Help! Made a mistake with the UJ's

[martin_t]

Hi

Need some words of encouragement!!! I have just put together one of the half shafts together with the UJ's and other bits on either end. Being rather pleased with myself I have just been reading on the site that the grease nipples should be facing the centre of the half shaft! Guess which way round I have put mine
From what has been said its difficult to grease them (impossibile?) this way round, is that correct? If that is the case will I be able to take them out again (in your opinions) to put them the right way round or will that knacker the seal/cup etc? Does that mean then I will need to buy new UJ's?

Thanks guys

Martin

[cliffords]

I have fitted one of mine so it is not accessible, but could grease it well up before I fitted the half shaft.

I then decided it would be fine for 20k miles as it is and decided this would be about 7 years !
so i stopped worrying about that bit !

[kayjayd]

I did the same on one side of mine and took them apart again. I didn't break anything in the process, just time consuming and a pain in backside that's all. Better off do it now while you're at rolling chassis stage in my opinion.

[martin_t]

Originally Posted by kayjayd

I did the same on one side of mine and took them apart again. I didn't break anything in the process, just time consuming and a pain in backside that's all. Better off do it now while you're at rolling chassis stage in my opinion.

Have you got an easy way of getting them out without damaging them? I had to use real violence to get the originals out!!!

Martin

[kayjayd]

Originally Posted by martin_t

Have you got an easy way of getting them out without damaging them? I had to use real violence to get the originals out!!!

Martin

Martin, I used "real violence" to get them back out again!!! Seriously though, if you've only got hand tools and no proper garage press then the only method I could find was to jam them in a BIG vice and belt the hell out of them with a large hammer and a sacrificial socket. Someone else may have a better method but that's what I did.

[Purple AK]

Martin. Bad Luck You should be able to sort it out by just removing the flange side of the UJ's and spinning the joint through 180* to get the grease nipples facing the right way. As you have only just fitted them, they should come apart fairly easily. You will only need to totally remove one cup from the flange and push the other out far enough to remove the joint. Just check that none of the needles are dislodged before you reassemble them. A smear of grease will keep them in place
Edited to add. Two pairs of hands helps