6 Spd. U Joint part numbers....

[Blakers]

Yes! fit no problem - no grinding required!

Thanks a million!

 

[steved]

EHHHHHHHHHH, WRONG ANSWER... possibly!!!!



Just got off the phone with my local parts house... the 351 is for the three joint shaft with slight smaller than 1-1/16 inch caps. The 330 is for the 2 joint shaft behind a 6spd... the caps measure 1-3/8 inch... which is exactly what I have... these are precision numbers too FYI.



Also, the local driveshaft shop indicated that a 1480 series joint is only slightly different in cross length (by 0. 009 inches), which might be in the clip rings and would make them just enough different that they would not interchange.



NEAPCO has a listing for the joint, but they do not make them (what????). The shop indicated that precision joints are a bit on the "loose" side and may lead to vibrations... but the ones I have used never gave issues.



steved

 

[jwilliams3]

Steve,

Definitely check it out and let us know!!



This is from Rockauto:



"PRECISION Part # 330

At Rear Axle, 2WD; w/ Auto. Trans. ; w/3 Joint Shaft {U Joint - Premium}"



"PRECISION Part # 330

At Center Bearing, 2WD; w/5 Spd. Man. Trans. {U Joint - Premium}"



"PRECISION Part # 295

Rear Shaft at Center Bearing, 4WD; w/3 Joint Shaft; Exc. 6 Spd. M/T {U Joint - Greaseable Super-Strength}"

 

[Blakers]

EHHHHHHHHHH, WRONG ANSWER... possibly!!!!



Just got off the phone with my local parts house... the 351 is for the three joint shaft with slight smaller than 1-1/16 inch caps. The 330 is for the 2 joint shaft behind a 6spd... the caps measure 1-3/8 inch... which is exactly what I have... these are precision numbers too FYI.

I think your parts place is wrong. NAPA list the wrong parts. My 2 joint shaft takes the 351 joint. If in doubt get both before the job.



Blake

 

[steved]

I think your parts place is wrong. NAPA list the wrong parts. My 2 joint shaft takes the 351 joint. If in doubt get both before the job.



Blake

BUT, going by the cap size, mine is a 330 joint.



steved

 

[Blakers]

BUT, going by the cap size, mine is a 330 joint.



steved

I think I went through that one with mine too. I think they may be wrong on the dimensions of the 351. I believe the 351 is bigger than the 330. This is just by my memory of doing it. Buy both and take back the one you don't use.

 

[jwilliams3]

My money is on the 351's with 6 speed transmission's. :-{}

 

[steved]

My money is on the 351's with 6 speed transmission's. :-{}

I intend to... I ran into this once two... turned out I needed the caps from one on the cross of the other... go figure.



steved

 

[Jengle]

Why do we continue to buy joints that require us to grind on anything? If you don't get the same amount off each side exactly, you will get something out of balance. Can't the manufacturer come up with something that we don't need to grind?

 

[steved]

Went to buy joints today... the 330 is a monster compared to the 351... almost 1/4" diameter bigger caps and about 1/2" longer cross than a 351... with one look, I knew it was a better choice than the 351 to try in my truck. They are also almost double the price of the 351 too.



The 330 is the ONLY listing for a 6spd 4wd single piece shaft in three different books I looked at recently.



I still got to crawl under and confirm I'm at least close with this one, but I'm pretty sure after seeing the difference side-by-side of the 351/330 joints that I am on the right track (with only a glance under the truck).



Will post more as I find it... Ohh, and they listed the 351 for the three piece dshaft AND the auto equipped trucks.



steved

 

[jwilliams3]

Steve,

Rock auto has the 330's for $11. 95 vs. $21. 99 for the 351's.

Are you sure you had the numbers right.



We need some pictures.



So have you installed any new joints yet?

 

[jwilliams3]

EHHHHHHHHHH, WRONG ANSWER... possibly!!!!



Just got off the phone with my local parts house... the 351 is for the three joint shaft with slight smaller than 1-1/16 inch caps. The 330 is for the 2 joint shaft behind a 6spd... the caps measure 1-3/8 inch... which is exactly what I have... these are precision numbers too FYI.

Steved,

I just went out to the shed and brought in a new in box #351 U-Joint.

I also just measured the diameter of the cap.



Drum Roll... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...



Its... ... ... ... ... ..... 1 3/8" :--)



Looks like your parts house is telling you wrong.



There are already 3 or 4 people on this thread that have INSTALLED 351's (3 long boxes and 1 short box) in their 6 speed trucks without issue.



By the way the Auto U-joint is #295 and the AAM 9. 25" axle joint for all 3rd Gen 4x4's is Precision #464.





****INFORMATION DISCLAIMER****

This TDR member has actually performed this job his own truck (ie vehicle) and has installed the above mentioned parts on that truck.

*No parts house was called, consulted, or questioned previously, during or after the posting of this thread.

 

[JHardwick]

351's fit my truck without grinding caps. I did have to touch up the yokes to get the heavier bodied u-joints to slide in. I did a tutorial of sorts on this install.

 

[steved]

Yeah, they did tell me the wrong part... because IT WAS IN THE WRONG BOX... someone else must have already been down this road at this parts house already... put your parts back in the right box next time!



I took the shaft out and the rear joint was froze (completely) on one axis... I'm surprised I made it the 600+ miles home. I couldn't even get it to move by hand... all this and still 20. 5 mpg on the trip home... I had to get this one... heading to Oklahoma at the end of the week.



The shop is going to use their own joints which are greaseable (NeapCo?)... and the "correct" joint, not the one-size-fits-all 351. The 351 is actually a spicer 1480, not the AAM equivalent (there is a very slight sizing difference) but by all of the owners here that have used the 351, they must work.



This shop doesn't really like Precision joints because they tend to be "loose" and sometimes cause vibration issues... whatever, as long as the joints they use are greaseable and don't vibrate, I don't care!



They are also going to balance the shaft when they get it done too.



steved

 

[jwilliams3]

Those "loose" precisions are working great for me.

Heck I have about 10 hooks to the sled with them.

If its tough enough for the sled then they are tough enough for the street.

 

[steved]

Agreed, I have ran Precision in the past in my own junk and never had them cause a vibration... just relaying what was told to me...



That said, $190 for both joints installed in the shaft and the shaft balanced (a little high, but it's done)... it took A LOT of weight on the differential end of the shaft to get it balanced. I believe the joints they used were NeapCo which has been around a long time... they are both greaseable too (whoo-hooo!!).



Now, the difference: I now need to sit with the brakes on at a redlight... it will coast at the slightest grade... before, it would sit right where I stopped. Also, I have no vibrations up to 60mph (all the faster I got it to tonight)... just like glass, but it should be as bad as that joint was... I'll be curious to see what it does at higher speeds. Since it is a gradual failure, you don't really notice it until it either gets really bad or you replace them with good stuff... ohhh, and FYI, there was absolutely NO PLAY in the bad joint, but it was completely siezed.



The front axle joint is squeeking now... COME ON DYNATRAC... HUBS HERE WE COME!



steved

 

[one8upcb]

Well with all this said i purchased the 351's for the 1 piece rear drive shaft and installed them yesterday. The only issue i ran into was a snapped bolt at the pinion yoke. Other than that the 351's went in smooth. Now i have to work on getting the front drive shaft changed out and the axle u joints. I also notice while i was down there my front pinion seal is leaking so ill have to change that out when i do my front drive shaft. Thanks for all your research.

 

[one8upcb]

I was doing my front drive shaft this evening and ran into a problem. The precision 235 fit fine on the shaft closes to the axle but the 232's that are suppose to go on the cardan shaft doesnt fit at all. The body doesn't clear the yoke and the caps are too big. I think the correct size is precision 270. I will go back to napa tomorrow with drive shaft in hand and check it out.

 

[rbattelle]

I notice the part numbers now listed in the Precision catalog and at Rock Auto are:



Front driveshaft @ axle = 235

Front driveshaft double cardan @ transfer case = 270

Rear driveshaft = 351A (for 6 speed manual trucks with 1-piece shaft).



Anyone verified these?



Ryan

 

[jwilliams3]

Ryan,

The 351 does fit the 6 speed both 1 piece and 2 piece driveshafts.

I have ran the 351's with good luck.