Driveshaft U joints

[UNL1MTD]

I'm looking to replace the existing U joints for my 2wd driveshaft. Are they the 1310 style? I don't trust the parts guys to get it right, so I'll be ordering from somebody online.

 

Thanks,

 

Sean

[mjeff87]

yup

 

You can usually trust NAPA for them if you don't want to interweb them. I had the driveline shop press in two new ones Monday when they cut my driveshaft down (yeah, I'm getting lazy in my old age). $12 ea for greasables, but they wanted to upsell me to the Spicer sealed ones, which were $4 more. I didn't take the bait.

 

Jeff

[jtdesigns]

yup

 

You can usually trust NAPA for them if you don't want to interweb them. I had the driveline shop press in two new ones Monday when they cut my driveshaft down (yeah, I'm getting lazy in my old age). $12 ea for greasables, but they wanted to upsell me to the Spicer sealed ones, which were $4 more. I didn't take the bait.

 

Jeff

 

What so bad about the Spicer ones?

[DirtyComanche]

It depends who you talk to about u-joints. I run spicer sealed ones if I ever buy them new. Which actually hasn't happened - it's on my list but I don't get around to it.

 

 

Sealed u-joints are great if you aren't going to bother to grease them. Greasables are great if you are going to grease them. Quality Gear sealed joints are great if you never use them.

[Duner]

I have not had any problems since I got rid of the precision u-joints that O'reilly and Autozone sell. I using mostly spicer greasable joints and one brute force sealed.

[Oizarod115]

i'd have to agree for 4$ more i'd go with the spicer joint cause spicer is usually synonymous with quality joints IMO

[Geonovast]

I usually get mine at F&F, and just take in the old one for comparison, to make sure I get the right one.

 

Once the stroker goes in, I'll have to make sure I get better ones though..

[87manche]

not had good luck with the brute force joints.

the precision auto ones have been holding up.

 

Of course it doesn't seem to matter what I use, they get eaten up pretty quick in my rear driveline. I suspect it's because of some axle wrap when "getting it"

 

another reason to link the rear.

[pingpong]

Jeff, You should have told me... I have about 10 spicer 1310's sitting in my garage :eek: I got a decent price on a package deal.. so I bought a bunch at once.

 

As for the Brute Force(advance auto crap) I have broken many of their joints.. to the point of where Advance stoppe honoring their warranty on them to me. They said " I was abusing them, or not installing them properly", SO i stopped buying from them all together, and went with a wheeler friendly parts supplier, who has stood by his warranty on everything I have tried to bring back. This just happens to be a NAPA. Also he gives me a decent discount cause of the volume of buisness I do with him :D

[TNT]

The sealed ones are stronger because they aren't cross drilled with grease passages.

[comanchedude]

The sealed ones are stronger because they aren't cross drilled with grease passages.

 

 

That would be a correct statment. and is what should be used in the front wheel locations.

 

In a drive shaft application it’s usually a greasable unit for long life, and really for most rigs you should not expect to break many if any in the driveshaft?

But if you have stock gears and big tires that could put a big strain on the driveshaft I guess?

[Eagle]

In a drive shaft application it’s usually a greasable unit for long life, and really for most rigs you should not expect to break many if any in the driveshaft?

But if you have stock gears and big tires that could put a big strain on the driveshaft I guess?

Or the drive shaft is running at an excessive angle for the joints.

[Renegade]

Or the drive shaft is running at an excessive angle for the joints.

 

This can also come into play when installing a lift. I recently installed Rusty's 4.5" leaf packs & have noticed an intermittent"dragging" feeling when rolling to a stop. I thought it was the brake drums getting out of round.

I had the driveshaft out today while swapping gears & noticed the u-joints were loose with just a slight angle, but got REAL tight just past the point where they were used to running. I greased them & worked them a bunch to free them up & it now rolls smooth. They just never had to deal with that much angle before. Shouldn't matter but I guess they get "seated in" over time.

[TNT]

In a drive shaft application it’s usually a greasable unit for long life, and really for most rigs you should not expect to break many if any in the driveshaft?

But if you have stock gears and big tires that could put a big strain on the driveshaft I guess?

Or the drive shaft is running at an excessive angle for the joints.

 

I have 50,000 miles on a set of sealed ones that operate at a 14 degree angle on level ground. They are still tight and vib free. This shaft had 15,000 miles of use with 33" tires and 3.55 gears, the rest is with 31" tires.

 

I drive it like I stole it for the most part...