Spicer u-joint's

[detroitmuscle1986]

Well, time to replace both 1480 wheel joints and the three 1310 joint's on the front drive shaft. i have researched u-joints and the best one's seem to be Greasable Spicer Life Series u-joints. So i drove over to napa, come to find out that they no longer supply them; just plain BS. Son i figured well spicer is a well know company, someone else will have them.. i was wrong.. I i only found the two 1480 joints, and cant find the other three anywhere.. how is this possible! any help wold be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[rnd-motorsports]

Precesion/spicer/dana all same company anyplace that sold spicer will now sell the precision brand same quality just dif name. but if you must have the spicer name check out this place the still have spicer boxed parts Welcome To ACCU Auto Parts . U joint at bottom of page . The precision part numbers are 235 you need 2 and 280 for the shaft and 374 for the axle joints . In the axle joints I have found that the non greasable joints will by far outlast the greasable joints but you can use what you want just myself and years of changing them will not put a greasable joint in a front axle.

 

[spicergear]

You may have to google this but I think there is a Brute Force U-joint on the market that is tough and greasable. I actually have one or two of them in 1310 form on my one shop bench from early M715 days...

 

[ODdave]

RND, have you figured out why they out last the greasable ones?

 

[JUNKYARDJOHN]

While were on the u-joint conversation.... I just replaced the u-joints on my 82 civi. 1/2 ton gmc 4x4. After 29 years & over 1/2 million miles, the original non-greasable factory u-joints finally wore out & needed replacing. (the factory ones were held in with injection molded plastic instead of clips) I was amazed. John

 

[rnd-motorsports]

My opinion is the joint is fine until you go to grease them any dirt or contaminate get into grease Zerk. then its not sealed axle joints spin heat from the wheel bearings and brakes makes the grease liquefy and is thrown out the same place you put it in not to mention most people pump grease until they see it coming out of the cup thus unsealing the cup and again grease thrown out at speed and the joint fails in a short time. use a non greasable joint a small bit of good grease when you install and will last a lot longer . As spicergear stated there are some great joints out there I recommend ox joints in the axle joints of all I build they cost more but I have not seen a failed joint yet. In my personal mud truck with a Dana 60 front with a spool and 5:13 gears 40'' boggers and 468 big block I myself twisted a chrome moly shaft yet the ox joint didn't fail .

 

[ODdave]

Ok , didnt know if the biuld quality was differnt or what. ox is the solid bronze spacer right? there not recomended for continuos street use are they?

 

[Benaj]

They work fine with our trucks due to lockout hubs. They are only for front axle shafts not driveshafts.

 

[rnd-motorsports]

Ox joints are not recomended for continuous duty or full time 4x4 and are not to be used in stock axles just trew that in there not thinking ! MY BAD !

 

[DokWatson]

CTM U-joints can be used on the street with the bronze sleeves, I'm sure ox u-joints aren't much different.

Grease doesn't get 'thrown out' of u-joints. Bearing grease is kind of designed to not do that. U-joints fail because of lack of maintenance and age, its called water intrusion. The needle bearings rust and cause friction. Grease is supposed to squeeze out, it pushes all the other junk out with the old grease. Non greasable u-joints still have grease in them, they come pre-greased and don't have any zerk fittings. The advantage of non-greasable u-joints is that they are thicker and will take more abuse. The downside is you can't flush them out with clean grease. Its a matter of application and preference

 

[jdemaris]

Well, time to replace both 1480 wheel joints and the three 1310 joint's on the front drive shaft. i have researched u-joints and the best one's seem to be Greasable Spicer Life Series u-joints. .

NAPA tends to only carry one brand, and it's not Spicer.

If you want extended life, it depends on what type of use? Some u-joints have enhanced strength, some enhanced sealing, and some both.

Just about all the u-joints I've ever replaced on cars, trucks, tractors, and industrial machines failed from drying out - and NOT from being overloaded. So, for them, strength is not a issue. Keeping grease in, and water out is the issue.

From all I've seen, the non-greaseable u-joints seem to last the longest - but that depends on brand. When it comes to GM trucks, I rarely see any replacement greaseable joints last as long as the OEM non-greasables the trucks first came with - with no grease fittings and retained by plastic and snap rings.

I suspect many greaseable joints get short-lived from dirt intrusion, or mixing of different types of greases from the fitting. I know that the Precision joints sold by NAPA don't have what I'd call superior sealing.

That all said, short wheel-base Blazers often have problems with premature joint failure at the rear joint caps that attach to the rear pinion. No type of joint, in itself fixes that problem. But, there are ways to fix it.

Now, if you are off-roading and using giant wheels and breaking joints , then seals are probably not your concern.

 

[detroitmuscle1986]

so we're trying to install the twopercision 235's that fit in the cardon joint.. but they just dont seem to fit! the cups are the right size, and the ring has the proper copper snap ring.. but when you press the caps in, the u-joint is too wide, so theres jsut no way for me to get the second snap ring on the inside of the joint. plus, when the u-joint is flush with one of the ears on the drive shaft, the other cap hangs out the oter side about 1/8th of an inch, and we had it in the vise pressing it in. so its in all the way yet is still wont fit.

 

[ODdave]

so we're trying to install the twopercision 235's that fit in the cardon joint.. but they just dont seem to fit! the cups are the right size, and the ring has the proper copper snap ring.. but when you press the caps in, the u-joint is too wide, so theres jsut no way for me to get the second snap ring on the inside of the joint. plus, when the u-joint is flush with one of the ears on the drive shaft, the other cap hangs out the oter side about 1/8th of an inch, and we had it in the vise pressing it in. so its in all the way yet is still wont fit.

Pics? sounds like a needle fell out

 

[rnd-motorsports]

sounds as if a needle fell into a cup!