Replacing a prop shaft U-joint

(T-Cap partner article)

Treat yourself and your Toyota - this is a wear and tear part that is relatively easy to replace…

Warning: The prop shaft U-joint is a vital part of your vehicle's transmission. Replacement requires careful, precision work and a certain level of mechanical skill.

Don't embark lightly on a job that could turn out costly in terms of personal or material damage.

T-cap and the author of this article cannot be held responsible for any mistakes you may make during the job.

Summary:

A. Prop shaft U-joint – what's that?

B. Equipment

C. Removal

D. Cleaning

E. Reassembly

A. Prop shaft U-joint – what's that?

It's a cross-shaped component (known as the spider) with a needle-roller bearing at each extremity. Just like a CV joint, it absorbs movement between the chassis and the transmission.

Here is a diagram of the prop shaft on a series 9 Toyota

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B. Equipment

Nothing too complicated:

1 hammer

1 flat screwdriver

1 chisel or a hefty centre punch

1 vice

1 disk cutter

1 14mm spanner

The prop shaft U-joint as supplied by Euro4x4parts(for a mere 20 euros!)

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C. Removal

First step is to remove the problem prop shaft - on series 9 vehicles there are 4 prop shaft U-joints.

A good 14mm spanner will release the 4 nuts holding the shaft.

Don't forget to mark its position (using a pin punch or even better a paint pen) on the other shaft to align the splines correctly when reassembling.

When separating the splines give them a good clean and take the opportunity to check for wear and re-grease; worn splines can be the cause of premature U-joint wear.

Now over to the vice for the next step where the yoke needs to be firmly held in place.

To drive out the spider the ideal way is to remove the interior clips and then strike one of the bearing cups to make the opposite cup protrude. Normally the spider will come out by itself.

If you're up against a particularly stubborn spider then the ultimate solution is the disk cutter.

Cut directly through two of the arms of the spider.

This is a bit of a barbaric method – be careful not to jam the disk whilst cutting!

Be careful only to cut through parts that are going to be replaced!

Once the spider is out, the bearing cups (or what remains of them) need removing. Remove the internal bearing clips using a flat screwdriver.

Strike the outside of the bearing and try to keep the alignment straight towards the interior.

Repeat this operation 4 times to remove all 4 bearings.

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D. Cleaning

Take this opportunity to give the parts a good clean with a wire brush, wash using an environmentally friendly degreaser (Esol) and coat the bearing housings with grease to ease reassembly.

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E. Reassembly

Have your new U-joint kit to hand (containing the spider, 4 bearings and 4 clips). In the background of the photo is a bearing that is definitely looking the worse for wear (the needles are long gone).

Position the spider in the yoke, making sure to place the grease nipple on the correct side, otherwise it will be difficult to get to later.

Lightly grease the outside of the bearings and position them in the housing. They should push into position easily using the vice. They might need a little help using an appropriate sized socket to push them in fully so that the inner groove is in the right position to take the clip.

Put the 4 clips into their respective grooves and grease the bearing using a grease gun before reassembly (this will save you doing it on your back lying under the vehicle).

All that remains is to refit the prop shaft, being carefully to follow the direction of the splines and to tighten the 4 nuts. Don't forget to re-grease the bearings after about 100 kilometres.

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Prices

The price of a prop shaft U-joint varies from 125 € at your Toyota dealer to 20 € at Europarts4x4. The parts are GMB or Matsuba, which are the original Japanese suppliers. Worry-free cruising guaranteed!

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