im lookin at a 86 camaro with a 350...the u joints need to be replace...how much does this cost and is it hard to do?all help is appreciated!!!

 

TheU-Joints are about 10 to 15 dollars each and you can just rent the tool from your parts store. thaking the driveline off is the hardest part in replacing the joints as long as there is no damage to the dirveline. With the tool it took about 10 minutes aend not to hard you should be able to do them for under 50.00 or you can just take it off and take it to your local driveline shop and have them do it for the same amount or less as long as you buy the joint from them.

 

If your going to have a mechanic do it then you need to find out from them. Not knowing you areas labor rate among other things all you will get is a best guess and it could be way off give or take.
As to how hard itis depends on how skilled you are. Places like autozone have the loan a tool. You just leave a refundable deposit. The caps are pressed in. You could also use a hammer to knock them out but a press or C clamp type tool is easier. You also do not want to loose any needle bearings and place a drain pan at the tranny as some fluid will come out

 

Read that part about not wanting to loose needle bearings again.........put some extra grease in their prior.......

 

Voice of expiriece Scott??? I know it just about put me in tears the first time I pulled a drive shaft and the caps fell off and the needles went every where. LOL

 

I lost a U joint in Louisiana back in 93. On the side of the road, some guy pulls over to help us out. This guy was a FLAMING QUEER and drove like a bat out of hell. All we could see was the headlines....."3 Soldiers die in sexcapades gone wrong!"

Well, anyways, while fixing it on the side of the road my caps fell off and I had to gently put the needle bngs back in...about 3 times......

 

You only have to worry about the new needle bearings, the old ones get tossed. I use two different size sockets, and a vice to replace u-joints. One socket is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bearing cup, and the other large enough for the cup to fit into. Put one socket at each end of the yoke and clamp it down in the vice. As you tighten, the smaller socket will drive into the yoke and push the cup in at one end, and the other cup will slide into the larger socket. Then you need to drive out the other cup that you just pressed in. I just use a drift pin and a hammer. With the larger socket at the end of the yoke, hammer on the other end of the u-joint (the one that no longer has the bearing cup). To install the new, remove both bearing cups, start them into the yoke, slightly snug it in the vice, drop the u-joint into place, and s-l-o-w-l-y crank the vice to drive the cups in while making sure the joint is fitting into the bearings and that none fall out of place. You'll have to counter-sink the cups just enough (with the smaller socket) to catch the snap ring. And don't force the cups in too far, or you'll cause a bind.