A press or large vise will be called for in this procedure and unless you have special access to heavy duty equipment, it may be well to take the driveshaft to a local dealer service department, service station or machinist if a universal joint is broken, generally at a moderate cost. Procedures start by eliminating the driveshaft. When the U-joints have external snap-rings, it is necessary to take out the snap-rings from the spider by means of a small pair of pliers. Place support blocks under the
Drive Shaft and set the same on a flat working platform fitted with a vise. You can take a piece of pipe or a big socket where the inside diameter is a little greater than the outside diameter of the bearing cap; then align on it a socket of an outside diameter a little less than the outside diameter of the other bearing cap. Push the bearing cap out as far as you are able, use a vise or press and then use the vise or large pliers to finish it out. Slide the sockets to the other side and similar to the above process, push the bearing cap out. Apply grease to the new universal joint bearings and do it according to the instructions in the servicing kit that were given. Place the spider into the yoke and screw in one bearing cap to halfway, then turn the spider to start it into the second bearing cap and screw that in also to halfway. Synchronise the spider and fix the bearing caps in place but do not risk deforming the dust seals in the process. Fit the snap-rings, and if there is a problem in gripping, then use a hammer to strike on the driveshaft yoke to help the snap-rings to settle in the groove. Many a time, the joint is overfilled with grease when installing the grease fitting and this can blow out the grease seals. Finally, install the driveshaft.