Technical Need Help Bad, driveshaft on the daily

Guys, I need help here with the driveshaft out of my '97 K1500 Suburban, it is the wife's daily.
I know it isn't traditional, but HAMBers helping HAMBers is.

The u-joints have 206k on them and I noticed a squeak coming out of them, okay change them out, no biggie. Except they seem to be pinned in. Also, there are no c-clips in there, WTF Chevy?

I'm guessing the answer is to drill the pins out, but no mention of this in my ****py shop manual. Has anyone here changed out u-joints on your Chevy truck and run into this?

 

El C;

I'm probably wrong and will get my *** handed to me on a platter, but aren't those pins plastic and melt out? Do the new u-joints have new pins to check this against?

 

They should be plastic and melt.

 

they are plastic and a small propane torch will melt them out. heat them and it will shoot out. then you use inside clips on the replacement u-joint.... i believe it is 534g

i'm surprised they have never been replaced before

 

Use a torch if you have access to one, but don't glow the yoke red, just warm it until the plastic starts to ribbon out of the hole on its own. A br*** drift and hammer on a vice and they'll come out like traditional U-joints. You may have to reheat to soften the locking plastic while dis***embling them. The replacements will come with snap rings.

 

I just press the U joint cups out, there is no need to melt the plastic. It will break easily enough

 

^^^ Yep, remove them just like any others, no need to melt anything and install new ones with the clips that come with the replacements.

 

But the fire and melting is FUNNNN!

 

I huffed the plastic fumes, weeeeee!
Thanks guys, I would have never guessed they were plastic.