How tight are the u-joint caps supposed to be in the yoke? I got a new set of joints and the od of the caps is about the same as the id of the yoke.
Should be a light press fit at a minimum. If the cap is loose in the driveshaft, you either have the wrong u-joint or somebody has honed/stretched the holes.
What U-joint, what yoke? Most of the full circle ones are a slight interference fit, but the ones with snap rings or clips aren't quite as tight. If it's a diff yoke with caps, they are usually able to seat with hand pressure. BTW, a difference of a thou (0.001) is an interference fit, "about" isn't close enough.
I tried a couple taps with a hammer but decided against it. The holes in the slip yoke were a little crusty even after cleaning them out it's still tight. Haven't tried the diff or the driveshaft yet Slip yoke ID 1.061, cap OD 1.063
should not have to be forced in. sounds like another poorly made new part.....it seems to be the norm. take the micrometer down to the store and measure a few different. brands.....
Hard to describe but whether it's the bench vice , u-joint press or a 3# hammer with a wood block , I've always driven them in ...
A reasonable blow with a soft faced hammer is what you need. Talking about into the yoke in the rear end where the u bolt / saddle retains the cup. Its a very snug fit. A wrong sized cup can look and feel that it's correct until you realise how good a fit it has to be. Don't ask me how I learned this! Chris
Two thou interference sounds just about perfect. There needs to be interference otherwise the caps can spin in the yoke under high load and sometimes eject the clips. Installing caps should be a "small hammer" job or an easy job for a ball joint press or a 6" bench vise. If you're able to put the caps in by hand or with a little tapping with the handle end of a ratchet then that's too loose and you should tack weld the caps to prevent spinning. If you're using the big hammer or hydraulic press then something else is probably wrong.
I wouldn’t hone the hole in the joint to fit a particular cap, what will happen next time you replace it? But I’ve always had to use force on the vice handle. Never liked the idea of a hammer, I’ve had a needle or two come off, then have to press it out again. Seems a hammer might magnify that issue? And soft rubber mallet? That would be a new one on me, I’d like to see that in action. I’d clean the hole out with a small wire brush, a steel one, shine it up and as mentioned, check for burrs.
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