Double cardad joint in my K10 front drive shaft

[77K10Silverado]

Guys just wondering how stiff this joint is supposed to be? should it move super freely? Mine has a lot of tension and almost snaps back and fourth when you roll it over. I have it out of the truck to replace the slip side joint but was looking into rebuilding the cardan side but getting hung up of the cost. Does anyone have pics or a video link on how to replace these? The local drive shaft shop told me it would have to be pressed apart or something difficult if it had never been done before... thoughts???

[77 Big 10]

If you have a vise, sockets and a piece of steel tubing, you can do it yourself. The "...almost snaps back and fourth..." makes me think that the needle bearings are done. Remove the clips, put the tube (a bit larger than the u-joint cap)on one side and the socket (a bit smaller than u-joint cap) on the other and place in the vise. Socket pushes the u-joint over so the cap falls out the other side into the tube. Then a little smaller socket (fits over bearing surface that the cap fits over) pushes it back the other way so the next cap comes out the other side into the tube again. Its a bit like a Chinese puzzle taking it apart and putting it back together, so take lots of pictures to use as a reference. I have done two on my Jeep, and had no problems. I wire wheeled the pieces and painted them all, letting them dry before assembly. Don't get paint where the u-joint caps push in. They do not rust any longer.

[77K10Silverado]

When you say remove the clip... mine are flat on the ends like a cap. I see vids of spring clips that can be pinched and popped out. How do you remove these? Ill get some pics in a bit.

[77K10Silverado]

[77 Big 10]

On my Jeep are Spicer 1310 double cardans on Tom Woods drive shafts. They went on about 2007. According to Spicer you would also be running 1310's, but a 1977 design. I'm guessing they just press in and out. It took me about an hour of work, they should be ashamed for what they charge to do it for you. Here is a link to youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQl68ZbMWrM

[nonstop]

One of the not so great ideas! The caps are retained with plastic melted in channels around the cap. Two ways to get them out - a press or melt the plastic and press it out. They are a pain to work with, that's what the shop was talking about when they said if it had never been done before. Does the joint move smoothly besides that popping motion? Generally that motion is fairly common in CV joints. There is a spring in the middle of that assembly. It's up to you how bad you feel it needs replacing, but a new CV set up will have that same motion.

[77K10Silverado]

Yeah that's what I was thinking with the little orange plastic side screws thingys.. Lol. I just wish it had zerks on the ujoints so I could service them..

[77 Big 10]

You can see the "melted" plastic in the first pic, it is a dust cover/grease retainer. You can see how I used my large vise as a press.

[77 Big 10]

Where mine uses spring clips to retain the u-joints, yours probably have a set screw. Pop out the plastic cap and take a look, its not that hard to rebuild.

[77 Big 10]

Oh, before you dis-assemble the cardan, mark the shaft, and all the parts on one side so they go back the same way they were when the shaft was balanced.