Driveshaft mid bearing

[Palmer]

I had terrible vibration on my 85 Suburban 3/4 ton 2wd and upon inspection the middle U joint and mid shaft bearing are shot. After removing the driveshaft I cannot figure out how to get the bearing off the shaft. It must be pressed on but at the one end it is welded to the tubular front driveshaft and the other end is the large splined shaft that goes into the rear shaft. Am I blind or just stupid? Thanks for any help.

 

[Alan]

Where is the slip joint on that driveshaft? It has been years since I had to play with a centerbearing so I'm more than a little fuzzy on this. The yoke connecting to the rear shaft should slip off and then it is a drive fit for the center bearing itself. They tend to rust up pretty good so they can be hell to get off. If you have a torch try a little heat once you have cut away the rubber grommet that it sits in. If you're good with a torch you can blow the bearing apart (watch for hot grease that will boil out if it) and then wash the inner race off the driveshaft. Then it should be a matter of cleaning up the shaft and driving the new bearing on. A piece of pipe with an ID a bit bigger than the shaft makes a good driver and there is a lot less hassle with &quot;cocking&quot; the bearing as it is installed.<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: Alan