Breakage, bad. Axle U-joints are weakest when the wheels are turned all the way. After the initial snap, the clanking noise clued us in to the joint hanging out. The tire and wheel need to be removed, so stabilize the truck and jack it up safely. Place the tire under the differential for extra safety.Axle U-joints are weakest when the wheels are turned all the way. After the initial snap, The entire knuckle came off this other vehicle, as the broken joint and axle jammed and forced the knuckle off. If you need to try and limp home, unlock the hubs if you have them, and shift the transfer case to 2WD, if you can. Full-time vehicles and those without hubs can be in trouble.The entire knuckle came off this other vehicle, as the broken joint and axle jammed and fo External hubs with bolts or internal style, such as this on a Dana 44, are very similar. Take off the outer cap, then the internal axle snap ring. Unbolt the flange to remove external hubs to get to the wheel bearings.External hubs with bolts or internal style, such as this on a Dana 44, are very similar. T Internal hubs like this have an extra externally expanding snap ring, which can be a bugger to remove. Practice this at home and have the right trail tool to pop it out when you need to. Remove the brake caliper mounting bolts and slip the caliper out of the way.Internal hubs like this have an extra externally expanding snap ring, which can be a bugge Most fullsize rigs have a special four-prong nut retaining the wheel bearings. Make sure you have the right socket with you to take them off, or carry a hammer and chisel. Earlier Jeeps and Scouts have a hex nut instead of the four-prong style, so carry that socket if your vehicle requires it.Most fullsize rigs have a special four-prong nut retaining the wheel bearings. Make sure y Between the inner and outer wheel bearing nut is a lock washer, either tabbed on the hex styles or full of holes on the four-prong job. The inner nut has a pin facing outward that needs to be indexed on when it all gets put back together.Between the inner and outer wheel bearing nut is a lock washer, either tabbed on the hex s With brakes and nuts off, the hub and rotor assembly can be pulled off. The outer wheel bearing is loose, so hold your hand over the front so it won’t become one with the dirt.With brakes and nuts off, the hub and rotor assembly can be pulled off. The outer wheel be Five or six bolts (or eight on a Scout) hold the spindle on. Remove these and then tap on the spindle to loosen it up. The spindle will come off, and in our case so did the outer axleshaft (also called the stub shaft).Five or six bolts (or eight on a Scout) hold the spindle on. Remove these and then tap on When a joint explodes, it often rips, tears, or breaks the ears off the axleshafts. The opening in the knuckle won’t allow the disfigured yoke to pass through, as it isn’t wide enough. We fired up the Premier Power Welder and used it to cut off the damaged ears rather than taking off the entire knuckle to remove the axleshaft.When a joint explodes, it often rips, tears, or breaks the ears off the axleshafts. The op Since both ends of the axleshaft were toast in our case, we dug out the spares and slammed a new joint into them. Sockets and a hammer are handy for this. So is a firm base. Some people carry complete sets ready to slip in, which speeds things up. With the joint installed, reverse the disassembly process and put it all back together.Since both ends of the axleshaft were toast in our case, we dug out the spares and slammed Kapoww! You might have heard that heart-sinking noise before on the trail, the metallic snap of an axle U-joint letting loose. If youre lucky, it was somebody elses rig thats now immobilized, blocking the trail, and creating unrest. If youre unlucky, then its yours. Hopefully you know what to do and how to fix it. It seems that blowing an axle U-joint is one of the most common mishaps off-road, whether its due to poor maintenance, mismatched components, or just plain stupidity. Regardless of why, axle U-joints break and need to be fixed. If you needed four-wheel drive to get to where you broke, the odds are youll need it again to get out. These things rarely break on flat level ground, but instead when the shock load of a spinning tire is stopped, or when the joint is angled because the wheel is turned. If youre really lucky, you might be able to limp back to camp and fix it there, rather than having to wrench in a precarious position on rocks or up to your hips in mud. Our featured fix shown here was broken at night in a precarious situation, but just for you we salvaged the situation and limped the rig back to camp. Follow along with the photos so you can know how to fix this very common trail breakage. Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
