A few months ago I was starting to look for a new car. I've driven my faithful 4runner for 11 years and even though I'm about 50k miles shy of my ownership goal, I didn't want to be unprepared in the event that it decides to quit on me. To add to my search motivation, I began to notice a judder while accelerating at highway speeds. After a quick investigation online, the repair forums pointed to a worn out "universal joint". The U-joint, as it is called, is the mechanism with which the transmission connects the drive shaft to the rear wheels (via the differential). From what I read, they tend to last about 100k miles. The factory joints in my 4runner started to fail at around 190k miles. The repair cost that I was quoted to replace the u-joints ranged from $300-$500; however, being mechanically inclined I decided to do the job myself.
suspicion confirmed
After picking up the replacement u-joints ($30) and some jack stands ($25), I researched the process before attempting the precarious procedure. I learned that most dealerships replace the actual driveshaft which comes with new u-joints rather than simply replacing the difficult to remove joints which is why the cost can fluctuate much higher. I discovered that in order to remove the damaged joints, one would have to arduously sledge hammer the worn joints out of the driveshaft sockets. Instead of attempting this part of the procedure I found a nearby driveshaft repair shop just down the road from my apartment that uses a 20-ton hydraulic press to easily pop out the worn joints as long as the customer brings in the driveshaft themselves.
the culprit
That morning, I woke up to unusually warm beautiful Autumn weather, drove to the driveshaft shop, and set to work on my truck in their parking lot. I used my vehicle jack to raise my rear axle, under which I placed the jack stands. Then after marking the driveshaft so as to not lose the factory bolt configuration, I set to work by removing the nuts that hold the heavy shaft in place. I used two ratcheting wrenches and squeezed them together like a pair of heavy duty scissors until the bolts broke loose. I repeated this procedure on all the rear bolts before sliding the driveshaft out from the transmission. The process took less than an hour, after which I walked into the shop with my parts in hand to have the old joints punched out and replaced with the new. Each u-joint replacement costed $25 ($50 total) and took less than an hour to do. I walked up the street to enjoy a hamburger at my infrequent favorite "Dan's Burgers" and when I had finished the shop was done too. They even helped me to replace the re-jointed driveshaft since my car was shamelessly resting on jack stands in their parking lot. They joked that customers don't usually do that and since it was a slow day they offered their help. Most of their customers are mechanic shops that remove the driveshaft as I did and bring it in to them to press out since few mechanic's own a heavy duty hydraulic press.
I could immediately tell new life was breathed into my old truck as I accelerated on the highway to test the new joints. The savings of doing the work myself allowed me to perform a few more long over due procedures which included replacing my rear shocks ($40) and purchasing a set of brand new Michelin tires.
My truck performs like new again, and since I had gotten accustomed to the mushy factory shocks which should have been replaced every 60k miles, my truck is handling better than ever. I was shocked by how much of a difference these small maintenance items make. I even sprang for a new set of windshield wipers. Now, I look forward to taking my old truck out even in the rain. Just recently I was told that "it drives like a Mercedes", which I took to mean that it runs smoothly. When driving on the highway, I try to listen for vibrations but I hear nothing and smile as my truck coasts an effortless 90 mph running smooth as butter melting on hot toast.
I could immediately tell new life was breathed into my old truck as I accelerated on the highway to test the new joints. The savings of doing the work myself allowed me to perform a few more long over due procedures which included replacing my rear shocks ($40) and purchasing a set of brand new Michelin tires.
My truck performs like new again, and since I had gotten accustomed to the mushy factory shocks which should have been replaced every 60k miles, my truck is handling better than ever. I was shocked by how much of a difference these small maintenance items make. I even sprang for a new set of windshield wipers. Now, I look forward to taking my old truck out even in the rain. Just recently I was told that "it drives like a Mercedes", which I took to mean that it runs smoothly. When driving on the highway, I try to listen for vibrations but I hear nothing and smile as my truck coasts an effortless 90 mph running smooth as butter melting on hot toast.
Dan's Burgers just behind the Goodwill store.
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