I can't say if you can do it or not. Changing just a u-joint can be easy or very infuriating, I have changed thousands and every once in a while I will get one that fights till the very end. Getting to that u-joint if it's in the ds is not hard if its the single joint if it's the dbl card u-joint that's a job for a drive-line shop, if its in the axle then the wheel and so on must come off, about two hrs work.

 

Too bad your not my neighbor, lol. I'll have to wait until I get the money to fix these things. In the meantime, is it all right to keep using the 4WD?

 

I would check out the u-joints at the very least, and see how bad they are. If you have one that's really bad, don't use 4x4. If it breaks, it gets a LOT more expensive to repair.

 

How do I check them?

 

Some will say just grab the ds and see if it moves up,down,across. Me I prefer to remove the ds from the truck and try moving the u-joints by hand, it should be smooth no binding no slop, and no noise also not to tight .

So you block the tires, mark the ds to the pinion yoke so you put it back in the same way you took it out, put the truck in N, remove the four 3/8 or 10mm bolts that hold the rear ds to the diff's pinion. Put a pail under the front of the ds where it goes into the xcase or tranny as it will drip some oil when the ds is removed.

To remove the front ds, same thing remove the four bolts that hold the u-joint to the pinion yoke, let the ds hang, then using a 5/8th swivel socket and an extension remove the four bolt that hold the ds to the xcase flange. Rotate the ds so you work the bolts from the top of the ds/flange.

 

Are we sure that the squeaking sound is related to the u-joints? I mean I can understand that with the age of the truck the u-joints probably need replaced, but don't they usually make a clunk sound as opposed to squeaking?

 

They squeak when they are dry (no lube) just before the needles pack in, then its on to the clunk stage maybe.

 

I had squeaky sound from front driveshaft, turned out to be centering ball on double cardan joint. I sprayed some WD40 on it, and it was quiet couple of days. Ended up rebuilding the whole thing.