dogboy

This is the second u joint that I replaced within the last 7 months. Its the inner pass side half shaft up by the differential. I went with the brute force joints. They replaced it without question as they have a lifetime warranty. I'm wondering if I did something wrong in the install that would cause this or are they crap.

SanDiegoPaul

Are these solid cross joints or are they cross drilled and outfitted with a grease zerk? If the latter, then find solid ones. If the former, then you've got more power than me! :cheers:

Lt1er

You probably have way to much slop in the drive components. Mine are 10 years old with a 4 speed and probably 100 more hp than you.

If your rearend has never been rebuild I would bet money that your yokes are shot and filling the rearend with powdered metal. If your rear suspension is loose it allows for too large of half shaft angles and in and out movement which will bind and break the u-joints.

Weak old rear spring, bad shocks, lack of smart struts, bad wheel barings and spindles, and not replacing all 4 u-joints at the same time are the main problems

dogboy

I have the solid joints, no grease fittings. I also had the rear rebuilt 3 years ago with new spindles. adj struts new leaf spring, changed all of the u joints. and have replaced the pass side T arm bushing ; will do the left side soon. Shocks are 6 years old now. also had the rear bearings redone by vansteel along with new rotors and calipers. I just about did the entire rear end. This is what puzzled me. Unless I'm doing something wrong the install seems pretty straight foward. I torqued the outer shafts at 75 lbs and had tightened as much as I could with a 9/16" wrench up at the cap retainer nuts. I belive it is called for at 15lbs but there is no way I can get a torque wrench up there.

GrandSportC3

Solid Spicers are much stronger than Brute Force U-joints...

:cheers:

Olivier

Clink69

My understanding is that even the NON grease fitted Brute Force joints are hollow. The Spicer ones are solid. solid is stronger.

Lt1er

I stand corrected! You should have it covered. I never use a tq wrench on the inners. Just an open or box end and crank it down.

It's been awhile since I help a friend do his. but it seems to me that to change them. With the car blocked up and rear wheels hanging down. He took off the four outer half shaft nuts. Then he left the tires on and the car out of gear so you could use either rear tire to rotate the nuts into posistion to remove them. He then showed me that you just crank on the Smart strut rod which forces the trialing arm out. then he took off the inner nuts and the whole half shaft came right out. It took a pretty big press to remove the U-joints.

To reassemble it can only be done in the reverse order.

He said that his go out every couple years and I that means shot in the butt loose with the needle barings missing not broken. But he uses big tires and slicks with over 500 hp.

flynhi

I have been told by a guy who knows that if half shafts sit dead level, U joints bind and break more quickly. He says that the half shafts should angle down at least 3 degrees.

MikeC

If you have the u0bolt yokes, like it sounds like you have, you can overtighten the bolts and crush the cap a bit and make it out of round. This usually causes a vibration but sometimes not. This would put excessive pressure on your needle bearings and heat into your u-joint causing premature failure.

In greaseable bearings, the weakest link is the hole for the zerk fitting, the hollow area throughout the bearing is only a small part of the equation.

tshort

Do you ever get the half shafts balanced after you've put in the new u-joints? I didn't think it was necessary but balanced them anyways and sure enough both half shafts had to have weights added to them. Maybe they are out of balance and are causing a slight vibration and affecting things???
Just a thought. Also, get the solid spicers :yesnod:

dogboy

Mike C & Tshort may have the answer. I did tighten the caps pretty hard the last time. The cap cracked on the first one and with the second one a small lip had given way under the red rubber grease seal. In both case the needle bearing were just about mush. As for balancing I think that would be a good idea as I don't know if they vibrate. They are the original shafts so they may be off somewhat. I just don't feel like pulling them off the car for this but if it happens again I will.
Thanks guys.