WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[salans7]

Ah well, he's a good man to be looking after your "prize" for you!

Just happened to be thinking of Brutus, as im catching up on threads.

From the pictures it looked like the cowl might be the one thing didn't hack to shreds on that truck.

You might be right. Haha.

[Nothing Special]

Today I put a winch on my pickup! Well, not really, but I made it so I can use the Bronco's winch on the pickup. I have a receiver-mount winch for the Bronco and a front (and rear) receiver on the pickup, so I could already mount it. But I didn't have a way to get power to it. Today I put a quick-connect on the truck so now I can plug the winch in! I only put a plug at the front and I don't have a long enough power cable to run it back to the rear receiver. But just a front winch should be nice to have at times, like next weekend when I'm going up to my parents cabin where the driveways haven't been plowed all winter. I need to drive in to pick up some firewood so I'll back in, and if I get stuck I can pull myself back out!

And not "my" or a truck or today. But last fall I did the same thing to my wife's little Jeep Renegade. It doesn't have a receiver so I didn't do it for a winch. But there is no way to hook jumper cables to the battery in that thing! There's a panel mounted on top of the battery that blocks access to the battery posts (see picture below where I took the plastic cover off so you can see the panel). There's a terminal on top of the panel that's connected directly to the positive terminal, but it's not big enough to grab with jumper cables. So I wired a quick-connect on it and then put another quick connect on one end of a set of jumper cables (the cables are laying on top of the engine on the left side of the picture).

This has been an "interesting" summer! With the slow-down our company experienced due to Covid's effects on the economy I've was working 4-day weeks throughout the summer. With about 50 downed trees to cut up, we were at the cabin every 3-day weekend. That meant 4 nights a week we were either going to the cabin, at the cabin, or cominh home from the cabin. That left 3 nights a week to mow the lawn and take care of everything else at home, so no chance to get anything done on the truck, especially if it wouldn't be back on the road the same evening. But this week we had our first hard freeze, so last weekend we closed up the cabin. So now it was finally time for some much needed TLC on the truck.

To borrow Gary's word, there has been a "grunch" in the front end of the truck when applying power in a tight turn in 4WD. Also a pulsing in the brakes. And recently a grinding sound from the front end that's always there.

The pulsing is almost certainly a warped rotor, so a full front end brake job is in order. The last front brake job was 52K miles ago, so it's about due.

The grinding sound was easy to figure out. The dust shields (aka front brake backing plates) are rusted out and a part of the driver's side was rubbing the inside of the wheel. I actually had this happen on the passenger side last spring and "fixed" it by cutting off the offending piece, so I've been looking a little for replacements. I'm not finding any for what I think is a reasonable price, so I think I'm just going to trim enough off them that they won't rub anymore and call that good.

It seemed likely that the "grunch" was in the front axle, so after I had the calipers off I turned the steering to full lock, turned the hubs and looked at the U-joints. The passenger's side clearly had some play in it. So I had a good starting point.

Pulling the calipers and caliper mounts went pretty easy (they had last been off four years ago, the last time I replaced front axle U-joints). The locking hub on the driver's side came off easily, but the passenger's side wouldn't slide off the axle spline. I made a puller using a steel plate and a couple of the locking hub cap bolts into the body of the hub, and it pulled off easily.

The spindle nuts, wheel bearings and hubs came off easily.

The spindles did not. I fought them out once and liberal use of anti-seize had allowed them to just slide out by hand four years ago. But not this time. So I used my homemade puller and got them both off. (I figured if the passenger's side was bad I ought to look at the driver's side closer too since they were both replaced 4 years ago.)

Once the spindles were off the axles pulled out easily. As expected, the passenger's side was toast (no needles left in any of the caps, but I'm getting ahead of the story). The driver's side seemed too tight, so I decided I'd replace it again too. Fortunately the center U-joint feels smooth, but with no slop. So at least I don't have to decide if it's worth pulling the pumpkin to change that U-joint.

Getting the U-joints out of the axles last time was no picnic. None of the external retaining rings would come off so I ended up cutting the cross of the U-joints, driving the caps into the center to get them out, and then was able to get the retaining rings out. So when I put it together I used a lot of anti-seize in hopes of it going better the next time.

It didn't work.

Only 2 of the 8 retaining rings came out in one piece. 4 of the others came out in multiple pieces after a lot of work. The remaining 2 just wouldn't play nice. So I cut the cross of that joint.

Then I couldn't get the caps to move on that one. I heated up the yokes as much as I could with a propane torch, then doused it with penetrating oil. After letting it sit a bit I was able to drive the caps in and then get the remains of the retaining rings out.

The other side didn't go a lot better. I had to heat and soak those caps as well before I was eventually able to beat the caps out.

So that's where it sits now. Everything is taken apart. I need to get some parts ordered, probably clean up the the yokes a bit, and then put it back together. I'm hoping to get it wrapped up next weekend.

Here's the only picture I took. It shows the best of the two U-joints, along with one of the two retaining rings that did come out, and some of the remains of the needle bearings (as noted, the other joint had no needles at all). I'm pretty disappointed that these only lasted 4 years, especially since I don't use 4WD all that much. Hopefully I'll get better parts this time.

[ArdWrknTrk]

This has been an "interesting" summer! With the slow-down our company experienced due to Covid's effects on the economy I've was working 4-day weeks throughout the summer. With about 50 downed trees to cut up, we were at the cabin every 3-day weekend. That meant 4 nights a week we were either going to the cabin, at the cabin, or cominh home from the cabin. That left 3 nights a week to mow the lawn and take care of everything else at home, so no chance to get anything done on the truck, especially if it wouldn't be back on the road the same evening. But this week we had our first hard freeze, so last weekend we closed up the cabin. So now it was finally time for some much needed TLC on the truck.

To borrow Gary's word, there has been a "grunch" in the front end of the truck when applying power in a tight turn in 4WD. Also a pulsing in the brakes. And recently a grinding sound from the front end that's always there.

The pulsing is almost certainly a warped rotor, so a full front end brake job is in order. The last front brake job was 52K miles ago, so it's about due.

The grinding sound was easy to figure out. The dust shields (aka front brake backing plates) are rusted out and a part of the driver's side was rubbing the inside of the wheel. I actually had this happen on the passenger side last spring and "fixed" it by cutting off the offending piece, so I've been looking a little for replacements. I'm not finding any for what I think is a reasonable price, so I think I'm just going to trim enough off them that they won't rub anymore and call that good.

It seemed likely that the "grunch" was in the front axle, so after I had the calipers off I turned the steering to full lock, turned the hubs and looked at the U-joints. The passenger's side clearly had some play in it. So I had a good starting point.

Pulling the calipers and caliper mounts went pretty easy (they had last been off four years ago, the last time I replaced front axle U-joints). The locking hub on the driver's side came off easily, but the passenger's side wouldn't slide off the axle spline. I made a puller using a steel plate and a couple of the locking hub cap bolts into the body of the hub, and it pulled off easily.

The spindle nuts, wheel bearings and hubs came off easily.

The spindles did not. I fought them out once and liberal use of anti-seize had allowed them to just slide out by hand four years ago. But not this time. So I used my homemade puller and got them both off. (I figured if the passenger's side was bad I ought to look at the driver's side closer too since they were both replaced 4 years ago.)

Once the spindles were off the axles pulled out easily. As expected, the passenger's side was toast (no needles left in any of the caps, but I'm getting ahead of the story). The driver's side seemed too tight, so I decided I'd replace it again too. Fortunately the center U-joint feels smooth, but with no slop. So at least I don't have to decide if it's worth pulling the pumpkin to change that U-joint.

Getting the U-joints out of the axles last time was no picnic. None of the external retaining rings would come off so I ended up cutting the cross of the U-joints, driving the caps into the center to get them out, and then was able to get the retaining rings out. So when I put it together I used a lot of anti-seize in hopes of it going better the next time.

It didn't work.

Only 2 of the 8 retaining rings came out in one piece. 4 of the others came out in multiple pieces after a lot of work. The remaining 2 just wouldn't play nice. So I cut the cross of that joint.

Then I couldn't get the caps to move on that one. I heated up the yokes as much as I could with a propane torch, then doused it with penetrating oil. After letting it sit a bit I was able to drive the caps in and then get the remains of the retaining rings out.

The other side didn't go a lot better. I had to heat and soak those caps as well before I was eventually able to beat the caps out.

So that's where it sits now. Everything is taken apart. I need to get some parts ordered, probably clean up the the yokes a bit, and then put it back together. I'm hoping to get it wrapped up next weekend.

Here's the only picture I took. It shows the best of the two U-joints, along with one of the two retaining rings that did come out, and some of the remains of the needle bearings (as noted, the other joint had no needles at all). I'm pretty disappointed that these only lasted 4 years, especially since I don't use 4WD all that much. Hopefully I'll get better parts this time.

That sounds like a battle Bob, but it seems you've won the war!

Any commentary on the universals?

Cause?

Brand?

Things to avoid, or do to help?

I'm looking at having to replace mine before I really need 4wd this season.

Passenger side is just a rusty cross rattling around in the caps.

Nothing even resembling a bearing.

[Nothing Special]

That sounds like a battle Bob, but it seems you've won the war!

Any commentary on the universals?

Cause?

Brand?

Things to avoid, or do to help?

I'm looking at having to replace mine before I really need 4wd this season.

Passenger side is just a rusty cross rattling around in the caps.

Nothing even resembling a bearing.

The war's not quite over, but I think the major battles have been won, so I'm optimistic.

I don't know the brand of the U-joints. I've heard Spicer are best, so I'm hoping to find some. Also these were greaseable. I've heard that most people think the lubed-for-life versions are better. And in confession, I forgot that these were greaseable, so I never greased them after installation. I don't know how much greasing would've helped, but I'm sure I didn't do them any favors.

Things to avoid? Don't lose your temper and beat on the yokes indiscriminately with the big hammer. I probably am going to have to do some clean-up to get the new caps and retaining rings to fit.

Things that help? A few:

• Soak the retaining rings in penetrating oil before you try to remove them (I'm talking about the "external" style I have that go inside the bore of the yoke so they're really internal retaining rings but they go outside of the caps so people call them external). Days would probably be best, but anything you can do will probably help (for me it was under an hour, and it allowed me to be "successful" on 6 of 8).

• Take a small, flat-faced punch and rap on the retaining rings, pounding them toward the cap.

  They can't go anywhere that direction, but it might loosen them up.

• Try first to pull them out with a pair of pliers. 2 of mine did come out that way (with a little more rapping in the tight places). But when that doesn't work...

• Use the small punch to try to knock each "tab" in, to pull the ring out of the groove. Chances are that the ring will break somewhere, getting a small piece out. But then do the same on the other "tab".

• You'll probably be left with a section still stuck in after you've broken the two ends off. Use the punch to try to drive that around the circle. On 4 of mine that eventually made that section pop out, meaning that the entire retaining ring was out.

• Heat the thin section of the yoke and then soak the cap with penetrating oil before removing the caps. Again, more time is probably better, but any is better than none.

• It's probably better to use a hydraulic press to push the caps out. But I supported one yoke on a vice and beat on the other with a big hammer. It took a LOT more beating than I expected to get them out (especially with how much anti-seize I used only 4 years ago). But they did all come out.

• On the caps where the retaining rings wouldn't come out, use a cutoff wheel to cut through the cross. Then use a bigger flat-faced punch to push the cap in through the center of the yoke. Then use a punch to try to knock the retaining ring in to the center.

I fought through this same process 4 years ago. It went a lot faster this time because I knew what to do. But it still was no fun.

[ArdWrknTrk]

That sounds like a battle Bob, but it seems you've won the war!

Any commentary on the universals?

Cause?

Brand?

Things to avoid, or do to help?

I'm looking at having to replace mine before I really need 4wd this season.

Passenger side is just a rusty cross rattling around in the caps.

Nothing even resembling a bearing.

The war's not quite over, but I think the major battles have been won, so I'm optimistic.

I don't know the brand of the U-joints. I've heard Spicer are best, so I'm hoping to find some. Also these were greaseable. I've heard that most people think the lubed-for-life versions are better. And in confession, I forgot that these were greaseable, so I never greased them after installation. I don't know how much greasing would've helped, but I'm sure I didn't do them any favors.

Things to avoid? Don't lose your temper and beat on the yokes indiscriminately with the big hammer. I probably am going to have to do some clean-up to get the new caps and retaining rings to fit.

Things that help? A few:

• Soak the retaining rings in penetrating oil before you try to remove them (I'm talking about the "external" style I have that go inside the bore of the yoke so they're really internal retaining rings but they go outside of the caps so people call them external). Days would probably be best, but anything you can do will probably help (for me it was under an hour, and it allowed me to be "successful" on 6 of 8).

• Take a small, flat-faced punch and rap on the retaining rings, pounding them toward the cap.

  They can't go anywhere that direction, but it might loosen them up.

• Try first to pull them out with a pair of pliers. 2 of mine did come out that way (with a little more rapping in the tight places). But when that doesn't work...

• Use the small punch to try to knock each "tab" in, to pull the ring out of the groove. Chances are that the ring will break somewhere, getting a small piece out. But then do the same on the other "tab".

• You'll probably be left with a section still stuck in after you've broken the two ends off. Use the punch to try to drive that around the circle. On 4 of mine that eventually made that section pop out, meaning that the entire retaining ring was out.

• Heat the thin section of the yoke and then soak the cap with penetrating oil before removing the caps. Again, more time is probably better, but any is better than none.

• It's probably better to use a hydraulic press to push the caps out. But I supported one yoke on a vice and beat on the other with a big hammer. It took a LOT more beating than I expected to get them out (especially with how much anti-seize I used only 4 years ago). But they did all come out.

• On the caps where the retaining rings wouldn't come out, use a cutoff wheel to cut through the cross. Then use a bigger flat-faced punch to push the cap in through the center of the yoke. Then use a punch to try to knock the retaining ring in to the center.

I fought through this same process 4 years ago. It went a lot faster this time because I knew what to do. But it still was no fun.

Thanks for the advice!

I haven't done mine in more than a decade, so I need all the help I can get.

If I have to torch the cross out and knock the caps in with a punch, so be it.

I don't have a shop press either, but I do have a BFH.

[grumpin]

Thanks for the advice!

I haven't done mine in more than a decade, so I need all the help I can get.

If I have to torch the cross out and knock the caps in with a punch, so be it.

I don't have a shop press either, but I do have a BFH.

I don’t have a press either. I’ve quit fighting them. Took that short rear shaft with the double cardan joint in my Bronco to a local driveline shop and they did the u joints for $110.

Just a week or so ago took them the rear shaft in my sons Jeep Liberty, $40.64! That Liberty driveshaft is a vibration waiting to happen! Has a damper on the shaft and a huge weight hanging off the pumpkin.

[Gary Lewis]

That sounds like a battle Bob, but it seems you've won the war!

Any commentary on the universals?

Cause?

Brand?

Things to avoid, or do to help?

I'm looking at having to replace mine before I really need 4wd this season.

Passenger side is just a rusty cross rattling around in the caps.

Nothing even resembling a bearing.

The war's not quite over, but I think the major battles have been won, so I'm optimistic.

I don't know the brand of the U-joints. I've heard Spicer are best, so I'm hoping to find some. Also these were greaseable. I've heard that most people think the lubed-for-life versions are better. And in confession, I forgot that these were greaseable, so I never greased them after installation. I don't know how much greasing would've helped, but I'm sure I didn't do them any favors.

Things to avoid? Don't lose your temper and beat on the yokes indiscriminately with the big hammer. I probably am going to have to do some clean-up to get the new caps and retaining rings to fit.

Things that help? A few:

• Soak the retaining rings in penetrating oil before you try to remove them (I'm talking about the "external" style I have that go inside the bore of the yoke so they're really internal retaining rings but they go outside of the caps so people call them external). Days would probably be best, but anything you can do will probably help (for me it was under an hour, and it allowed me to be "successful" on 6 of 8).

• Take a small, flat-faced punch and rap on the retaining rings, pounding them toward the cap.

  They can't go anywhere that direction, but it might loosen them up.

• Try first to pull them out with a pair of pliers. 2 of mine did come out that way (with a little more rapping in the tight places). But when that doesn't work...

• Use the small punch to try to knock each "tab" in, to pull the ring out of the groove. Chances are that the ring will break somewhere, getting a small piece out. But then do the same on the other "tab".

• You'll probably be left with a section still stuck in after you've broken the two ends off. Use the punch to try to drive that around the circle. On 4 of mine that eventually made that section pop out, meaning that the entire retaining ring was out.

• Heat the thin section of the yoke and then soak the cap with penetrating oil before removing the caps. Again, more time is probably better, but any is better than none.

• It's probably better to use a hydraulic press to push the caps out. But I supported one yoke on a vice and beat on the other with a big hammer. It took a LOT more beating than I expected to get them out (especially with how much anti-seize I used only 4 years ago). But they did all come out.

• On the caps where the retaining rings wouldn't come out, use a cutoff wheel to cut through the cross. Then use a bigger flat-faced punch to push the cap in through the center of the yoke. Then use a punch to try to knock the retaining ring in to the center.

I fought through this same process 4 years ago. It went a lot faster this time because I knew what to do. But it still was no fun.

You guys make me glad I don't live up north! I've fought a lot of u-joint battles, but never one that tough.

I went with Spicer u-joints and most of them are greasable. The idea being that after a trip where I've used the front driveline I'll grease them and, hopefully, push any water or dirt out with the new grease. We shall see.

Anyway, sure glad you have a process that works for you, Bob.

[Gary Lewis]

I don’t have a press either. I’ve quit fighting them. Took that short rear shaft with the double cardan joint in my Bronco to a local driveline shop and they did the u joints for $110.

Just a week or so ago took them the rear shaft in my sons Jeep Liberty, $40.64! That Liberty driveshaft is a vibration waiting to happen! Has a damper on the shaft and a huge weight hanging off the pumpkin.

Dane - I probably had close to $110 in parts for the front double-cardan shaft. I like your way of doing it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Dane - I probably had close to $110 in parts for the front double-cardan shaft. I like your way of doing it.

I changed out my transmission mount.

It's been broken for a while...

[JG2020]

I changed out my transmission mount.

It's been broken for a while... http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/uploads/6/5/8/7/65879365/laughing-25-x-25_orig.gif

Oooh. I wanted to see those tranny mount pics! I think mine is broken and I have a new one on hand.

Looks like I am going to install the manual choke. Mine is just not working correctly.

I hooked up the green wire from my new HEI dizzy to the Tach wire and the tach still does not work. I also do not have Instrument panel lights. The blinker, high beam lights, brake light, work fine but none of the night illumination. I ordered a new headlight switch and dimmer switch.

I took the dash out and applied 12v to the area around each bulb on the printed circuit board and they each lit up so it's somewhere else. I replaced all the bulbs and sockets also.

Added this cap yesterday from CL.