U-joint squeek

[FATCAT]

???????

You guys are replacing U-Joints already!!!!!



Thats pretty sad. I've got 177,000+ miles and my U-Joints are starting to make some bad noises ... probably cause of the mods.



Isn't DC suppost to be making these trucks better or are they cutting corners big time?



This worries me since I'll be in the market or a truck in 2006.

 

[realsquash]

OK guys, good and bad news. I will upload some pix in a few minutes...



Good news: it's a 1480 u-joint. I bought a couple of Precision model 351's at NAPA and they are nearly identical. The only difference is that they are beefier and greasable. That's the bad news... . That beef makes it impossible to install the cross on the driveshaft. BUT, it does fit with just a little touch of the file to the inside edges of the holes where the caps go. I have pix of this, too.



The other problem I ran into is that the two joints I bought are not the exact same shape. That makes it not fit, it would require quite a bit more clearancing of the driveshaft (or the u-joint, something I won't do).



I'm calling all the parts stores tommorow to see who has joints in stock (I messed one up, too, by stoopidness) and I'll compare and purchase the ones that fit the best.



The seals are a little different on the Mopar joints, and obviously their design didn't work very well. The dimensions of the joint, other than the casting on the cross, are identical to the 1480.



I will conquer this tommorow morning and do a whole writeup on it as I've taken a zillion pix with it. If you have any questions ask away.



EDIT: The Joints were $23 each. The genuine Spicers are $28 each.



Andy

 

[bighammer]

Originally posted by realsquash

OK guys, good and bad news. I will upload some pix in a few minutes...



Good news: it's a 1480 u-joint. I bought a couple of Precision model 351's at NAPA and they are nearly identical. The only difference is that they are beefier and greasable. That's the bad news... . That beef makes it impossible to install the cross on the driveshaft. BUT, it does fit with just a little touch of the file to the inside edges of the holes where the caps go. I have pix of this, too.



The other problem I ran into is that the two joints I bought are not the exact same shape. That makes it not fit, it would require quite a bit more clearancing of the driveshaft (or the u-joint, something I won't do).



I'm calling all the parts stores tommorow to see who has joints in stock (I messed one up, too, by stoopidness) and I'll compare and purchase the ones that fit the best.



The seals are a little different on the Mopar joints, and obviously their design didn't work very well. The dimensions of the joint, other than the casting on the cross, are identical to the 1480.



I will conquer this tommorow morning and do a whole writeup on it as I've taken a zillion pix with it. If you have any questions ask away.



EDIT: The Joints were $23 each. The genuine Spicers are $28 each.



Andy

I picked up a pair of the 351's at Napa and realized they must be for the driveshaft, right? (external snap rings) I asked about the front axle joints and they gave me a pair of the 374's which have internal rings. Hope those are right. Not sure when I will be able to jump into it, but having the (hopefully correct) parts on-hand would help.

 

[realsquash]

Originally posted by bighammer

I picked up a pair of the 351's at Napa and realized they must be for the driveshaft, right? (external snap rings) I asked about the front axle joints and they gave me a pair of the 374's which have internal rings. Hope those are right. Not sure when I will be able to jump into it, but having the (hopefully correct) parts on-hand would help.

351's are the correct part number. You need the external snaprings, not the internal ones like you bought... I got mine installed this morning and I'm uploading the pix now.



Andy



EDIT: pix!



Here are the remnants of the old joint.



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Napa/Precision Part 351 and lotsa stores had a few in stock.



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Old joint next to the new one. They measure identically, standard 1480. The Precision model looks a lot beefier and is greaseable (personally I'd rather it didn't, but I don't think it would be a problem here).



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But there's a problem!



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Easy fix, just file a little tiny bit off of the edge as shown here and they slip right in. This needs to be done on both ends of the driveshaft but neither of the other yokes.



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All done! Don't forget to torque the flange to 85 lb-ft and grease the joints up good.



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Oh yeah they are $22. 99/each



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[Blakers]

Thank you Andy for your report! This is saving grace for many of us!



I wonder why the numbers don't cross with the Dodge numbers?



Blake

 

[bighammer]

They are driveshaft and not axle though. (pix = K's of words)

 

[Blakers]

Bighammer, have you had axle joints go out? So far, I have had only one driveshaft joint go out and that is at 33,000 miles.

 

[realsquash]

Originally posted by bighammer

They are driveshaft and not axle though. (pix = K's of words)

Yeah I had a brain fart there, if you are looking for axle joints I don't know what to tell you except a Precision 374 is a 1480 axle joint, exactly the same as the old D60 fronts take. Those will have the internal snaprings. They are what's known as a "332" joint in fourwheeling circles



So you are purposely changing your axle joints? Am I less confused now? LOL



Andy

 

[realsquash]

Originally posted by Blakers

I wonder why the numbers don't cross with the Dodge numbers?

I have no idea why, but I can tell you that Autozone and NAPA looked at me really strange when I was trying to figure all this out. The ujoint manufacturers don't have it listed in their literature as far as I could tell, either.



FWIW, the Gen II trucks used a 1350 series joint on the rear driveshaft from what I could tell. T'aint the same joint...



Andy

 

[bighammer]

Originally posted by Blakers

Bighammer, have you had axle joints go out? So far, I have had only one driveshaft joint go out and that is at 33,000 miles.

Yup, it started at Muncie. I was in the hotel parking lot and noticed as I turned, the steering wheel was jerking with the tire rotation. Then I started to hear them squeek on every turn. I tried spraying them with WD 40 but I don't think much gets in though. It seemed to make them a little better. I just didn't want them to explode before getting home.



I'm guessing my rear joints are going too. My truck has always been vibration free (except for the AC @ 70 mph) but I'm starting to feel a bit just straight low speed cruising.



I'm sort of wondering if I shouldn't be considering replacement of the ball joints while I'm in there.

 

[hagar]

confused

Sorry if this is a dumb question, Is this for a 2003 one ton rear drive shaft?

I went to NAPA and got the 351 u-joint, I crawled under the truck and this thing is much bigger than the old one, cap doesn't even come close to fitting in the hole.

Went back to NAPA with the laptop and showed them this thread, they said it's the only 351 u-joint they have

 

[radar doctor]

Confused

Hope you guy's get this all Figured out before mine go out. That way , Maybe i'll know what Stock numbers to use at the Parts store. . Thanks for the pictures ... They were great... . Every once in a while i hear a clunk in the rear End, Wonder what that means???/

 

[whamby]

The 351 fits mine too. I researched this about 3 or 4 months ago when mine went out and I had to buy one from Dodge for $126. There are 3 different U joints for the 03 3500. I had all three by the time the Dodge place finally got me the right one.

 

[hagar]

3 different ones? you mean 1 size for the rear driveline, one for the front and one for the axle joints right, all the ones in my rear driveline look to be the same size.

the center in the rear driveline is definately bad and its taking out the carrier bearing now.

 

[whamby]

Nope according to the dealer there are 3 possibilities just for the rear and before they gave me the right one I had all three(My truck was broke down and I didn't have the old u joint out yet) I know for a fact that there are 2 possibilities for the rear yoke. One of the other ones the dealer gave me could have been for something else who knows when dealin with some of the parts guys these places have. Apparently there could be a difference between SWR/DWR and probably between the 10. 5 and 11. 5 rear end????

 

[realsquash]

My truck is a 2003 2500 with a CTD and a single piece rear driveshaft I don't know what's in the other trucks but if it's bigger than a 1480 I'd like to see pix of that.



1480=Precision 351



Andy

 

[whamby]

realsquash



The 351 is the one that is in mine also and it is the biggest one of the 3.