Worn Rear Driveshaft Uni.

[mike_nofx]

My rear driveshaft uni (one closest to rear diff) has collapsed. I first noticed when i could hear a nocking noise when taking off. I thought it was the diff at first, but when i got under the car found out it was the rear uni.

What i want to know is wether the 'cross piece' inside the uni can be changed, and if so, where can i get one?
Or is it best to get a whole shaft from the wreckers?

I have the whole shaft removed. is it ok to stick it into HI4 and drive around in front wheel drive until i get a replacement?

Thanks
Mike

[fool_injected]

go down to Repco and buy a uni
It is an assembled unit (cross piece fitted with caps and needle bearings)
The whole shebang will set you back $20-30
Buy a spare and keep it in your toolbox/glovebox

You should look into why it clapped out
Is it just old
Is the excessive shaft angle
Is your diff wrapping up?

No it's not the best to do (driving in front wheel drive mode)

edit: I needed a new cross piece once

[weaves]

get the white pages out and look for

Driveline services,
Hardey Spicer,
or any bearing shop (CBC, BSC, SKEFCO, SKF BEARINGS)

all these places should have them on the shelf.

it would be better to take a sample with you. make sure you take two caps and the "X" bit. thats all i need to ID them in any catalogue, and so should they. Retail price shouldn't be much more than $25

have fun with it.

Weaves

[VaJJ]

yeah i just done that uni, you just buy the spider (cross member) and comes with the bearing caps and clips. cost me $20 from a bearing shop, mine got worn out cos drove on the beach i think it rubbed out the grease and wore out the bearings and all fell out, this gave it free play so taking off it would move, clank and bend the bearing caps and make it much harder to change.
not that complicated to do but can be annoying and take a couple of hours (thats how long it took my first time)

probly done it already but some good hints: for Sierra
have a good secured vice and have a catchment underneath it cos the uni's always drop
as soon as you take a bearing cap off grab a finger full of grease and slap it in there so when you do drop it the bearings dont fall out
to take the spider out i had to use an angle grinder ( bearings were bent and wouldnt tap out) carefully cut the cross bars, might have to cut all 4 and try not to grind the yoke and unbalance the shaft, possibly use a hack saw, then the middle piece should fall out
take out the c clips and use a socket and hammer to push the old bearing caps through.
to put in the new spider and bearing take off 2 opposite caps and insert in the yoke where the old caps came from, use a vice and some sockets to squeaze them in (make sure the spider is going inside the caps properly). this was my difficult part because the caps have to be pushed in straight if they start to lean the spider wont fit in properly and they wont push in, can easily tell by how much force your putting in turning the vice, if you cant turn it its not going straight. a way i found to straighten them is to clamp the vice on the outer part of the cap then twist the shaft, this usually straightens it.
once the cap is flush with the yoke use a socket and hammer to tap it that little bit further so the c clip will fit in all round.
do the same with othercaps and its all good

dunno if this is how other people do it but i couldnt find all that much info on it. should also clean the spline (other end of shaft that slides into the front shaft) and then re grease it aswell.

[waandy]

iv done a heap of unis in mine due to the bloke before me not putting the shaft back with the yokes lined up properly and me not quite knowing how it worked. be verry careful putting your caps in straight as if you dont you can bruise damage the shaft. um im not sure if you could cut through the cross with a hacksew as it is very hard steel. iv done that before with a grinder. heat mite be an option 2 if the caps dont want to move and you have acces to an oxy or butane torch. just heat the shaft a little bit. dont go overboard with the heat tho.
anyways jump out and have a stab.
cheers

[Pyrotech]

when u say the yokes wernt lined up properly, what do u mean exactly?? im replacing mine tomoz

[lump_a_charcoal]

I think what he means is when you take the two halves of your driveshaft apart, make sure they go back the same way, not a few degrees out.

[Pyrotech]

u mean like lining the splines up the way they came out?
?

[lump_a_charcoal]

yep

[Pyrotech]

oh, thats bad...
i pulled mine out this arvo... any pointers?

[waandy]

oh, thats bad...
i pulled mine out this arvo... any pointers?

easy. just make sure that u put the splines together with both unis paralal if you know what i mean. as in look down the shaft. only 1 way will be correct but it is easy to tell when it is right. otherwise you will chew through a uni in about a week.lol wel i wenth through 6 unis before i worked it out. makes me feal like a dip shit but u gota learn somehow.

[Pyrotech]

sweet thanks, il give it ago tomoz