New Rear U Joints Needed-- Again

bordercollie

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It's that time again. 3859 hrs. They were last replaced at around 2000 hrs. I have been reading past posts on this subject and still have a few questions. 1. Did ya'll also replace the rubber cushion in the joint(called a cap in the shop manual) or did you use the old- I wonder if they are usually torn on removal or not. I want to get the greasable joints. I plan to order from the site at ebay-They are now $40 each -still cheaper than Kubota . Any more hints? I can't remember much about when mine were done because I didn't see all of it done. A picture is worth a thousand words. I see that the spring bushings need to be replaced too. I will try the local farm and auto parts place for that. Thanks, Bordercollie
 

bordercollie

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I just found the precision 397 at the farm and auto parts store here for $17 each. Many , many thanks Mark.Sibole- That number is a great thing to know!! ordered 4 to have for next week. I will get to the seals and bearings then and see what needs to be done about them. However, they were replaced at the last u joint replacement. Bad thing is I just put new filters and SUDT2 in the transmission. I thinking -first off clean the machine up really good -removing all dirt from around the drain and seeing about saving it as I drain the $ gold$. I going solo on this so wish me luck next week when I have a chance to get into it. If you hear a bunch of ranting and raving from down South it will be from me. Bordercollie
 

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
LOL Always a fin project
Pay attention to the shaft line up so you dont make the mistake I did.
Also if you have access to a micrometer mike both caps on the old u joints and the new joints to make sure the fit isnt to tight.
I had to taake off 1000th off each opening on mine.
Im not sure how Kubots holds tolerances.

Mark
 

Art454

Member
You can buy a ball hone and zap in and out once there done.
On the yokes thats the u joints goes in....like I said in and out once or mic. it as .001 comes out fast.
Some might be better off with finger and 320 metal grit wet sand paper.....lol

Art
 

zenchal26

Member
Im in the same boat you are, but after a week have had no luck finding the joints. let us know how the 397 joints work out. I went to napa and the 397 was just a bit too short cap to cap compaired to the old one, lock rings were the same though. Anyone see if the 2011 model joints fit hear they have fittings.
 

bordercollie

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Have you checked the ones that Doggman said were a close match? I think they were for a Subaru Brat or similar. I see there are some listed on ebay as well @40 each -you have to search for kubota rtv 900 or it won't show there on ebay. They sure look like the precision model.. I guess I will find out today-I saw a damaged joint yesterday and so went on and cleaned the machine up . Now I am taking it apart today .That is if I have a change in luck. I have had a bad run of the 3's- more like 9 or 12 runs of bad luck. So I am hesitant to touch it . I'll keep ya'll posted. bordercollie
 

bordercollie

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I "shoulda" listened to myself

Im in the same boat you are, but after a week have had no luck finding the joints. let us know how the 397 joints work out. I went to napa and the 397 was just a bit too short cap to cap compaired to the old one, lock rings were the same though. Anyone see if the 2011 model joints fit hear they have fittings.

The bad luck continues .... I got the machine broke down pretty easily and all by myself-. I used the skid steer to help maneuver the cargo bed and on the "bumper" I used a rope to lower it with. Now the problem... The shafts will not budge out of the housing. I am in the same boat as some others on this. I have used blocks of wood and a 2 and 3lb hammer to no avail. I think tomorrow -if I feel good about it- I will go get the press if it still works, from the other barn and see about pressing the things out. I can let the far end swing while I press the other out- I hope... The joints in the transmission came right out and the shaft is nice looking . on the other hand the ones I'm having trouble with had more piles of rust in area and some wear on the shafts that are visible. also I can 't believe it but only one side had an oil seal- yep the last time they were changed at 2000 +- hrs they didn't put one on the right side. I looked hi and low around me but it is obvious that it wasn't ever there. Next problem: the 397's are shorter than the oem's just like zenchal26 . I think if my run of bad luck will stop long enough for me to get to town and back, I will see about Doggmans Subarau Brat u joints. I need to replace the seal(s) and bearings too I guess - I am planning for this to be the last time- cause the, u joint this and u joint that, is getting old and expensive- and so am I. The following picture is of one of the damaged u joints. 3868 hrs Bordercollie
 

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bordercollie

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arghhhh!

Those joints won't budge.Desperate times call for desperate measures. I have used a hyd jack on the joints that come from the transmission.-- nope and the axles in the "bumper" tube are tight as if they are welded. I'm soaking with PB blaster and then atf as I saw recommended elsewhere . I'm going to get the grinder/cutoff tool and cut the joints in front of the caps on the 2 not in the bumper - and see if the caps alone won't push out one side at a time. I read about this on a jeep forum . Yes. I have removed the clips,.. bordercollie
 

Art454

Member
Have you tried to heat them with a torch?
The yoke were the caps go in.
On cars with no clip they use melted plastic to hold the caps in.....all you have to do it heat em up and they will pop.
In r case get em hot...a little red and support just 1 side so not to bend the yoke and it should move out.
I have used a air chisel on the joint at the same time as you support it as I dont have 3 arms.
Anyway good luck
Sometimes you have to cool off a few days come back and take a good look before you start again.
I have got pissed and bent the yoke before...no big deal just heat it up and straight it out.
I did that on a guys truck and they never failed on him again and he was on his 3rd set.
They were bent when I got em tho is why they failed all the time.
Just eye ball them up is good enough.

Hope I helped you out.

Art
 

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
I feel like I brought everyone bad luck on my mis adventures.
The 397 joints worked fine on my 2004 Bota.Im not sure if any design changes were made since then.
What Problems are you running into with the 397s?
 

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
Here is the image of the 397 installed on My machine.
The caps do sit a little deeper maybe 1/16 of an inch deeper but they do work.
397caps.jpg
 

bordercollie

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Thanks for the replies. I had these replaced before so there shouldn't be any resin. With my streak of bad luck continuing , I need to stay away from the torch for now- I'd probably really mess up. Maybe after I cool off I'll try it . A 20 ton hyd jack- no luck getting out the axles out of the bumper- place one of the ends under the bumper of the multi ton feed wagon with the jack on the protected spline end and no luck. what next? I'll keep soaking it in the automatic trans fluid and PB Blaster and cool off as you said . Hope my luck will change soon. I can always take it somewhere but I hate to be defeated by such. bordercollie
 

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
I feel your pain.
I never did get mine loose.
From what Ive been told they should pop right out but you know how that goes.
There used to be a product out that was called Rid Rust that worked well and I used it at work a lot.
Ill have to google it and see if its available to the public.Its real good stuff and we used to to soak fittings to loosen them up after being underground for years.

Keep us informed on your progress my friend


Mark
 

Art454

Member
I have used muric acid they use for cleaning brick in a spary bottle and it will take any rust away....just don't breath the fumes....best thing I found for rust u can see it boil off then just rinse with water.
A guy gave me a 454 block that was rusted...he thought it was no good....after the acid spray...and a .030 overbore I had a brand new block free.
For that big project I used a 2 gallon hand pump sprayer which work great on something that big......took me 8 hours but was worth it....have used the spray bottle on small projects tho....may want to use rubber gloves in case the bottle leaks as you spray it.


Art
 

Art454

Member
Man Mark u need to replace those boots before its to late.

Love r plastic tie straps for the rubber boots.....lol

Art
 

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
LOL Boots are in good shape so no need to replace them just yet.And yes the Zip ties work well and are a lot easier then them Damned steel straps they used.
What you are seeing that may look like a bad boot was a small strip of Duct Tape I used for a line up marker I figured the water wnd sand would remove them and it looks like its working lol

Mark
 

bordercollie

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Axles with u joints removed from bumper!

Well, I worked in the garden this morning, hoed the tomatoes,okra , squash etc and worked off some steam. Then I went to the barn and started on the axles. I decided to tear apart the top bearing on the one end so I could at least see what I was up against. I got my dremel tool with a pointed rock and ate enough of the outer and inner rims of that bearing to get the roller balls out of it. This let me look below to see what was happening and to put some PB Blaster down there. I take it back to the feed wagon bumper and with the 20 ton hydraulic jack try to push the axle out of the RTV bumper again. I figure with the one top bearing destroyed purposely by me ,the grip has been reduced by half or so. It works ! It pops down and I got it. Now for the next one but wait... the 30 yr old dremel is toast now. So I think "oh heck, go get Daddy's old press." I got over to the other old barn and there it was- Quite proud but abandoned.rusty and dirty under a pull through.. It was much heavier that I remembered - I was pleased... it just might work! So I got it back to the shop ( did I say It was heavy?) and elevate it enough to get the bumper in the right place and start pumping the hydraulic jack. It makes a slight noise -a slurp- the soaking fluid around the Bearing /axle disappears as the axle drops downward and comes lose. Now I still have to get the top bearing out of one end and the remnants out of the other, but I feel much better with both axles out. I will approach these leftovers from the inside to the outside since that is the only way for them to go. Tomorrow , I will try a hand at the joints on the press. They are soaking with PB Blaster tonight. I'm posting pictures of the nifty 60,000 lb press still dirty, and the 20 t hyd jack. another picture of the rusty bearing soaking. I felt like my Dad was there helping me today -It was tough opening his tool box for the first time since he passed last year . I thanked God for giving me a good Dad for almost 50 years and for him taking the time to show me how to think things out and not give up nor wait on someone else to do it for me.. ........... I will keep ya'll updated on the u joints... Bordercollie
 

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bordercollie

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Another step accomplished

Great!Im glad you got them out
Maybe ill send mine to you to remove also lol.

Mark

@Mark -Arghhhhhhh!

Without the press, I would have been up the creek.
I rigged up a bearing puller to remove the outer bearing from the bumper. It has to be removed from the outside end. Here is a picture of it. Basically, it's a bolt with several washers for strength . I ran it from the inside to the outside with the bearing in the middle and placed the large green "washer" or piece of steel with a hole to fit on the outside edge of the axle. Make sure the bolt has enough thread and have a few spacers to place on the edge of the big green "washer" to give enough clearance to clear the bearing of the axle. Then just tighten up the bolt and it will pull up the bearing as it tries to tighten.I used an impact wrench and zipped it out. I also had a bearing left on the shaft that I did manually and used steel plate to form a puller on the hyd press. I included a picture of that too.
Mark.Sibole, My parts place looked at the 397's and the oem I took out and said they were different but they would work that I may need to grind on the inner surface of the yoke but can use them-like you said.. Still have to get the seals though.Now I have to get the rest of the joints out and then new ones in . Those stuck axles have sure caused me a lot of grief but that's done and now for the "easy"part. I sure agree with doggman in that the joints are hard to pop out and no way would a vice have done mine neither. Thanks, bordercollie
 

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Boardercollie;
You do good work. Once in, your commited to go the whole route, seals and all. I don't think I will ever have enough hours on mine to get to this condition but it is great to know there is a thread to refer to.
Can't imagine what the dealer would charge for parts and labor. I bet it would send a wallet into outer space without the shuttle.
This is the reason I like my shop with alot of tools. They pay for them selves time and time again. I know what was done and don't have to end up with some one elses short cut ( he will never know anyway ) version.
You did leave out the language , bruises, and cuts along the way.
 
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