Propshaft Bearings

[flynbike]

The socket and vice method worked for me. Then by gripping the protruding bearing cap in the vice I was able to work it out. I didn't use a hammer, large or small.

[AustinWood]

Well done. They sometimes are very easy but can be a real pain.

[Graham Barker]

Thanks gents for the advice and encouragement. I managed to extract the protruding bearing cap by gripping it in the vice as suggested. The force required to push the other bearing out is so great that I am concerned that I might bend the yoke, if I haven't already. So I am taking it to a specialist drive shaft rebuilder to finish the job.

[AustinWood]

I think the yokes are very difficult to bend. You've done the difficult bit.

[Graham Barker]

I have now had the bearings in the universal joint at the rear end of the prop shaft replaced by a drive shaft reconditioning business. Their technicians queried the alignment of the yokes at each end of the prop shaft being out of alignment  by 90 degrees. They said most car makers have the yokes aligned. They said that is because universal joints are not constant  velocity joints and therefore can impart irregular motion to the shaft. They think that having the yokes aligned overcomes this irregular motion whereas misalignment of the yokes will result in vibration and wear. They recommended that I pull the uj at engine end off the spline and replace it rotated 90 degrees. Before I do that, I would like to hear whether alignment of the yokes is the standard arrangement for Austin Sevens, or was my shaft with 90 degrees misalignment correct.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Graham

Chapter and verse from the Cornish club.

https://www.austin7.org/Technical%20Arti...ft%20Howl/

Cheers

Howard

[Graham Barker]

Hi Howard,
Thanks. That article is spot on! So the technician is correct.
I have not removed the front uj from the spline during my ownership. It must have been done for a prior owner. It is quite growly above 40 mph, so this might be the cause.

[AustinWood]

Yes, they need to be aligned. As the shaft rotates, if it is not exactly inline, it is not in balance. By having them aligned the imbalance from either end cancels each other out.
To fully cancel out the imbalance the deflection on each joint must be the same. In fact this will not be the case with the Austin because the torque tube and the gearbox output shaft are not in line anyway. The error from this will be less than the error from having the UJs out of alignment.