Front axle U-Joints

[JCasper]

I picked up the front axle shafts today.



They tell me that they used a American Axle upgraded replacement. It's not greaseable and the clips are on the inside of the yoke. I first looked at it and asked him where the clips were to hold the caps in. They're on the inside.



I will hopefully install these Sunday or Monday night and then pick up my Driveline Tuesday and put it back on. Should be good for another 80K or so now.

 

[JCasper]

It's all back together.



Not a bad job to do overall.



I have new U-Joints in the front axles. They are an AA upgrade from what they said, $32 each installed.



I have 3 new U-Joints and a new carrier bearing in my new rear driveline along with balancing for $217.



A few misc shop supplies brought the bill to $284.



Six states is the place to go.

 

[steved]

How long have yours lasted?



What are you replacing them with?



My front right one is squeaking bad.

I replaced mine when I installed the DT kit way back when... the OE lasted 72k. The current ones are Precision (greaseables) and have lasted to 156k (but they only really have about 5k of actual use).



If you have not changed the rear driveshaft joints, pull the driveshaft and make sure those joints are still loose... mine failed (siezed) shortly before the axlejoints (they gave no warning). Those were replaced with NeapCo's, but the clips needed to be custom ground (they were joints for a Spicer drive shaft).

 

[JCasper]

I replaced mine when I installed the DT kit way back when... the OE lasted 72k. The current ones are Precision (greaseables) and have lasted to 156k (but they only really have about 5k of actual use).



If you have not changed the rear driveshaft joints, pull the driveshaft and make sure those joints are still loose... mine failed (siezed) shortly before the axlejoints (they gave no warning). Those were replaced with NeapCo's, but the clips needed to be custom ground (they were joints for a Spicer drive shaft).

How much does that kit cost, what were the advantages you saw from it?



I had the rear joint rebuilt also. 3 new joints, new carrier bearing and balanced.

 

[steved]

How much does that kit cost, what were the advantages you saw from it?

Its been a few years since I bought it, and I got in on a group buy, but it was somewhere around $1800 shipped. The first thing I noticed was the truck tracks differently, doesn't seem to follow grooves or dips in the road nearly as much. And I saw an increase in mileage, probably around 1mpg or less? I figure with todays fuel prices, its paid for itself at least once, if not a couple times.



I really didn't buy the DT kit for normal reasons, I have one of the 3rd generation trucks that suffered from the harmonic resonations... the dreaded 70mph vibrations. This was the only cure for it that I was willing to try.

 

[powerwagon]

d/s wheel u-joint bad

I have just finished replacing the drivers side wheel u-joint. What a pain the hardest part was getting the rotor off the hub, thanks to some heat it worked well, next came the hub the socket trick did not work for me so i found I had a puller from some old dodge cars years ago, all thsi did was pul the hub bearing apart. After i pulled the bearing apart then it was the hammer method and it came out. Try to find a hub (cheapest) I found in stock was parts america $299. I also bought a ujoint from them non greasable, so then I stoped a napa and got the precision 464 had to do some grinding on the joint and samd down the clips but it is running again. oh ya use lots of never seize so next time it might not be so bad. I checked the left front and it is also bad, this is for a later date.

 

[steved]

If you didn't damage either half of the unit bearing you separated, you can simply squeeze it back together with a long piece of all-thread. Check the mounting surfaces, threaded holes, etc... . if everythign looks ok, then there is a good chance nothing is wrong with the bearing. There is only one secret, after squeezing it together you will need to take a small flat bladed screwdriver and reseat the one internal seal between the two halves.



I have split them on purpose before, just to add more grease. Of those I still have around, the set under my dad's truck have over 280k miles on them... they were split at least twice that I remember.



One other thought, I did not need to grind anything to make the new joints fit?