rare breed offroader

are the front axle u-joints serviceable on a 91 xj?? someone please help!!!

jeepman127

you can get axle u joints regreaseable and any other u joints..i did all the u joints in my truck and i put in greaseable ones in and they last 5 times longer

cpnwrench

Yep.

I also have a 20yr old cherokee.....

I have also the shop manual, soft-copy, for the beast (even though it says '90...Jeep is still same).

also have the haynes for it. but, according to shop manual, they are serviceable...if you pm me I can send ya a copy of the manual or just the section....up to you.

cpnwrench

rare breed offroader

it looks like were the clips go are pluged though ... so what would i do is there a write up on here that anyone knows about

DFlintstone

One of mine is clacking also, has for years. (I only engage 4 wd when I'm stuck). My "spidy sence" tells me it's no fun so I've been putting it off. Would be nice to hear I'm wrong though. D.

platocf82

i would favor non greasable bearing! they contain the perfect amount of grease! too little grease is obviously not good! too much grease can be bad also! i would spend the money and replace both ujoints with non greaseable bearings! the problem with the bearing on your jeep maybe that the seals are bad if you put grease in and they are bad then nothing long term is accommplished! in the railroad businessthere use to be greaseable bearing now there are none! this is surely the trend in the automotive world as well! they don't make cars like they use to; they make them better! better in the bearing world is sealed bearing without grease fittings. ....just my view!

platocf82 ...just got two u joint for my 99 cherokee yesterday; hope to install them this week end!

platocf82

might want to think about going crazy and replace the wheel bearings as well! maybe the reason the universal joints seals are leaking in the first place! and while your at it replace the differential oil and gasket! ...might as well go total nuts!

two hours per side; depending on the rust factor!

you can do it!

platocf82

bigvig

Doing the "ujoint" isnt all that tough. You need a BIG socket (36mm), a skinny deep socket and a heavy hammer (or a press). Im sure its a little different on particular models, but I just did my 99 and youre only looking at an hour on each side maybe. This is on my 99:

Remove wheel (2 minutes)
Remove hub nut (2 minutes)
Remove caliper (2 bolts)
Remove rotor (popped off)
Remove axle bearing bolts (3 of them)
Axle is now free to slide out.

It takes LITERALLY like 10 minutes to take everything apart. If you have a press, pressing the bearing out is easy, if not, use a BFH and a skinny deep socket to hit one side of the spider caps while resting the join on a LARGE socket to catch the other side. Depending on how froze they are and how hard you can hit, this could take an hour or 5 minutes. Mine took 5 minutes. 4lb hammer, a 36mm to rest the joint on and a narrow deep socket to hit the other side with. When the spider was out, I put the new one in (GREASABLE!!!!!) and put the caps on one joint and lightly tapped with a hammer, put the c-clips on, then did the other side. 10 minutes max from start to finish, then reassemble, another 15 minutes? It took me under 45 minutes to change it out. Could be longer or quicker depending on lots of factors (knowledge, tools, work ethic, etc.)

While youre in there you can inspect everything else (ball joints, bearing, rotor, brake pads, etc.) Im sure there are plenty of people who would take it to the garage, but Id rather do it myself for $25 bucks than spend $40 on labor. Thats $40 in other parts I can buy.

DFlintstone

So the axle and bearing un-bolt, (no pressing, knuckle in place), then it's just a u-joint job? Nice! I have a big vice, and a bigger one! Thanks Much.

joeaub

That doesn't sound too bad! My passenger side is clacking (when in 4x4) but I might wait until it warms up a little. It was -5'c yesterday. yuck.

caged

ujoints are easy, until you drop a needle bearing in the cap when putting it all back together, then have to take it apart and find that you either bent the bearing or broke it while trying to force the caps back in to fit the clips.

then that brand new bearing is no good and you have to go get another.

sure you can try to use a needle bearing from the old joint... if there are any left in there, then they may also be a different size depending on the joints used.

i will always dab my finger in some grease and rub the bearings in the cap, this will usually hold the bearings in place while you fit the caps back in. but i've still had them drop on me this way, and i've done hundreds of u-joints.

but don't let that discourage you, just take your time and be cautious of the needles.

i too prefer the non greasable joints.

DFlintstone

Just a quick "chime in" I've done more that a few (drive-line joints), and was challenged here. First I need to put a "fresh edge" on my chisel to deal with a couple of the inner clips. THEN, (granted mine were probably original from 90), they were just plain tough. No easy slip here, all tight for me.

When I do my left I might bring more heat to the game. One normal propane torch might not be ideal. Also I sprayed my bolts days ahead, but next time I will hit those caps also. Also I will put my new caps in the freezer while I'm heating the ears.

My hat is off to anyone who has done one like mine on the trail. Mine was plenty tough, at home!