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Bad U-Joint

4K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  CNY 
#1 ·
How do I tell if my U-joint(s) have gone bad... my jeep has 70 on it and i believe the rear are aftermarket because they are greasable, etc. not to mention it has a cv shaft on the rear. On the front it is a completely different story. The driveshaft says spicer on it, but I think it is just the stock one. The whole reason I am asking is because someone told me I had angry squirrells because it was sqeaking and clicking on acceleration. The sight won't let me post pictures yet, but I have my front driveshaft taken off at the front axle and it is tied up waiting for a test drive.

Now, if my u-joints are bad, how do I get them off the the drive shafts? It all looks rusty down there. I sprayed some WD-40 on everything, and I am extremely uneducated when it comes to mechanics.

Go Red Raiders stopping those sooners!!!

Eric
 
#2 · (Edited)
you will have to unbolt the driveshaft from the transfer case using a 12 point metric socket I forget the size on a 1/4 inch ratchet drive...(think small the space is tight) you said you have the front unbolted already....
pull the drive shaft out forward and take it to a "driveshaft repair shop" (PHONE BOOK) do not attempt to do this yourself. Then go to the "Stealership" and buy the replacement bolts and straps you removed (do not reuse the old ones) and reassemble and enjoy your none squeeking jeep.
 
#6 ·
A u-joint fits in a yoke. The yoke holds the end caps of the u-joint which allows the u-joint to rotate in the caps. The vast majority of u-joint caps have needle bearings in them to reduce wear when the u-joint moves. There is also grease in the caps, keeping the needle bearings lubricated.

When the u-joint starts to fail, it is usually due to the grease getting used up or flushed away (water, degreasers, etc.). Rust will sometimes form in the end cap.

Without lubrication, the needle bearings being to grind away and when they do, you get slop/movement between the u-joint and the end cap. You can sometimes use a large screwdriver to pry on the u-joint to see if you get any movement. Rotational movement is OK but not side to side movement in the end cap.

I personally break my drive shafts and axle shafts down, periodically, for a good look see. Right now, I have greasable u-joints on all of the u-joints in both the front and rear drive shafts....and since I keep them well lubed, I doubt I'll be seeing many problems. On the other hand, when I still had the factory front drive shaft, I took it apart when it started with the "angry sparrows" noise. The grease was virtually gone....if I had waited just a bit longer, I feel confident the bearings would have gone and I would have been replacing the u-joints vs. lubricating them (which I did).

I hope this helps somewhat.
 
#7 ·
not the u-joint

the noise called angry sparrows is not caused by the needle bearings in the u-joint the cause is the centering pin in the middle of the CV joint. a CV joint is two u-joints in a that are located by a pin in socket joint...this is not lubed well at the factory and is not greasable unless pull the drive shaft grease it.
 
#9 ·
gpw1942ford said:
the noise called angry sparrows is not caused by the needle bearings in the u-joint the cause is the centering pin in the middle of the CV joint. a CV joint is two u-joints in a that are located by a pin in socket joint...this is not lubed well at the factory and is not greasable unless pull the drive shaft grease it.
Sorry to imply that angry sparrows and needle bearings were one in the same.

When I had angry sparrows, one of the things I checked was the needle bearings....and they were virtually dry. It was because of the squeaking that I took the CV joint apart in the first place. Yes, I lubed the centering ball at the same time at the same time I serviced the u-joints.

Here is a picture of the u-joint, as found....a bit short on grease it was.



Here was the centering ball as it came apart....at least there was still grease there.

 
#10 ·
Following information received on this site, as well as Stu's site, I removed my front driveshaft from my 97 Wrangler when I began to notice the funny noises. Just like Stu said previously, my CV joint was gone, from lack of lubrication. Rather than repair it myself, I took it to a driveline specialist in a nearby city. A couple of hours later, for $125.00, all u-joints had been replaced, the CV joint rebuilt/replaced (with a greasable unit), and slip yoke splines lubricated, with a new dust cap installed on the slip yoke. The very knowledgable technician that did the repair, stated that he does around 4000-5000 shafts a year, including complete new fabrications.
 
#11 ·
gpw1942ford said:
you will have to unbolt the driveshaft from the transfer case using a 12 point metric socket I forget the size on a 1/4 inch ratchet drive...(think small the space is tight) you said you have the front unbolted already....
pull the drive shaft out forward and take it to a "driveshaft repair shop" (PHONE BOOK) do not attempt to do this yourself. Then go to the "Stealership" and buy the replacement bolts and straps you removed (do not reuse the old ones) and reassemble and enjoy your none squeeking jeep.QUOTE]

I am trying to find the part numbers for the replacement bolts and straps. Can anyone help out on this one?
 
#12 · (Edited)
I think I have "angry sparrows" If I get started on the project, what parts should I have on hand, to overhaul / rebuild things properly?

The Jeep has 105,000 miles on it, and I don't mind replacing the parts (instead of regreasing and reinstalling).

Also, suggestions on what brand of parts to go with would be appreciated. The front-end parts are all stock and original (except for relatively new front axleshaft U-joints).
 
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