Diagnosis of Driveshaft and U-Joint Problems

**DeRocha** · 12-02-2005, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

If someone would like to add a step-by-step on installing U-joints that would really make this thread complete

Ok...step by step info with pics is contained in the U-joint link in my sig line.

*Albino 94LTD* · 12-08-2005, 12:18 PM

I'm in the process of refreshing a D35 TTB and an 8.8" for installation in an '88 Bronco II, including all the U joints for stub shafts and Drivelines.

I'm finding confusing information about the part/model #'s

The front stub shafts seem to use Spicer 297's. A call to Drivelines NW informs me that Spicer is replacing the 297 with the 760-non greasable.
Other manufacturer #'s;
Precision 371
Neapco 1-0297
TRW 20193
Alloy 1758
A.E.C. 297
Warner 114-645
Wesco 201-297

Anyone care to confrim the above????

Now, what about the drivelines?

Do they use a different U Joint?? like a Spicer 153x, 625x or 433-1x
Other manufacturer part #'s
Precision 396
Neapco 1-0153
TRW 20049
Alloy 1004
A.E.C. 521HD
Warner 114-513
Wesco 201-520

Correct?

**DeRocha** · 12-09-2005, 04:57 AM

These are the U-Joints # for (Brute Force)
1-0297BF (Qty = 3) Front Axle
1-0153BF (Qty = 3) Front Shaft
1-0153BF (Qty = 2) Rear Shaft

The front and rear shafts use the same U-Joints held in place with those outer spring clips.

The Front axle U-joints are held in place by Inner "C" clips (for a better pic see the U-joint link in my sig)

ExplorerDMB · 12-29-2005, 12:04 PM

Well, at work today we had to pull out the transfer case out of a late model silverado because they front driveshaft binded and cracked the t-case horribly. The double-cardan joint on the driveshaft has a ball and spline type deal in the middle of the u-joints and well it basically shattered in there. We think the d-shaft was the problem for the tcase problem. Here are some pictures:

-Drew

*DB_1* · 12-29-2005, 03:09 PM

Scary stuff, so what was the cause do you think...rompin' on it too hard or something?

ExplorerDMB · 12-29-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DB_1

rompin' on it too hard or something?

always a possibility. To be honest, I don't know - I just do the work.

-Drew

flyawayfromfate · 10-15-2010, 11:08 PM

bump

**IZwack** · 10-16-2010, 06:49 AM

thump

staceyas · 12-14-2010, 01:33 PM

I recently replaced the u-joints on my 2002 explorer sport trac and failed to index mark the parts before disassembling. I reassembled everything and ended up with a vibration at certain speeds. I removed the shaft again and tried several different clocking configurations but could never seem to get rid of the vibration completely, although, it did seem to change it each time I changed the clocking. My guess is that I put one or both of the yokes back together backwards and so changing the clocking wont help. Anyone have any ideas of what I can do to resolve this problem?

**IZwack** · 12-14-2010, 01:40 PM

Take it to a driveshaft shop and have them balance it.

staceyas · 12-14-2010, 03:38 PM

Would that be something they would do while it is still installed on the truck or would I remove it and take it to the shop? If I have to remove it , how do I put it back on and know that it is balanced with the transfer shaft and the pinion shaft or does it even matter?

*EastoutWest* · 02-13-2011, 10:47 AM

I just replaced one of my rear shaft u-joints. The symptoms were: squeaking at very low speeds, vibration under acceleration, and heavy vibrations around 70-80 mph.

I'm sure glad I did it cause when I pulled the drive shaft off, the rear u-joint was so stiff on one axis that it barely moved with considerable coaxing. Also, just a slight movement on the joint produced the same squeaking noise. The front u-joint moved freely without any noise.

Before removing the shaft, I marked the bottom of all parts of the shaft with a paint marker, used the parking brake, and put the 5-spd in gear so neither the transmission end or the diff. end would move. Removing the bolts (4x4s don't have a yoke that slides into the transfer case, instead bolts) was not bad after soaking with PB. I used a 12 point 12mm socket (or was it 1/2 inch?) and a 1/2" breaker bar, then a 3/8" ratchet. It took some creative arm routing to get to the top bolts, but again, it wasn't too bad. Took me 15 min.

Getting the old u-joint out was a bear of a job. I called a few shops and most of them wouldn't replace it if I just brought in the driveshaft... wanted to r&r the shaft for liability reasons...

In removing the old joint, I first bent a big 8-inch c-clamp, then pounded on it using the two socket method with only about a mm of movement... fail. So I called a friend and found out he had a vice I could use (note: when using a vice, be sure to support the other end of the shaft). The two socket method: put a socket that has an outside diameter (O.D.) slightly smaller than the bearing cap on one end and a socket with an O.D. slightly larger than the bearing cap on the other side of the joint. Note: this vice wasn't big enough to use two sockets so I had to use a bolt instead of the smaller socket. Use the vice to press them together. It was barely budging so I tried adding heat with a torch... didn't help. Eventually I found that if I apply pressure with the vice, use plenty of PB, and hit the ears of the driveshaft with a hammer, it would break loose a little at a time. It took several cycles of this method and over an hour to remove the u-joint.

I finally got the old u-joint out and as stated by IZwack, one of the bearing caps was rusted and filled with rust dust rather than needle bearings... I was driving on borrowed time and I'm sure another thousand miles or less and I would have dropped the driveshaft while driving.

I also noticed that a couple of the holes in the shaft's ears had sharp barbs inside them so I used a file and ground them smooth. After all that, getting the new u-joint in was a breeze. Just remove the bearing caps from the new joint being careful not to dislodge any of the needle bearings, position the joint in the driveshaft's ears, lay that end in the vice, start the bearing caps into the holes and press them together. I used large washers when pressing to prevent any damage to the caps. Then when they were flush with the ears, I used the same bolt with a smaller O.D. to press them to the right depth (to clear the channels for the retainer clips). Installing the new u-joint took maybe 20-30 mins. I opted for the greasable u-joints, which were cheaper anyway...

Reinstalling the drive shaft was also pretty easy. Start with the front end, then the back, being sure that your marks are oriented the way they were when you removed the shaft. Haynes said to tighten to 10-16 lb/ft. I thought that was pretty low so went up to about 20 lb/ft.

This was the first time I had replaced a u-joint. Overall, it took 3-4 hours, including about a half hour for calling a few shops and then locating a vice. I bled twice, but nothing serious. The worst part was by far removing the old u-joint. The rest was easy. Now my truck is smooth under acceleration and at speed, with no low-speed squeaking (except for the shocks... maybe another time). Also, my clutch chatter has disappeared...

Hope this helps someone.

**DeRocha** · 02-13-2011, 11:39 AM

Glad you caught it in time and got it all back together. To make it easier to reach the bolts on the drive Shaft I support the entire rear axle on jack stands. With the wheels off the ground and the others chocked I can shift into neutral and rotate the shaft so the next bolt is in the perfect position for installation/removal.

To make it a little easier next time you might look into picking up (Free AutoZone Rental) the U-joint press. It's designed specifically for the job and can get it down in much less time.

See Stu Olsen's page on using the tool.

emberswzd · 11-03-2011, 02:56 PM

I have a 2001 explorer xlt, 4 WD. Mine has a intermittent squeal in reverse and the same squeal in drive up to about 25 MPH then stops. Before throwing some WD-40 on fwd and rear U-Joints it also made a loud twanging noise when I hit accelerator. From inside cab it sounds as if it is coming from front end but neighbor who was outside said it was coming from rear of truck. Now I also noticed with 4WD the drive shaft does not slide out of trannie, u have to remove 8 12 MM, 12 point bolts from fws and aft ends of shaft. I am hoping I am right that it is a U-joint issue. I went in and out of 4WD high and low but has no clunk when puttig in gear.

*mr cribb* · 11-04-2011, 10:15 PM

Hmmmm.... this might solve the minor vibration I have. I have that same squeaking up to about 25mph. I just replaced the trans mount today in mine and that took care of the horrible almost unbearable to drive vibration.

The only checking I had done for the u-joints was to see if they were really sloppy feeling. I guess I was going about this all wrong.

Mine is 2wd and I had figured the vibration was due to the excessively worn out front end (waiting on tax time to tackle that)

but I may be replacing u joints shortly.

12-08-2005, 12:18 PM	#22
Albino 94LTD Recovering from Moab 2013 Newcastle Wa White 94 Limited Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 3,358 Vehicle Specs	I'm in the process of refreshing a D35 TTB and an 8.8" for installation in an '88 Bronco II, including all the U joints for stub shafts and Drivelines. I'm finding confusing information about the part/model #'s The front stub shafts seem to use Spicer 297's. A call to Drivelines NW informs me that Spicer is replacing the 297 with the 760-non greasable. Other manufacturer #'s; Precision 371 Neapco 1-0297 TRW 20193 Alloy 1758 A.E.C. 297 Warner 114-645 Wesco 201-297 Anyone care to confrim the above???? Now, what about the drivelines? Do they use a different U Joint?? like a Spicer 153x, 625x or 433-1x Other manufacturer part #'s Precision 396 Neapco 1-0153 TRW 20049 Alloy 1004 A.E.C. 521HD Warner 114-513 Wesco 201-520 Correct? __________________ The Crumudgeon Some engine thingy's, some suspension thingy's, some interior thingy's and some thingy's powder coated by Turdle Shell Powder Coating I've been busy

12-09-2005, 04:57 AM	#23
DeRocha NEX Vice President Brockton, MA '93 XLT 4x4 Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6,637 Vehicle Specs	These are the U-Joints # for (Brute Force) 1-0297BF (Qty = 3) Front Axle 1-0153BF (Qty = 3) Front Shaft 1-0153BF (Qty = 2) Rear Shaft The front and rear shafts use the same U-Joints held in place with those outer spring clips. The Front axle U-joints are held in place by Inner "C" clips (for a better pic see the U-joint link in my sig) __________________ John D-"Search first, Ask questions later" & "You can have my Explorer when you pry the keys from my cold dead hands." <<<Forum Rules >>>My Truck 4x4 Trouble Shooting Guide See how cars work Axle and tire calculators U-joint replacement info/pics Repair info NEX-New England Explorers NEX: Club Events Last edited by DeRocha; 12-09-2005 at 05:13 AM.

12-29-2005, 12:04 PM	#24
ExplorerDMB Moderator/Technician Mechanicsville, Virginia 2004 Acura TL Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 6,263 Vehicle Specs (Original Poster)	A Bad U-joint Can't Do Any Damage Well, at work today we had to pull out the transfer case out of a late model silverado because they front driveshaft binded and cracked the t-case horribly. The double-cardan joint on the driveshaft has a ball and spline type deal in the middle of the u-joints and well it basically shattered in there. We think the d-shaft was the problem for the tcase problem. Here are some pictures: -Drew Attached Images __________________ My Useful Threads (38 Entries and Growing)

12-29-2005, 03:09 PM	#25
DB_1 Elite Ranger La Quinta, Ca. 97 SC Ranger xlt Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,440 Vehicle Specs	Scary stuff, so what was the cause do you think...rompin' on it too hard or something? __________________ 97 Ranger...what's left of it

10-15-2010, 11:08 PM	#27
flyawayfromfate Wannabe Elite Explorer Kennesaw, Ga '93 XLT Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1 Vehicle Specs	useful bump

10-16-2010, 06:49 AM	#28
IZwack Germantown, MD Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 22,381 Vehicle Specs	thump __________________ »»»»»...how'd the moon get there, how'd the moon get there?

12-14-2010, 01:33 PM	#29
staceyas Wannabe Elite Explorer Bonnots Mill, MO 2002 Exp Sport Trac Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 4 Vehicle Specs	2002 Sport Trac driveline vibration I recently replaced the u-joints on my 2002 explorer sport trac and failed to index mark the parts before disassembling. I reassembled everything and ended up with a vibration at certain speeds. I removed the shaft again and tried several different clocking configurations but could never seem to get rid of the vibration completely, although, it did seem to change it each time I changed the clocking. My guess is that I put one or both of the yokes back together backwards and so changing the clocking wont help. Anyone have any ideas of what I can do to resolve this problem?

12-14-2010, 01:40 PM	#30
IZwack Germantown, MD Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 22,381 Vehicle Specs	Take it to a driveshaft shop and have them balance it. __________________ »»»»»...how'd the moon get there, how'd the moon get there?

12-14-2010, 03:38 PM	#31
staceyas Wannabe Elite Explorer Bonnots Mill, MO 2002 Exp Sport Trac Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 4 Vehicle Specs	Would that be something they would do while it is still installed on the truck or would I remove it and take it to the shop? If I have to remove it , how do I put it back on and know that it is balanced with the transfer shaft and the pinion shaft or does it even matter?

02-13-2011, 10:47 AM	#32
EastoutWest Elite Explorer Middle of Carolina 91 4x4 5spd XLT Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 109 Vehicle Specs	I just replaced one of my rear shaft u-joints. The symptoms were: squeaking at very low speeds, vibration under acceleration, and heavy vibrations around 70-80 mph. I'm sure glad I did it cause when I pulled the drive shaft off, the rear u-joint was so stiff on one axis that it barely moved with considerable coaxing. Also, just a slight movement on the joint produced the same squeaking noise. The front u-joint moved freely without any noise. Before removing the shaft, I marked the bottom of all parts of the shaft with a paint marker, used the parking brake, and put the 5-spd in gear so neither the transmission end or the diff. end would move. Removing the bolts (4x4s don't have a yoke that slides into the transfer case, instead bolts) was not bad after soaking with PB. I used a 12 point 12mm socket (or was it 1/2 inch?) and a 1/2" breaker bar, then a 3/8" ratchet. It took some creative arm routing to get to the top bolts, but again, it wasn't too bad. Took me 15 min. Getting the old u-joint out was a bear of a job. I called a few shops and most of them wouldn't replace it if I just brought in the driveshaft... wanted to r&r the shaft for liability reasons... In removing the old joint, I first bent a big 8-inch c-clamp, then pounded on it using the two socket method with only about a mm of movement... fail. So I called a friend and found out he had a vice I could use (note: when using a vice, be sure to support the other end of the shaft). The two socket method: put a socket that has an outside diameter (O.D.) slightly smaller than the bearing cap on one end and a socket with an O.D. slightly larger than the bearing cap on the other side of the joint. Note: this vice wasn't big enough to use two sockets so I had to use a bolt instead of the smaller socket. Use the vice to press them together. It was barely budging so I tried adding heat with a torch... didn't help. Eventually I found that if I apply pressure with the vice, use plenty of PB, and hit the ears of the driveshaft with a hammer, it would break loose a little at a time. It took several cycles of this method and over an hour to remove the u-joint. I finally got the old u-joint out and as stated by IZwack, one of the bearing caps was rusted and filled with rust dust rather than needle bearings... I was driving on borrowed time and I'm sure another thousand miles or less and I would have dropped the driveshaft while driving. I also noticed that a couple of the holes in the shaft's ears had sharp barbs inside them so I used a file and ground them smooth. After all that, getting the new u-joint in was a breeze. Just remove the bearing caps from the new joint being careful not to dislodge any of the needle bearings, position the joint in the driveshaft's ears, lay that end in the vice, start the bearing caps into the holes and press them together. I used large washers when pressing to prevent any damage to the caps. Then when they were flush with the ears, I used the same bolt with a smaller O.D. to press them to the right depth (to clear the channels for the retainer clips). Installing the new u-joint took maybe 20-30 mins. I opted for the greasable u-joints, which were cheaper anyway... Reinstalling the drive shaft was also pretty easy. Start with the front end, then the back, being sure that your marks are oriented the way they were when you removed the shaft. Haynes said to tighten to 10-16 lb/ft. I thought that was pretty low so went up to about 20 lb/ft. This was the first time I had replaced a u-joint. Overall, it took 3-4 hours, including about a half hour for calling a few shops and then locating a vice. I bled twice, but nothing serious. The worst part was by far removing the old u-joint. The rest was easy. Now my truck is smooth under acceleration and at speed, with no low-speed squeaking (except for the shocks... maybe another time). Also, my clutch chatter has disappeared... Hope this helps someone. __________________ 91 Explorer XLT 4x4, 5-spd, manual 4x4 and hubs, Daily Driver and a work in progress. Last edited by EastoutWest; 02-13-2011 at 10:55 AM. Reason: omitted lb/ft

02-13-2011, 11:39 AM	#33
DeRocha NEX Vice President Brockton, MA '93 XLT 4x4 Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 6,637 Vehicle Specs	Glad you caught it in time and got it all back together. To make it easier to reach the bolts on the drive Shaft I support the entire rear axle on jack stands. With the wheels off the ground and the others chocked I can shift into neutral and rotate the shaft so the next bolt is in the perfect position for installation/removal. To make it a little easier next time you might look into picking up (Free AutoZone Rental) the U-joint press. It's designed specifically for the job and can get it down in much less time. See Stu Olsen's page on using the tool. __________________ John D-"Search first, Ask questions later" & "You can have my Explorer when you pry the keys from my cold dead hands." <<<Forum Rules >>>My Truck 4x4 Trouble Shooting Guide See how cars work Axle and tire calculators U-joint replacement info/pics Repair info NEX-New England Explorers NEX: Club Events

11-03-2011, 02:56 PM	#34
emberswzd Wannabe Elite Explorer Port Richey, Fl 2001 Explorer XLT, 4WD Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 41 Vehicle Specs	I have a 2001 explorer xlt, 4 WD. Mine has a intermittent squeal in reverse and the same squeal in drive up to about 25 MPH then stops. Before throwing some WD-40 on fwd and rear U-Joints it also made a loud twanging noise when I hit accelerator. From inside cab it sounds as if it is coming from front end but neighbor who was outside said it was coming from rear of truck. Now I also noticed with 4WD the drive shaft does not slide out of trannie, u have to remove 8 12 MM, 12 point bolts from fws and aft ends of shaft. I am hoping I am right that it is a U-joint issue. I went in and out of 4WD high and low but has no clunk when puttig in gear. __________________ If you are against Teen Violence, Gangs and worthless Judges then your a friend of mine Yours truly Joe

11-04-2011, 10:15 PM	#35
mr cribb Elite Explorer Eufaula, OK 92 4dr 5spd 2WD Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,357 Vehicle Specs	Hmmmm.... this might solve the minor vibration I have. I have that same squeaking up to about 25mph. I just replaced the trans mount today in mine and that took care of the horrible almost unbearable to drive vibration. The only checking I had done for the u-joints was to see if they were really sloppy feeling. I guess I was going about this all wrong. Mine is 2wd and I had figured the vibration was due to the excessively worn out front end (waiting on tax time to tackle that) but I may be replacing u joints shortly. __________________ Jeremy Cribb, SGT, U.S. Army Retired 2002-2013. Iraq Veteran 2005-2006 Engine down for a while.... awaiting money for bottom end rebuild I collect license plates.... PM me if you have some up for grabs....