaker bar). I eventually had to just them out with a grinder and cutoff disk. Just cut right behind the cap straight through the ujoint body. Do this on both sides. Remove the ujoint body and try the socket and vise or socket and hammer again. It worked a lot better because you no longer are "breaking" free both caps, only one. Hope this helps. Oh and use liquid wrench or PB blaster and let it sit as long as u can after cutting.

BPB said:

Text me 360 281 6048 I have a press. Although I have a couple other techniques that should with a bfh
I'm in battle ground

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Text sent... thanks! If He-Man is still willing to drive, I can get out there. Is your press a hand held Harbor Freight thingamajig like mine, or is it a hydraulic press? Would tonight be good or would tomorrow be better?

We are a ways out of your way but just so people know for in the future we have a 50ton press out in the shop.

I've got He-Man on his way to pick me up, and we'll be heading out to BPB's...He says he's got a press, so hopefully we'll have this taken care of tonight!
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Mnkyboy....thanks for the offer.... if this doesn't work tonight, I may be hitting you up tomorrow.

I'm sure Ben will take care of you, but if not let me know

So first off let me say a huge thanks to He-Man for going out of his way to help me out with a ride. MUCH appreciated! That guy is good people, and I look forward to returning the favor by helping him out with some stuff on his build.
Also... BIG thanks to BPB, Ben dropped what he was doing to meet me back at his place to help me out with this, his hydraulic press did the trick, and if it wasn't for him, I'd be up the creek with out a paddle.
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He was able to get the old joints out, one was stubborn as all hell, and took some extra persuading (BFH) to come out.... but when trying to put the new 760's in, we blew the end of one of the caps off of one new joint, and we couldn't get the clips on the other.... so now I'm back home with 1 1/2 u-joints that don't fit.... The Spicer boxes are labeled 5-760, but the joints (both of them) are stamped 549... not sure if this has anything to do with it or not. All I know is that I now have to find a way to the parts store tomorrow to get some "lesser brand" joints to put in there that will fit.... at least I got the old ones out -that was the hard part. I shouldn't have any trouble getting the new ones in now.
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Thanks again to everyone else who offered their help/services. It's this kind of comradery that makes this forum, and the Jeep community what it is.

Phew, sounds like some guys came through for you... that's awesome! Hopefully you don't encounter any other problem(s).

Shoot me a call if you need a ride to the parts store. Your not that far from me bro.

Thanks again He-Man.... couldn't have done it with out you.
Well all is done..... got the new (precision brand/ultra heavy duty) u-joints in, but not without trouble... i'm pretty sure the ears were bent after trying to remove the old ones. I tried everything I could to get them to straighten out, but I ended up having to grind about a 1/16" off between the two ears in order to clear the clips.
Got it all back together, and took it for a test drive, came back and noticed my passenger tire all wet....looks like I damaged the shaft seal when putting the axle back in.....F_CK!!!! I swear, If its not one thing its another.... So it looks like I now have to tear apart the 30 completely now. Hope I can drive on this for a few days....