Cleaning up the DS knuckles?

So, I've taken off both drive shafts on my K5 (it's like my TJs older brother) and taking them to Thrash to get a good workout. I expect them to come back all smooth and rebuilt.

Now that being said, the part of the UJoints still on the inside of each Diff -- well, they're all rusted and crap. I''ve been advised to NOT take them off, as I would have thought to send them to thrash with the DSs....

So... that being said - are there suggestions / thoughts?

Are you talking about the yokes on the differentials?

Talking about the little "y" things left on each Diff, once unbolting and wrestling out the DSs. It's the part where the UJoint bolts to the Diff, basically. But it's an extra little piece.

When I txt'd my buddy and asked if I should unboth them, to send them in with the DSs, he responded "NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" and said that would be a really bad idea....

If I don't take them off, I hate to stick new uJoints back into those rusty nasty things. So, what's the best way to clean them out?

Yeah, those are yokes. Are they covered in surface rust, or is there actual cancer involved? If it's surface rust, you can hit it with some blasts of a sand blaster if you want or a wire wheel/cup, just to knock off the surface stuff. Those things don't really need to be all that clean and pretty, necessarily. I installed a new front output yoke on the 241 I installed recently, so I could re-use my front 1310 drive shaft (rather than buying a new 1330 shaft), and it already doesn't look new anymore.

gothcha. it's basically just surface rust. I need to get some sand for my new little blaster. will be a good test run fr it!

You can even paint em if you want. Just leave the semicircle part bare where the cups mount (I would put tape there and paint the rest.).

The large nut holding the yoke on sets the preload on the pinion bearings. This crushes a crush sleeve in between the two bearings. When ever you take it apart you are supposed to replace the crush sleeve. The pinion seal also rides on the yoke and should be replaced also. When installing you tighten the large nut until you have the proper resistance (measured by a torque wrench) turning the pinion.

That is why he said nnnnoooooooooo!

I have done a bunch of them so if the pinion starts leaking give me a holler...

thankfully, he replied quickly enough last night....

I ran a rag over the yokes, and got them pretty clean. Nothing but surface and it cleaned off easy. Glad to know it didn't have to be pristine. So two new DSs back from Thrash... And I mean all new - including the tubes.

Just over $500 .... Can you say O U C H .....

But, slapped them on and torqued em down. K5 problems seem to be history!