Rear
drive shaft u-joints were badly in need of replacement and I had some spare
time while waiting for sealant to dry on a different project so I grabbed the
creeper, and under the Scout I rolled. Many years of road grime, grease etc
made the bolts difficult to remove, but I got 'em with only one scraped knuckle
and minimal blood. Drive shaft didn't want to come out, but a good kick and a
little profanity popped it loose. As I started rolling out with my prize, I
noticed the front tire being much closer to my head than when I rolled under,
and getting closer still. Instead of continuing to roll out, I put my hands
against the front tire thinking I could stop the roll, but not thinking
"idiot! You're laying on a four wheel creeper". So of course as I
pushed on the front tire, I shoved myself back, feet hitting the rear tire, and
kinda bouncing myself out from under the Scout. Getting up, I tripped over the
wood block that I hadn't put behind the tire, scraping my hands on the
concrete. I stopped the Scout, thinking to myself the driveway hardly has any
slope to it, then hearing a splash as my creeper had rolled down the driveway,
falling into the rain swollen drainage ditch.
But,
the fun's not over yet...Couple weeks later I get around to actually changing
the u-joints. Been a few years since I changed a u-joint and I've never had the
proper tools; always relied on the sledgehammer, wood block, and socket method.
I guess I forgot the sequence of installation and had a little temper flare, so
after I tracked down all the needle bearings on the garage floor, cleaned them
I attempted to reinstall the proper way. Still wouldn't go together and after a
few excessively aggressive sledge hits, I finally realized (after comparing to
the other one) the u-joint was not right. The wrong part had been packed in the
box.
Another
week goes by....
Have
the right part, and a few minutes to kill waiting for the garage door
repairman, so I attempt the install of the u-joint AND MAKE THE SAME ^&*$
MISTAKE as last time. Only took 15 minutes to find all the needle bearings,
clean and re-install. So, driveline is on garage floor, yoke on wood block, I'm
bending over with sledge in right hand, holding installation socket in left
hand and keeping the drive shaft from rolling with left foot. As I swing, I
lose balance, causing my foot to roll the driveshaft slightly left, now placing
my thumb directly under the descending sledge. Much profanity ensued, followed
by damage assessment. Fortunately (in an odd way) my thumb slipped off as the
sledge struck, minimizing the crushing injury, but causing most of the skin on
the side to be removed by the rough edge of the yoke. So I have a slightly
bruised and scraped thumb as opposed to a thoroughly mashed thumb.
.