Help!Need to Replace Leaky rear pinion Seal cant remove u-joint!

[quiksilver1j]

I Need to Replace Leaky rear pinion Seal and I cant remove the u-joint!

I need to replace a leaky rear pinion seal... I removed the u-joint retainer bolts but the drive shaft will not budge. The TM says not to hit the drive shaft or pry in the u joint to free the shaft ? How do I remove it then (I did hit the shaft with soft mallet and pryed lightly on the u joint and nothing ..it wont budge? DO I need to lift the rear or something? what am I missing ?

 

[porkysplace]

Are you broke down on the road ? Use of the word HELP in the title shoud be reserved for people that need help to get vehicles going that are stranded on the road .

 

[original]

Just hit it and lay clear. I've seen many stuck like this and I've had a few hit me in the head. Now would be a good time to replace the u-joint bearing also. I normally hit the bearing, which destroys it. It lets the driveshaft fall. Then I put a new one back. Remember to mark the position of your shaft. Good luck mate.

 

[dependable]

If you still have not gotten the drive shaft free from yoke, just use a large screwdriver or small bar and gently pry u joint forward. Spray some CRC or Liquid wrench type product if it is rusty. You may need some carefully applied brute force at some point doing this job, but not yet.

 

[quiksilver1j]

I was able to free the drive shaft from the yoke... I think I will replace the u joint while I have it apart. Any certain brand / quality or will autozone do?

what size is that Pinion nut? 37mm? huge? back to the parts house

 

[dependable]

If u joint is fine and you did not get any debris in caps, you do not necessarily need to replace. While there is no grease fitting on most original u joints, they were probably made in USA or Canada with pretty good standards.

If you carefully take an end cap off, and there are no grooves in the u joint ends, there is nothing wrong with it and it could last years, put a dab of high quality grease into the lobes you can with the u joint off.

I use to replace whenever I did a job like this. Have run into some sub standard parts that have made me re think this. Seems like the infrastructure is deteriorating...