Messed up U-Joints

[BillHilly]

I just bought a 1984 Dodge Ram D100 Custom, with the 4 speed and the 318. Truck started up and drove home after sitting 8 years, but that U-joint wanted to see the ISS. I got the driveshaft out, it all apart but the U-joint I bought from Oreillys, a Masterpro 315G....It won't go in with the clips! If I take the clips off, it'll go in and out just fine, but if I put the clip on the inside of one side, it won't sit down far enough or it's too big a clip or something, because I can't hammer it back down to clip the other side, even them out and throw it in. That's all that's stopping me, and I'm currently about to work on dremeling out the interior of the yoke holes to make the clips fit into it, or JB weld the caps on if I gotta haha. Probably not but it's frustrating.

 

[dusterdude]

See if you can find a moog 315 or a spicer of the same equivalent

 

[Hagar1]

I just bought a 1984 Dodge Ram D100 Custom, with the 4 speed and the 318. Truck started up and drove home after sitting 8 years, but that U-joint wanted to see the ISS. I got the driveshaft out, it all apart but the U-joint I bought from Oreillys, a Masterpro 315G....It won't go in with the clips! If I take the clips off, it'll go in and out just fine, but if I put the clip on the inside of one side, it won't sit down far enough or it's too big a clip or something, because I can't hammer it back down to clip the other side, even them out and throw it in. That's all that's stopping me, and I'm currently about to work on dremeling out the interior of the yoke holes to make the clips fit into it, or JB weld the caps on if I gotta haha. Probably not but it's frustrating.

It seems that after all the years of making U-joints, they are still not the same. Like Dusterdude said, try a Moog or a Spicer. Also check that the "ears" on the driveshaft aren't bent, I've seen that happen when people use the "swinging press" for disassembly.

 

[dusterdude]

Good idea

 

[ibike]

It seems that after all the years of making U-joints, they are still not the same. Like Dusterdude said, try a Moog or a Spicer. Also check that the "ears" on the driveshaft aren't bent, I've seen that happen when people use the "swinging press" for disassembly.

Swinging press. Love it!

 

[BillHilly]

From what I could tell, the previous U joint was a Spicer. So rusted I can't see anyhting on it, but those clips had been in just fine. I've done research and a buddy near me runs a welding/fabrication shop. It's just an old project truck, never gonna break 80mph, so he's gonna have me take the driveshaft in, and he's just gonna tack weld the caps into the driveshaft yoke for me so they can't escape, and I'ma bolt it in since it's held with straps on the other two caps. Any reason this is a problem?

 

[Mojo88]

My first question is: did you match up the new u-joint with the old one, while you were at the store?? This is about the only way you can be sure you bought the correct u-joint. It goes without saying, they need to be an exact match. I've gotten the wrong u-joint numerous times, so now I ALWAYS bring an old u-joint to match up.

My next question is: are you sure one of those little roller pins didn't fall out and is keeping you from getting things assembled????? It's worth taking apart to check. It shouldn't be too difficult to check.

Bottom line: don't hack it. Do it right. If you did have a pin fall out, then it will be horribly out of balance.

Start by taking the new u-joint out, making sure it's exactly same as the old one, and check to see if any pins fell out of place.

 

[BillHilly]

All the pins are absolutely perfect. I've checked...a BUTTLOAD of times.. It's the Clip sits like a straight up millimeter too wide, if not more and wont seat into the yoke. But the caps, PERFECT fit, but with the clips it's scuffed, but on the old U-joint it was just fine, those clips had fit. That one says Spicer like..P101? P161? On the cap of it. But the caps, the bearing was MURKED, like about to blow apart, gouged apart bad on the old ones. I was gonna try to either order the RIGHT Spicer one, or take the Masterpro one I have that seems to fit all besides the clip, and just slap a tack welded Washer on both sides of the yoke to prevent them from coming out.

 

[crazy jerry]

are u effin serious LOL. your welding the u joint in . man i thought i seen it all but this takes the cake

 

[BillHilly]

are u effin serious LOL. your welding the u joint in . man i thought i seen it all but this takes the cake

***** I've seen sketchier things haha. My plan was push come to shove, if this Spicer U joint i'ma order doesn't fit...Then just take some big washers and tack weld them evenly to the lopes of the Driveshaft to just prevent them from coming out. I've seen a LOT of 4x4 threads that do it, as well as others.

 

[BillHilly]

OKAY SO, I believe the old U-joint was a Spicer-161, and I see online the clips look significantly thinner on it. So, going to order a new one of that, but it's unavailable so grabbing a SPI-5-789X.

 

[Mojo88]

OKAY SO, I believe the old U-joint was a Spicer-161, and I see online the clips look significantly thinner on it. So, going to order a new one of that, but it's unavailable so grabbing a SPI-5-789X.

With u-joints, stay away from online, it's best to go to a parts store, so you can compare the old one to the new one.

 

[Hagar1]

OKAY SO, I believe the old U-joint was a Spicer-161, and I see online the clips look significantly thinner on it. So, going to order a new one of that, but it's unavailable so grabbing a SPI-5-789X.

If the old, originals clips are thinner, use them. Also, clean up the surface inside the "ear" where the clip will sit. Surprising what a couple of thousandths will do.

 

[BillHilly]

Sadly, the clips went flying to Valhalla the moment I took them off. I do have the new U joint that doesn't fit, and the old one but it's kinda dented and mangled, but I got three surviving caps. If the one that's in the mail doesn't work, I'ma go to the parts store. And I did clean up the inside of the Driveshaft yoke really well, and was using a dremel to grind them out to fit the clips for the new U joint, but paused that to try to find the correct one before I do that.

 

[Bob Horowski]

Yes the thickness of the clips is your problem. Short of trying to reduce their thickness on a large flat belt sander with a fine grit sand paper using a dremel tool on the groove is not that bad of an idea [imho] just be careful and don't overdo it.

 

[Hagar1]

Yes the thickness of the clips is your problem. Short of trying to reduce their thickness on a large flat belt sander with a fine grit sand paper using a dremel tool on the groove is not that bad of an idea [imho] just be careful and don't overdo it.

I used to work with an old timer that took every U-joint cup to the grinder before he installed it. That was with the external clips. He would just shave a thousandth or so off each one and the fit nicely. I think that carefully "polishing" the new, internal style clips on a belt sander might well solve the problem.

 

[u2slow]

On the off chance this is the larger 7290 joint, Moog does a trick with the saginaw 3R and 7290 by making a single ujoint for both applications and supplying different thickness clips.

If its the smaller (and far more common) 7260 joint, then its more likely the yoke ears are bent.

 

[BillHilly]

It indeed was the U-joint fellas. I am beyond stupid and noticed a cap difference. The Masterpro that was supposed to fit it was like a 1/8 inch longer on each cap, where as the Spicer 5-1306-1X I found old as hell and kinda rusty, FITS. Turns out the clips DON'T go into the driveshaft yoke at all, they just clip on and press against it. Which, remembering how I took it out, I didn't have to smack it one way or the other to expose a clip. Bout to go throw the Driveshaft back in, I'll take a video for ya fellas for all ya help Thank you!

 

[dusterdude]

Excellent