ideas on how to get u-joint out after breaking one of the snap rings

Im taking out the broken u-joint in my rear driveshaft and the old rusted snap ring broke leaving half of it in there and i cant get it out. Im affaid to touch the otherside and break that one too and then be really screwd. Anyone got ideas on how to get the u-joint out. I already searched naxja and found nothing helpfull.

I ran into something like that when I changed out my front axle joints. There was no way they was going to come out the correct way. I used a air die grinder w/3" cutting wheel. I cut one side turned it & repeated. Put it in the vise w/ a socket & presto. Be for-warned those are really hard & it might take you a couple cutting wheels.

i use a socket or punch to push the cap down to relieve preasure on the clip then use a pick or small screwdriver to pry it out do the same on the other side. when you get it all apart clean the groves out so the clips go in better. hope that helps

Use a penetrating lubricant/oil such as PB blaster or liquid wrench on it too. That will dissolve some of the rust and make it a little easier to get out when you relieve the pressure as mentioned above.

I used a bearing balljoint press and an impact and pushed on the ujoint until the snap rings basically exploded. Although that's probably not a good idea, I was in a rush and it worked.

Blaine B. said:

I used a bearing balljoint press and an impact and pushed on the ujoint until the snap rings basically exploded. Although that's probably not a good idea, I was in a rush and it worked.

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the c frame press is a great thing to have around for ujoints. you wind up finding other uses for it too. it is a permanent fixture in the trail repair kit.

i live in the rust belt. thos snap rings break more often than not. pb blaster, liberally. then whack the whole thing, not real hard but so it knows you meant it. this helps the blaster get in there, and it helps you feel like you are asserting yourself. the just like mentioned above use a punch or your press to take the pressure off the ring(or what is left of it) and knock out the pieces with a small punch or small flat screwdriver(i have a small flathead i keep in the same blowmolded case as the press for this purpose).

the press is also handy for putting the joints in as well.

that having been said. on my rear ds i just torch diagonal across the t of the ujoint then knock out the remaining bits with a punch and my beloved 3lb drilling hammer. i am not so happy with the torch on my front axleshafts. but the rear driveshaft is pretty forgiving of dripping slag and whatnot.

Thanks for some of the ideas, im going to let the broke side soak in PB over night and then let the other side soak all day and work on it some more tomorrow night.