U-Joint Replacement

How do you know if it's U-JOINT? I have some vibes and somes noises mostly going upill and downhill, but not always.

If it's cold or very cold out here (below 30F), I can hear noises, but If it's warmer, above 30F, I don't hear anything, it's very weird...

So, how can I verify U-JOINT without hearing noises, I mean, I will go under my truck and then, what should I do ? What are the signs? How does it looks a bad U-JOINT ?

Thanks!!

 

I have a 2005 Dbl Cab Prerunner with 115,000 miles and mine squeaks in reverse (never hear the squeaking in drive). Is this a sysmptom of a bad U-Joint as well?

Thanks,

Scott

 

NVM.

 

Do it yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/results?hl=en&gl=us&q=how+to+replace+ujoint&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=n1

 

Chock the front tires. Put in neutral with park brake off. Crawl under truck and grab drive line at the ujoint. Now push and pull (not spin). If you see ANY movement or hear and clicking it is going out.

 

Getting my rear ujoints replaced as I write this post... I have been noticing a vib and squeaks when driving also really bad binding noise when shifting from back and forth from reverse to forward and from park into drive. Putting in ujoints with zerk fittings on them so I can maintain them myself. Thx for the help guys!!

 

They do on my 2012 4X4 DC Pre Runner

 

Non 4x4 05 & newer do not have zerk fittings on the U-Joint.

 

I read through this string and I had the same problem with my 06 Pre-Runner, except I got "raked over the coals". I'm 7 hours away from home, no tools and I noticed there's that vibration from 0-35mph/800-1200rpm range. I had to take it to a local dealer. $97 per U-Joint Spider ($300) +$40 rear transmission seal $400 labor, and $167 P&L for Transmission Fluid Replacement. It's got 105,000 miles. I'm very disappointed in Toyota and wished I had been at home so I could do this myself. This was an easy job...that I believe shouldn't have be done until 300,000 miles. I'm out $1000 dollars. I kept the parts. I'm going to clean them up and send them to Toyota. I work in MFG and "tout" thier TPM stuff all the time. They messed up on this one.

 

I would have found someone different but thats me. You overpaid on this and these are wear items.

 

For what it's worth, I just took my driveshaft into Rocky Mountain Driveline a few days ago. I have a single piece driveshaft, as the prior owner got tired of the vibes and converted it. Unfortunately, the shop he used did not do a good job building it. RMD replaced both U-joints with spicer joints, removed and welded back on one of the endcaps on the driveshaft, and balanced it at 3500 rpm. All for $172, and in less than 24hrs. And they are so nice to deal with you sort of feel like you are a Lexus dealer.

 

Had my second (rear) ujoint replaced on Friday: $96 (local guy). First one (middle) was a couple months ago, also $96. Anyone using a dealer is getting raped, but you already knew that.

Symptoms: Chirping eventually lead to full on screeching until I got over 20mph. Vibrations became worse and worse. Carrier bearing would be a howling sound, not screeching.

 

I just got all of mine done on my access cab. $114 for parts and labor. Truck feels awesome. They also used greasable u-joints.

 

I certainly overpaid for it. I would do it myself. However, I'm an 8 hour drive from home (going through a lot of rural country areas) and I'm not going to "Joe's Repair Shop" in a location I don't know.

 

I don't believe anyone got 3 U-Joints replaced by someone else for a total of $114 P & L.

 

They are wear items....except automobile MFG with much less "reliabilty" credibility go way longer than 105K on their u-joints under normal highway conditions. 70-80K of these are interstate highway miles. The rest is 2-lane highway miles. Never been off-roading and only pulled a 3,500lb horse trailer, maybe 1K totat miles over the last year. Disappointing out of a Toyota. It should have gone 200K minimum under these conditions.

 

There became some SERIOUS vibrations for starting at 50 mph. It would plane out after 70 but my fuel economy drops significantly after 70. It felt like all 4 tires we waaayyy out of balance, and it all started at the drop of a hat. I took it to the shop after having the tires rotated and balanced and they found out that one of the four U-joints was bad. Total parts and labor at one of the best mechanic shops around cost me $85. Unfortunatley, there is still a little vibrations at 50 mph... so i hope it isnt the front u-joint because they told me to replace that one, you have to replace the entire driveshaft.

 

Go and buy the U-Joints and do it yourself. You can look it up on YouTube and it will show you how to do it. I unfortunately paid $700 for it because I was out of town and had no tools and no choice. You can do it for yourself for less than $200....much less

 

Go and buy the U-Joints and do it yourself. You can look it up on YouTube and it will show you how to do it. I unfortunately paid $700 for it because I was out of town and had no tools and no choice. You can do it for yourself for less than $200....much less

 

I was at the dealer today getting a driveline vibration diagnosed. It was diagnosed as a u-joint. SO $114 to diganose it, $598 to replace it. They also wanted to clean my fuel system $158, replace the PCV valve $37 and replace the plugs $225. I beat them to the plugs $20 and about an hour. Needless to say, they didn't do any of the other work. I'll invest in a bottle of seafoam, $5 PCV valve and $20 u-joints and save myself the $1000. I love using a dealer, but WTF??