New Jeep Owner - U joint question

[bryan47]

I just purchased a 1992 jeep cherokee. got it for a steel of a price and im just wondering the cost the cost of repairing this or replacing it.   The problem is they are just a little loose.

Thanks

[jpthing]

Cheapest: $18.95 or so for a crappy u joint , put it in yourself
Good ones are around $30 (Spicer)
Depending on how far gone they are collateral damage may have occurred to the yokes (the part the ujoint installs into, check if the caps fit tightly)
I would guess that labour to replace both would be around $100
good luck

[Evil-Jeep]

I just did the joints in my 03TJ, honestly it wasn't that difficult, it was more frustrating figuring out why what I was doing wasn't working, after finding a good video on youtube, it was a breeze, as for price I spent probably $100 on joints for the front as well as tools needed for install. you could probably get someone to do the joints for about the same price, but I figured I wanted the experience of knowing how to do iut as well as the tools in my box in-case I ever need to change one out in the back country.

[nobody]

were you talking about the driveshaft or axles my axle ones are gone and do not know how to change them

[Evil-Jeep]

axles are more difficult then the DS......... it is still quite simple after you get past the nerves of pulling apart the better majority of your axle. check google and youtube for guides

[jpthing]

Remove wheels, remove brakes, remove centre nut, remove wheel bearing, pull out axle, replace u-joints, reassemble.
The only hard part is getting the wheel bearing out if it's been in for a while (replacing the u-joints takes some pounding as well)...you need a 1/2" or 13mm 12 point socket for the wheel bearing bolts...the usual technique is to loosen off all three bolts about 1/8" and then pound on the bolt with the socket to drive out the wheel bearing...if it doesn't come loose, then back the bolts out another 1/8" and hammer some more. The proper way is a slide hammer but this works fine too. You will need a jumbo socket for the center nut (36mm?) and a tourque wrenc to tighten the centre nut to 175 ft pounds (I think), make sure the weight of the vehicle is on the bearing before youy tighten the centre nut to the proper tourqe.
Chances are the wheel bearings are not to far from being toast on a 92 , I like to examine and repair/replace all those parts at once, otherwise you end up taking it apart repeatadly to fix a different problem each time, i.e. front axle u-joints, wheel bearings, front brakes. Brake parts are relatively chgeap but the bearings are more pricey. I would strongly reccomend NOT using the cheap chinese wheel bearings, if you end up replacing them, they are not that much cheaper but don't really last at all.

Another annoying thing is that whenever I pull an axle shaft, it seems to be about 50/50 as to whether you will develop a axle shaft seal leak upon reinstallation.