Replacing a U-joint in a 1999 Chevy S-10 4x4

[gertrudehiggles]

I had a question my 98 chevy the lights flicker wen im idling and wen i rev the motor they go bright and then dim i had the starter and battery and alternator checked and they turned out fine do u have any clue? Help please lol

[Turbo231]

@gertrudehiggles They didn't check the alternator correctly, seems you're having voltage regulation problems.

[moebiscuits]

This was a great video, man. Just tore into my 2000 S-10 2WD yesterday. Saw the little nylon nubs sticking up, but had no idea about burning them out until I watched your vid this morning. Thanks for the info! Will be posting my own (train wreck) video soon.

[gertrudehiggles]

I had a question? I got a 98 s-10 2wd is it pretty much the same or not

[Turbo231]

@gertrudehiggles Identical...same falls for all RWD or 4WD GM cars and trucks using U-Joints.

[fadedcornelius]

that's good so i can do it on a 1986 pontiac parisienne mine's doing the same thing bewteen 25 and 35

[crissy7503]

good , I am going to do that on my dodge ram cause I thought it was the rear breaks

good video by the way

[crissy7503]

hey one question , did you fix your problem ? I mean it's running fine after all

[Turbo231]

@crissy7503 Yes, that totally corrected my vibration problem.

[cashdudehomie]

I just did a u joint for the first time on a Silverado. I ended up using a pitman arm puller instead of balljoint press because it fit perfectly to the shape of my driveshaft. Thanks to all of you guys who posted these tutorials. I knew what to expect after watching.

[TeDuaMalakie]

why did not you replace the pinion seal in your way !!!? it is leaking !! it is not a good thing you leave that thing leaks or it could let your pinion bearings without a proper lubricant and damage it !! you really would have saved yourself a lot of time and effort if you did that all together with u joints replacement at one time.

[woof216]

why didnt flim the darn thing instead of just skipping everything, do it again

[Turbo231]

@woof216 Next time I replace one, I will film it again.

[pcosta816]

helped me out a lot, thanks for the vid.

[schrankm]

while the driveshaft was off, why not replace the pinion seal in the rear?

[Turbo231]

@schrankm Didn't figure on replacing it at the time of the video.  We had a fleet of S-10's, U-joints were something we stocked.

[schrankm]

@Turbo231 i see. those seals aren't extremely easy to replace either and even when they leak, they never seem to leak much.

[Turbo231]

@schrankm That too...I usually don't replace things unless its annoying or fatal to the part. Minor drips are ok...the oil pan on our grand prix which is leaking because of rust, needs to be changed.

[TakingU2Skool]

ok so i take out the drive shaft and fluid spills out its tannning im guessing??? how do i replace the fluid that spilled out??? i have a stick and it a 03 s10

[Turbo231]

@TakingU2Skool Is it 4x4? if it is, then it's from the transfer case. Check the level and replace with appropriate fluid...which is a heavy oil I believe, your owners manual will know. If it is 2wd, then its from your transmission, you'll need to check the level and top off with the appropriate fluid, in the case of a stick shift, its still ATF.

[MrRAYREY1962]

very nice video, helped me out ...great job :) glad i found your video ...

[iamchevyman5]

thanks dude, but you edited out or didn't film some of the important parts.

[iamchevyman5]

@iamchevyman5 how long do u think it took from start to finish btw?

[apillowtype2]

Thanks for the information! This is very helpful since I have not seen the plastic retainers before or how to remove them. Torch 'em the cure for all! LOL  Thanks!

[calgaryflame08]

my 96 automatic ext cab s-10 vibrates at low speed,took it into the shop and they said that i need to replace the double cardin joints on the rear driveshaft and very expensive...they said if i can find a driveshaft with no double cardin u joints ,it will work and is cheaper,but where can i find one of these driveshafts??and whats the length of the rear driveshaft i need?.....by the way your video was very imformative....thanx.

[Turbo231]

@calgaryflame08 Take it to another shop. I'd wouldn't look for a long shaft, there is a reason why the factory made it that way, I'd stay with it. You are probably in for a few hundred if it is indeed bad.

[readyrock804]

Thanks for the step by step video

[Bfarel23]

I was wondering do you absolutly have to heat the factory u joint to get it out or can u bang it out with a socket?

[Turbo231]

@Bfarel23 You absolutely have to heat the factory plastic out. Otherwise you are going to do damage to something.

[TheHackstadt]

When I am stoped on a hill then go there is a clunk clunk in the rear somewhere. do you think its the u joint? Its a 2001 chevy s10 4x4 crew cab

[Turbo231]

@TheHackstadt Probably more just play in the rear end, but its not hard to pull the driveshaft and check it.

[bigmike2106]

When the U joint is bad, does it cause a squeaky rattle sound? When my S10 is in motion, whether forward or reverse, I have that noise. The faster I go, the faster the noise and vise versa. I had a mechanic listen to it because several people told me it could be my wheel barrings and he couldn't figure it out. It almost sounds like a loose exhaust hanger. Everything was fine. I have to take it back and check it out but wanted to find out a little more about the possibilty of it being a U joint.

[Turbo231]

@bigmike2106 Easiest way to check a U-joint is to just pull the shaft. It's only 4 bolts and a bit of prying and it will answer all your questions about the condition of the joint.

[patriki]

This is awesome! Thanks for making this video. I'm just about to do this to my truck.

[jonesry]

Have you experienced vibrations at ~25mph because of a misaligned U Joint? If so, how do you make sure it's perfectly aligned? Thanks.



[Turbo231]

@jonesry You can do it by eye and feel and be plenty close enough. You'll find the factory tolerance to be pretty sloppy.

[MSLOLO523]

where did you get that kind of press, that looks like it will come in handy

[Turbo231]

@MSLOLO523 It is a ball joint press from Harbor Freight...just the basic kit, works great for that and all sorts of pressing needs.

[consiglierestyle]

what will cause my rear end to lock up ? And when i removed the drain plug on the transfer case no fluid came out . Will the drive shaft cause the rear end not to move ?

[Turbo231]

@consiglierestyle Well, no fluid from the drain plug would mean you have been running a low level. Yes, the drive shaft will prevent the rear from moving, usually the transmission is in park and locked. Things should have some play however, and if you raise the rear of the car/truck and it does NOT have a posi, both wheels should spin when turned by hand...in opposite directions.

[macdell1]

Thanks a lot man for this video. I was able to change my u-joint in less the 20 minutes following your method. (first time too)

[Turbo231]

@macdell1 You are welcome, glad it helped. :)

[PBGas34]

As always, it take a lot of work to video this and share it! Many thanks for this...it was a huge help! Much appreciated!

[Turbo231]

@PBGas34 Thanks...shooting a video can be a pain but it is often worth it in the end. :)

[kalimantans]

thx guy nice review and work god bless u bro

[MrVandenbergluke]

Okay so I got a U-joint going out on my 99 Blazer 4x4. What exactly did you use your press for? That didn't come across to clear to me. Thanks!

[Turbo231]

@MrVandenbergluke Putting the new cups back in the shaft...you have to tap them in or use a press since its a bit tight.

[210arty]

This has to be the best vehicle instructional video I've seen ,great job putting that together.Thank You for posting this.

[derek94gt]

I just did this on my 87 silverado. I cant seem to keep my u joints in place. If i hit the drive shaft with a hammer slightly the u joint will slowly pop out of the clamps. I bought new clamps but the holes dont line up. I tried to flatten out the original clamps to get a better grip but still nothing the ujoint and drive shaft can move freely back and forth... help??

[Turbo231]

@derek94gt Are they the right universal joints? Seems they are on the small side which is causing lots of problems.

[derek94gt]

@Turbo231 Epic fail... didnt put the inner c- clips on. Works like a champ now! Thanks! :)

[SuperSmo123]

would it be a similar process for the front drive shaft on a 94 dakota?

[Turbo231]

@SuperSmo123 It is similar on a front drive shaft of a S-10, never seen a dakota but can't imagine it's much different.

[littlejohnbitch]

Are there zerk fittings on the stock u joint?

[Turbo231]

@littlejohnbitch no, only aftermarket ones.

[nativebrother]

I'd imagine this would be the same for a '99 S15 Jimmy right?

[Turbo231]

@nativebrother Yes and  most any GM RWD car or truck from the 60's to today.

[nativebrother]

@Turbo231 Thx. And I swear you sound like a radio host or something, hehe.

[Weasel84x]

I am about to attempt this on a 96 s10 blazer guessing it would be the same. My question is, I dont have a torch or any means of mealting the plastic. Could i just build a fire and prope the end of the drive shaft over it for a bit and let it heat up and melt it that way.

[Turbo231]

@Weasel84x Probably not. There is a lot of mass to the drive shaft and I'm not sure it would get hot enough. You could try, but I wouldn't be a fan to getting a large part of the drive shaft hot, as it might warp the whole thing. A little plumbers torch should do the trick.

[byzantine717]

well done video!!!

[nvmbrguitarist]

that is the exact drive shaft and u-joints thats in my 05 avalanche, and fyi, if you change one u-joint its best to change the other two, but good video, im changing mine now, the only differance between mine and his is that i got pissed off at getting my u-joints out and i cut them out with a cutting torch, if you try that be sure your very presice with it, but good video.......by the way chevrolet can kiss my ass with injecting plastic in to the u-joint

[Turbo231]

@nvmbrguitarist Not really, they can be a pain to get out and while the rear u-joint gets beaten on quite a bit by road debris, the front one doesn't and often can live the life of the car. GM has been injecting them for decades, a tribute to how fast they can put a car together and less how easy it is to repair.

[350jake]

Nice video. Suprised you didnt sandblast or wire-wheel and repaint everything to make it look good too. what if the u-joints are fine? is there anyway to check at home if the driveshaft is un-balanced or bent at a couple thousandths of a degree?

[Turbo231]

@350jake I didn't do much work given how cold it was outside. You can pretty much do any of that at your leisure, you don't need a failed part to do it. As for finding out if it is unbalanced, you pretty much have to go by feel. If you have a drivetrain vibration, and it's not the U-joints, then it is unbalanced or bent, a machine shop/driveline place can find out for you cheap.

[skater6128]

haha at least you have a garage buddy, im about to go change mine on a piece of cardboard in the snow and its 8 degrees! nice video though!!

[Turbo231]

@skater6128 You must have missed my last video where I'm changing a starter outside at -10F. I know cold.

[AustinZiptie18]

Oh, when heating up the plastic, be careful and wear safety glasses to prevent injury due to random explosions. Scared the crap outta me.

[AustinZiptie18]

Fantastic! I had no idea what to make of those plastic nubs on my drive shaft. I dont care if it's 2 in the morning, I gotta try it now. BTW, you put the 2 remaining (moon shaped) clips on the u-joint before installing back to the rear end? I guess I missed it... Great instuctional bud!

[Vintagesansui800]

How thight should the clamp straps be against the bearing caps? my origional straps arent that tight.

[Turbo231]

@Vintagesansui800 Kinda tight...enough to keep them from backing off but not enough to crush them. You can put a lock thread on this part if it is of concern.

[Vintagesansui800]

@Turbo231 Okay thank you very much

[Hot2009Momma]

Hey Ben! Thanks for the great video! Now I know what I am about to go pay someone to do. I hope they do as good of a job as you did with all the details.

[MidwestMonkey]

Thank you for posting this video Ben. It was very helpful !

[Znitso]

Not that i have a truck but i found this video very interesting.

Thumbs up! How is the truck doing now by the way?

[Turbo231]

@Znitso Mostly parked right now but in pretty much the same shape...she'll be making a 2800 mile trip here soon and more videos will follow.

[codyN97]

ugh you didnt show the removal.....

[Turbo231]

@codyN97 no...messed up taping that....shows how though, unless you mean from the truck, which is just 4 bolts and a pry bar.

[sonabibitchi]

Thank you!

[screamphilling]

I wish I would've seen this a year ago before I removed my girlfriend's U-Joint. It took me some hammering before I read that I needed to use a torch.

apparently mapp gas works much faster but propane did the trick. just have to be patient and heat thoroughly.

time to go change the transmission...

[hammeronyou]

Very helpful friend thanks alot :)

[beernporkchop]

Hay Ben thanks for the help. This is going to help me out alot on my sons Blazer. I'm glad you pointed out the nylon in the yoke. I would be hitting on that all day! This is diff. from my FORD.

[4vermont]

GREAT VIDEO'S . Getting ready to purchasae an s-10 or sonoma. Thanks

[susun9susun]

Good video, before this i didn't even know what a U joint was... I just knew I needed a new one. Thanks.

[645msmith]

your diff is leaking

[Turbo231]

@645msmith Everything leaks. Welcome to Maine.

[urrrrdone805]

@645msmith -----chevy's dont leak... they mark their territory

[urrrrdone805]

@645msmith its not leaking.. its marking its territory

[spelunkerd]

Good explanation, thanks.

By the way, do you have to mark the drive shaft so that it is hooked back up in the same orientation to the rear UJ as it was when it came off? I guess it could be 180 deg off, by random chance. When do you have to mark each end to assure the same orientation? Would you have done that if you were taking apart the middle UJ?

[Turbo231]

@spelunkerd You can, it never hurts, but you shouldn't hurt anything if you don't. The theory being everything is balanced individually, aka the drive shaft is balanced by itself, so its orientation shouldn't matter. That being said, I usually do just to be on the safe side of things. Usually taking a white paint marker and just marking one side of the shaft works great.

[dibira1979]

@spelunkerd You should always mark a 2 piece drive shaft so you keep the shaft in "phase" also a good tip for a time saver is to line up your grease nipples so you do not have to rotate the shaft, you can just go down in a straight line :)

[joelin66]

@spelunkerd Yes that"s very important always mark the drive shaft .

[stfuyufamf]

For informational, thank you.

[battlestarone]

outstanding,going to have a crack at my cherokee front halfshaft uv this monday.

[stumpling00]

did my u joint this morning. it was pretty easy, i didnt have to burn out the old u joint. i just removed the clips and hammered with a 1-1/8 socket to get it out. but you godda be real careful with the bearings when you install the new one. thanks for the vid man helped out a bit

[chipjumper]

At 8:04 when you install the shaft back in, do you put clips on the ears that get bolted on too?

[Turbo231]

@chipjumper I do eventually...usually after getting them settled in I put the clips in.

[Halljand]

@Turbo231 Do you clip them in the area that is indented on the ujoint? I think we forgot to on the last ujoint or it was done improperly, I have a vibration at 35mph and it seems like the drive shaft is moving on that ujoint because the snap rings aren't on the ends that aren't pressed in...Sound right?

[Turbo231]

@Halljand I believe you need to install all four clips for it to be secure...two on the pressed in side, 2 on the bolted in side.

[Halljand]

@Turbo231 Yeah we put them in and the vibration went away. My mechanic that helped do it is still claiming those clips don't hold anything and that we just didn't get the bolts tight enough. lol. Thanks!

[0dinson1]

thanks for the info on OEM fiber lock,,big help

[e46cannibal]

Nice video. Thanks, man. Now I just gotta remember to zerk the replacement U-joint now and then.

[MrLALO805]

i have a 95 yukon 4x4 but my drive line is leaking transmission oil on the part the u loint that goes into the transmision side is it the drive line or the u joint...

[Turbo231]

@MrLALO805 You have a leaking transmission seal. Nothing to do with the u-joint.

[brockislivingin1998]

sweet i was trying to figure out how to remove a u joint in my front drive yesterday and i had no idea that nylon had to be burnt out like that, thanks for posting this video its very helpful

[joshsherrod1978]

perfect man, i just took the driveshaft off of my 94 blazer 4x4 and couldnt figure how to get the damn old one off.....this vid saved my butt!!!!! thanks....and fortunately i did mine in 80 degree weather ;p

[Schultz1919]

oh I was going to ask, before I changed my Ujoint there was a really bad vibration, after I changed it it got much better, but still vibrating more than it used to. I am pretty sure all of the other ujoints are good. A little while ago my check engine light came on and the code said one of the cylinder's was misfiring, I changed the plugs but that didn't do much do you have any suggestions.

[Schultz1919]

Hey great video, I have a 1996 S10 2wd extended cab, but it has three u-joints I think I have to replace the middle one because when I twist the drive shaft it has a lot of play by the middle one. Is the process any different in my case?

[Turbo231]

It would be similar but adjusted for removal of your shaft from your truck. Not sure if you have a carrier bearing or not, you may have to remove/adjust that.

[Schultz1919]

@Turbo231 hey thanks man your video was really helpful and yes it had a carrier thingy and i just unbolted that. hey I was wondering if you had time to upload a video on how to change wires on that same vehicle, if not that's cool but your videos are very informative and I'm a novice mechanic

[Turbo231]

@Schultz1919 I probably won't be doing a video like that, I don't think on this truck and have already done my other vehicles, so might be out of luck on that one. I'll have to take a peek and see, but pretty sure my stuff is ok. If I did, I usually do a wire/plug/coil upgrade.

[Schultz1919]

@Turbo231 yeah I replace the plugs cause those were easy to get at, but there is a lot of stuff in the way of my distributor. do you have any idea what I have to take off in order to get at the wires with ease?

[Turbo231]

@Schultz1919 Easiest way is to remove the air intake hardware, that gives you access to the two screws I think that hold the distributor down. That is a wear item, so pull it off to check and see if it's any good. I might do a video of that inspection, that's a good idea. :) Think I can do that when I change my 4x4 front axle cable.

[Schultz1919]

@Turbo231 that would be awsome man thanks

[joco45]

what sounds were you having to make you change u-joint.Where you having shifting problems

[Turbo231]

Its less a sound and more a vibration at particular speeds. No, there was no noticeable drive line changes, but the truck picked up a vibration around 30 MPH that was not noticeable in the steering wheel. Given a wheel isn't out of balance due to mud or ice, the first place to start looking is at U joints since they are the cheapest to fix and most likely the problem.

[nedm90]

What mileage was it at when you replaced it?

[Turbo231]

about 53,000 miles/10 years old.

[84W150]

Might want to replace your leaky rear pinion seal.

[Turbo231]

so much other things to do...way low on the list.

[mxboy96]

Very useful. There should be more good experienced guys like you to show everyone the 'proper' way to diagnose and fix vehicles;)

[GasVein]

Hi thanks for uploading this. Do you need to balance the driveshaft after changing the U-Joints?

[Turbo231]

No, u-joints are generally symmetrical enough to not need additional balancing.

[johnsont963]

man your lucky that truck isnt a extended cab otherwise you would be dealing with two double cardan joints for a total of five ujoints.

[Turbo231]

It varies from model to model. An extended cab S-10 4x4 has a single shaft thanks to the transfer case. As stated in the video, its usually the one rear one that dies.

[johnsont963]

@Turbo231 im sorry i meant 2 wheel drive extended cab:)

[VE9REJ]

Right on good vid , great vids .I Still Miss my ols s10 lol .

[Invisiblepanda]

whoaw awesome video!

[TransAmLuvr]

Good job! I've replaced them before but it's been a while. This is a refresher I needed! Thanks!

[09ikeanmike56]

this video helped alot...i hate those nylon things in there

[blazerrb34]

Great Video Man! Good Job

[kx519]

HAHA! That's what happened to mine! I pulled it out and the needles had turned to powder. Thanks for the how to vid! =]

[CS10ZR]

Great video.

[AugustusLarch]

Ahhhhhhh!  Very good. More please.

[Calcutta151]

Fail ! You for got to replace the leaking pinion seal while the drive shaft was out Man !!! lol It is visible @ :30 and very visible @ 7:44 . Oh well , A well made video otherwise but I had to bust your balls for that!

[Turbo231]

Meh...it's not a state inspectable item...and that's not causing drive line issues...it's more of just a very slow pain.

[seanyboygc]

this is excellent!! i jacked my truck up today and found excessive noise from my driveline. so using your video, i'm going to remove my 2peice s10 driveline and further diagnose this grinding/scraping noise...very informative

[167champ]

Man this was a great help for me to see how this can be done.  Thanks and keep the videos coming

[justinjackrabbit]

very informative. thank you.

[Brasco02]

Thanks for doing this dude. It was a big help for my project. please post more videos, and let me know where to subscribe.

[cichlidkeeper89]

huh, my 92 sonoma 4x4 has a two-piece rear drive shaft.

[Turbo231]

Could be, it was common, my 1991 had a two piece shaft as well because it was a long bed, however in later years, GM moved to using longer, lighter AL shaft on trucks with long beds and extended cabs.

[socarrasorlando]

youre very good at this instructional thing. definately consider marketing videos, you could make a lot of money. im not in the business i just hink youre good. i do all my own work also so i can appreciate the help and offer it to others when needed. thanks for the extra knowledge, i dont own one of these trucks but the intall is "universal" when it comes to lots of cars. but ill be doing some differential work on my 98 camaro z28 so its good to get as much info as possible before projects.

[jdgboy08]

damn idk about new u joint s but the hammer thing is dangerous i watch my mechanic do that and the broke ujoint shattered sent a piece of metal into his hand started bleeding all over the place so always watch out doing that. but it couldve been a freak accidnet but clal me paranoid 15 dollar job cost him 2500 in medical bills

but it couldve been a freak accidnet but clal me paranoid

[Turbo231]

Yes...as seen in my videos, always use proper safety equipment. For me, that's always eye protection and usually hearing protection when doing loud things. When grinding and welding, always wear long sleeved clothing. Hammering metal can always be dangerous and if worried, you can always additionally wear gloves. I do in the winter since everything is so cold.

[trv222]

did it remove ur vibration???

[Turbo231]

Yes, it did. Everything went back to normal.

[playmate7891]

very good vid

[crazymxrider1993]

good info. very helpful

[JohnsonGuitars]

thanks for all of your help it is really detailed and helped me thanks again

[jimgunthorpe]

i just helped my mechanic replace my Pinion Seal, and rear u joint on my 2001 Chevy Blazer, its been one week and its developed a howling sound from the rear end, is there a chance he put the u joint in wrong (not straight, or one of the bearings not in correct?) btw its not a wheel bearing , that was checked, thanks much

[huxleyrader]

Thanks for the help!

[Ajaces]

Thanks, it was a very detailed task.

[jonpsullivan]

Wow Ben, you are my new hero!!!! Absolutely loved it!!

[bergercw]

that's a nice little truck how many miles does it have

[Turbo231]

About 51k miles.

[Jon13bur]

Why'd you have to replace it?

[Turbo231]

Universal joints are supposed to be able to be free and move...the rear one was frozen, thus causing vibrations in the drive line. Replacing it removed all the vibration.

[msjay160]

Awesome...I have a 97 ext. cab 2X2 also same color as yours. Excellent video...wish there were more. You're better than a manual.

[Turbo231]

Thanks. Hopefully there won't be many more, I generally only fix stuff when it breaks. lol

I might be changing the interior this spring, might be a video for that....carpet and bucket seats....maybe, still on the fence.

[SisterJunebug]

Hey Ben, that was awesome, thanks for the info. I have the 98 S-10 4x4 extended cab - same color as yours 99 - and I just blew out the front stabilizer bar... any thoughts on that?

[1skiinIan]

is there a torque setting for the bolts on each of the 2 bolt brackets?

You should make more videos like this. It looked really professional

[NRP1991]

wow that was a very professional video man! definitly a great clean install!

[1G0TP1NK8C1DB00TS0N9]

This is an awesome video, I really was quite entertained watching it. I also learned something today, your really good at these vids. Thanks for sharing!

Peace :)

[DrHook1020]

Now do one for a 1989 Dodge B250 3/4 ton van....lol!

Nice job, HomeSkillet.

[jujujus2]

Thanks for the vid. I learned a lot. thats a good looking truck that you have there. Looks like maine's winters are tough on that truck but im in new york with similiar problems.

[stlouissux9119]

YOUR BACK!

[Turbo231]

Driver's side upper and lower ball joint and the idler arm.