Well, that took way too long……….

[Lars (midessa)]

Replacing the u-joints and hanger bearing on the ‘91 F-350. Every u-joint cup was a ‘battle royal’ to remove, and just as bad(a couple of them worse) to install new. Beat the p*ss out of those yokes. Could not believe how difficult it was. What should have been a short afternoon job, took 2 days.

[from H to 80]

Your outside the salt zone,add 35 years of road salt to the equation.

[vtfireman85]

I cut the crosses out with an acetylene torch, usually that’s enough for the caps to come easily, but if not blow a hole in them and they’ll come easily. 

[supermechanic]

8 minutes ago, vtfireman85 said:

I cut the crosses out with an acetylene torch, usually that’s enough for the caps to come easily, but if not blow a hole in them and they’ll come easily. 

What he said.  Can't be stuck if it is liquid.

[Lars (midessa)]

I expected the removals to be challenging, but installing the new ones, man what a job. I tried everything imaginable. Dremeled the eyelets, Half-round file to any imperfection, grease, etc, and still had to beat the snot out the cups to get in. Tried the vise, but that only gets you so far, borrowed the huge impact driver C-clamp from O’Reilly’s to drive the cups in. 
Gonna give it a few days of driving, I have a couple spring clips that are just barely catching, gonna remove them file then down a little thinner, and pop them back in.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

It’s a hard job without a cutting torch and a hydraulic press. It can be done, but sometimes it will be very difficult. On those vintage of Ford trucks, I almost always have to clamp it in the press and tap on the yoke to be able to get the snap rings in. 

[New Englander]

5 hours ago, Lars (midessa) said:

I expected the removals to be challenging, but installing the new ones, man what a job. I tried everything imaginable. Dremeled the eyelets, Half-round file to any imperfection, grease, etc, and still had to beat the snot out the cups to get in. Tried the vise, but that only gets you so far, borrowed the huge impact driver C-clamp from O’Reilly’s to drive the cups in. 
Gonna give it a few days of driving, I have a couple spring clips that are just barely catching, gonna remove them file then down a little thinner, and pop them back in.

If the snap rings don’t fit well the yoke ears likely got bent in a bit. As Seth said it’s better to cut the cross with a torch then support the yoke ears on a vise open just enough to support them when driving the cups out. Bent ears also make it harder to install cups as the cross and cups are not aligned. 
Cutting cross use gloves and maybe a face shield as if there’s some grease in the cross it tends to splash out in search of bare skin while burning. The voice of experience 😄. 

[vtfireman85]

Once you get the clips in if it’s tight, give the back of The yoke a couple blows with a hammer it usually seats the cups and loosens up the joint. 

[midnightman]

First thing I do now to change one is grab the torch and blast the cross and cups out. Spent enough hours years ago beating on them, c clamping or in the vice. As vtfireman says, a couple good smacks with a big hammer will align everything and make sure they are moving freely.

[acem]

Never thought to cut the u joints out.

Interesting.

 

[1586 Jeff]

1 hour ago, acem said:

Never thought to cut the u joints out.

Interesting.

 

You have probably never dealt with New England road salt corrosion before…..

 

And no, that is no badge of honor!!