Replacing Dana 44 Axle Shaft U-Joints

[Erl]

I am trying to replace the U-Joints in my Dana 44 3/4 front axle. The yokes have caps on the ends where the clips normally are located. These use a C-Clip on the inside of the yoke. How do the U-Joints come out?

[rwgregory]

If I follow you corectly the C-Clips keep the bearing cups from moving around.
It would make sense to remove both C-Clips thus allowing the U-Joint to move
more toward center and at the same time allowing the bearing cup to be
released from it's seated position. Without a photo of your setup that's about
all I can come up with for now. Good luck!!

[4x4Poet]

Just take a flat-blade screwdriver and punch the c-clips off by alternating tapping each end until they pop off. They're not under much tension even when new. Once the c-clips are off, place a socket under one cap inside the ear's hole and hammer the yoke on the other side and watch the cap push thru. Best to do this over an anvil or vice. A vise or preferably a ball joint c-clamp press can be used to insert the new u-joints. A cap must be removed to get one u-joint pin past the inside of a yoke. Then outsize adapters (with a c-clamp press) or sockets (with a vice) are used to press 'em thru until the c-clip grooves are exposed inside both ears on the yoke.

[soleeagle]

When I changed the joints in mine I found that there was a nylon type of seal in the caps that went in one side of the yoke, around the cap and outside of the otherside of the yoke. After removing the clips I had to use a torch to heat up the yoke and the nylon came out and then the caps came out very easy with a hammer and a socket as stated before. Look at the yoke arond the cap and see if there is a small hole on each side and see if there is a trace of nylon, some of mine I could see and some I couldnt. I hope this might help you out.