Center Support/Carrier Bearing Removal

[Andrew68c10]

Trying to replace the center support driveshaft bearing. Do I need to take it to a shop, or can I use my vise without damaging the ujoint?

[70 longbed]

Andrew68c10,

You can do it yourself.

You need to seperate the shafts, leaving the ujoint in the front part of the shaft. Then there is a bolt that holds the yoke on the rear shaft. Once the yoke is off, you can remove the front metal piece that protects the bearing. Then the bearing can be taken off. (this may require a little work.) If you are replacing it, who cares how you get the bearing off, other than you don't want to damage the rear metal plate that is there. My bearing came off with a little persuasion with a hammer. Again, you don't want to bend up that plate to much, because you will use it again.

[Andrew68c10]

My problem is the ujoint. Should it come out easily? Last time I did this I ruined the ujoint.

[Dads72]

I'd never done one before, so didn't know what I was doing. Finally took a cut-off tool to the round metal yoke that surrounds the rubber donut. Then I pulled it apart and saw how things work.
Apparently there's more than one style of replacements. The store gave me the wrong one the first time. Not cool, as I tore the thing apart before I checked.
Some have the mounting holes running lengthwise on the truck, and some go crossways. You might want to check first.

[COBALT]

Easy job.

When you pull your driveline make sure to mark all the yokes with a white crayon or something (INCLUDING the spots around the bearing you're replacing). If you get the yokes mismatched then it'll be out of ballance and will shake like crazy when you get back on the road.

Second, which bearing do you have? There are two types. The "tear drop type" which is what we're talking about here (usually with automatics), or the "U" shaped stronger type that generally come with manuals.

1. Drop the driveline out of the truck.
2. Remove the center U-joint using a couple of old sockets and a hammer (2 1/2 lb to 4 lb hammer should do it) - you might need to replace this one depending on the shape it's in.
3. Put the shaft with the bearing in it in a vice, and remove the bolt holding the removable yoke on. Use a socket to bang the yoke off of the shaft.
4. Cut the metal housing off the bearing by cutting away the rubber mount it's in. Shave off the rubber until it's just the bearing on the shaft.
5. Use one of those cheap 3 jaw pullers you get at the parts store, and place a socket over the center punch on the pullers (don't damage the hole the removable-yoke bolt came out of!). Slowly turn the center bolt on the pullers and the bearing will come right off (loose press).
6. Before putting the new bearing on take those little metal shields that sit on either side of the bearing, and throw them in a box somewhere. Don't try to reuse them! The new bearings don't like them, and they'll just squeal and ruin the bearing.
7. Here's an easy way to put the new bearing on. Get a 5" steel pipe nipple and steel cap to go with it. Make sure the nipple is the right diameter to fit over the exposed drive shaft end and sit on the inner race of the new bearing. I just took the drive shaft with me to the Home Depot after I got the new bearing from the parts store, and looked until I found one. Screw the cap onto the nipple, and use this to bang the new bearing onto the shaft.
8. Use another socket to bang the removable yoke on (remember your white marks), and reinstall the bolt making it as tight as you can by hand.
9. Put the center U-joint back in, and reinstall the drive shaft.

You're done.