So fellers I have a question. I'm a rating 1 to 10 how hard are they. Mine needs them really bad. U can grab my axles and move them lol that's how bad they r so it's in bad news for them

 

I did mine but I just pulled my axle shafts out and took them to a shop that charged 25 a joint getting them apart was easy took about 20 min a side , check your wheel hub bearings why there out, but one thing I didn't no til job was done is that the axle tube fills with gear oil when u pull shafts out , I'd recommend draining your front diff fluid before pulling your shafts out. Good luck

 

Drain the diff fuild?

 

I thought you were talking about front axle u joints not driveshafts

 

With the proper equipment a "5", if you don't have that better to just pay someone that does.

 

Yea the front u joints in the axle shafts. Ok 5 isn't bad. I have the tools to do it. So should be bad then

 

I did mine with a vice and a hammer. Pretty easy and there's about 1000 videos of how to do them.

If your vehicle is level, you shouldn't have any oil spill. No need to drain the diff. Just be careful when sliding the axle shafts back in. Don't pop out your inner seals.

 

It was one of my first "bigger" jobs on the XJ. I found it to be about a 4/10. I did both hub unit bearings at the same time. Getting my hub bolts out without breaking them and removing the rust-fused hubs off was the most tedious part, but over all it was not a particularly technically demanding job. My biggest mistake/annoyance was that I put the disk brake dust shields on backwards. They look so similar in either direction, but the difference becomes so clear when you try to put the calipers back on. Don't do that. Because I got to take both hubs back off, and correct them. No big deal, just frustrating when I was tired and wanted to be finished.

 

Mine was about a 6/10 on account of rust. I had to hammer and pound while using a U joint press I rented from the local parts store. The original hub bolts also stripped, I wound up replacing the hub bearings and all six bolts at the same time.

It's a pretty straightforward job.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/axle/ujoint1/u-joint-1.htm

 

4/10 for me, but the dry desert treats my Jeep like a princess - no rust. Hardest thing for me was getting the unit hubs off the knuckles. Use some anti-seize when you reinstall them!

Also, be careful and gentle when removing and installing your axle shafts. Don't want to bugger up your seals. When reinstalling, lube up the splines with grease.

Because I'm sick minded, I went a step further and made paper tubes to line the axle with so as to not get dirt on the shaft.

 

It's always a crap shoot because the sharp splines are what tear up the seals. Which when damaged will leak forever more.

 

X 2 on lubing them up before sliding them in. Saves the seals.

I replaced mine with grand Cherokee CV Joints. It's a daily driver that rarely sees 4WD except snow.

 

This is the part I used. Popped the shafts out. Popped the new one in. Easy peasy. Should really do both sides I've been told. I only did one. Works just fine.

 

you dont need to do both sides. If you break one side, the other side could be in perfect working order. Just check it for damage, if all is good you can leave it alone. Anti-seize is your friend, just dont put antisieze on your hub bolt or they could walk out on the trail. Don't use locktite either, then you will hate yourself later.

I have gone through about 15 shaft joints in the decade of owning my Jeep, and I dont find it very hard at all. I actually bout sockets that I keep in my Jeep just for that. A hammer, some needle nose pliers, and two sockets are all you need.

Oh and BillyBoy, did you know that those come with a lifetime warranty now? Boy will they regret that later.

 

CV shafts in your XJ eh? Let us know how you like them, I've been pondering that for mine when I put the NP242 in