Driveshaft u-joints - couple of questions

[usapadyra]

I'm just about to go ahead and replace the driveshaft u-joints.

98 Ex 2WD with 5R55E.

I think I'm familiar with the process after watching a few videos. I have everything I should need.

Please see attached picture of the front of the shaft where it enters the tail of the transmission.

- Does this just slide out?
- Does it need to be greased when re-inserting or does it go in dry?
- If it has any residue or grease on it, can I blast it with brake cleaner before re-installing?


I also just came across this video:

This whole axial play thing is news to me. No video I have watched has included anything about this. It is really necessesary? I'm not expecting the truck to last forever and it does not get driven hard.

Cheers

 

[410Fortune]

That is what’s called a slip yoke style driveshaft

Yes it pulls straight out you might lose some transmission fluid when you pull it out and also while it is off so be ready with a small pan

Do not add grease, the slip yoke sits inside a bath of trans fluid

Yes you can clean it with brake clean
I usually give it a light film of trans fluid or Vaseline before I re install the driveshaft into the transmission, there is an oil seal on the end of the slip yoke you want to be careful not to knick it or tear it

 

[410Fortune]

That is what’s called a slip yoke style driveshaft

Yes it pulls straight out you might lose some transmission fluid when you pull it out and also while it is off so be ready with a small pan

Do not add grease, the slip yoke sits inside a bath of trans fluid

Yes you can clean it with brake clean
I usually give it a light film of trans fluid or Vaseline before I re install the driveshaft into the transmission

 

[usapadyra]

Thanks, guess I'll be careful and have a pan ready.

 

[FordFlintrock]

In 45+yrs. of doing u joints i don't think I ever had one that was loose with this axial play. Tight yes loose no with Ford joints recently the tightest and NAPA usually good plus they have a grease fitting. Good shop practice dictates slip yoke gets timed to driveshaft in same location of shaft because when assembled new is how it is balanced so mark each piece. Any tightness or binding in joint no bueno it should flap in the breeze. I use a large brass drift and mini sledge to give a pop outward on ear(s) to relieve tightness. Ford joints come with the different thickness C clips and the thinnest one is still too tight which is why I go NAPA. Orientate the grease fitting so it is accessible to grease when in vehicle from grease gun coupler.

 

[410Fortune]

ford doesn’t use greasable joints
Greasable u joint have a crappy seal that allows grease out the same seal allows water in

Ford uses spicer lifetime u joints they are non greasable
I will not install greasable u joints
Oem vehicles do not have grease zerks on u joints….. neither should you

 

[usapadyra]

Managed to get this done. I f***ed up in the process, though.

I'm using Spicer 5-1330X (non-greasable), since u-joints can be awkward to grease and I'd rather just put a good part in there and forget about it.

A few days ago before getting on with this job I thought I'd be clever and add some extra grease inside the caps, since more grease = better?

After installing I could not get the u-joint to 'settle' and move with an appropriate amount of resistance. It was so tight, and wasn't totally smooth. Also had a really hard time getting the snap rings in. The amount I had to press the caps in to even allow the rings to get in meant the u joint was extremely hard to rotate and no amount of banging on the ears would release it.

It was only when reading the packaging that the snap rings come in that I realised my mistake.

Turns out with the non-greasable joints there is a very specific amount of grease. To such an extent you aren't even supposed to change up the orientation of the caps from how they come from factory.

Currently house sitting for a friend with ramps and they are back tomorrow so had to get same day delivery on 2 new u-joints. $90 torched.

I was wondering if someone could look over the pictures here and just re-assure me all these retaining clips are seated properly? They don't all sit exactly the same, but they all look OK to me, and I already took the car for a drive on the highway and everything feels fine.

In 45+yrs. of doing u joints i don't think I ever had one that was loose with this axial play. Tight yes loose no with Ford joints recently the tightest and NAPA usually good plus they have a grease fitting. Good shop practice dictates slip yoke gets timed to driveshaft in same location of shaft because when assembled new is how it is balanced so mark each piece. Any tightness or binding in joint no bueno it should flap in the breeze. I use a large brass drift and mini sledge to give a pop outward on ear(s) to relieve tightness. Ford joints come with the different thickness C clips and the thinnest one is still too tight which is why I go NAPA. Orientate the grease fitting so it is accessible to grease when in vehicle from grease gun coupler.

I marked everything and it went in exactly as it came out. All lined up and bolted back in easy

 

[FordFlintrock]

Pic No. 2 is for sure not installed all the way into the groove, they should all look like pic 7 full insertion and laying flat just like from the factory. Some of the others look like the centers (where compressed) are bound up and not laying flat on the cap.

 

[usapadyra]

Pic No. 2 is for sure not installed all the way into the groove, they should all look like pic 7 full insertion and laying flat just like from the factory. Some of the others look like the centers (where compressed) are bound up and not laying flat on the cap.

Hmmm, I thought the same with the one in pic 2.

I think it looks a little worse than it is, though, because it is closer than the other pics.

Even so, what would you do in this situation?

The driveshaft is installed and I have driven 150+ miles, mostly at highway speed and over some bumpy stuff and have had no issues.

I don't know the function of these clips, as in, are they critical to the system, or are they like the snap clips on a lower ball joint where it's only in a very bad situation that they will do anything?

 

[410Fortune]

The clips hold the u joint together without them the caps could just come flying off

Sometimes to get the ciclip flat after install a tap of that cap with a mallet will suffice

When installing u joints make sure to take a pic to all the ridges and yokes, get all debris and dirt out of the grooves so the clips can insert fully

The copper colored snap rings are the correct units, I think you did a decent job. Check the u joint after 500 miles make sure clips all still seated and flat

Good choice on the u joint non greasable is the way to go seals are far superior to greasable Joints

 

[usapadyra]

The clips hold the u joint together without them the caps could just come flying off

Sometimes to get the ciclip flat after install a tap of that cap with a mallet will suffice

When installing u joints make sure to take a pic to all the ridges and yokes, get all debris and dirt out of the grooves so the clips can insert fully

The copper colored snap rings are the correct units, I think you did a decent job. Check the u joint after 500 miles make sure clips all still seated and flat

Good choice on the u joint non greasable is the way to go seals are far superior to greasable Joints

I followed the guide on Chris Fix's YT channel.

I used a small flat head to get all the crud out of the clip channels and about 5 or 6 scrubbing passes with a rough rag and brake clean. Also filed down a couple of burrs.

The joints were tight upon initial clip install, but as per guidance I banged on the ears of the flange / shaft and they settled to a point where there was some smooth resistance but definitely not hard to move.

I'm installing a new rear axle damper (5th shock) on Friday so I'll have a quick look at the clips while I'm under there.

 

[FordFlintrock]

Heavy Duty and most Medium Duty trucks with traditional crosses, F-Liner, Pete, International, Isuzu and Hino come with greaseable joints and typically go hundreds of thousands miles. Ford SuperDuty and GM Kodiak being an exception with no grease fittings being a wear item and cheaper to produce requiring no cross drilling.
I prolly done close to 60 driveshafts in my career. U joint types from outer clip, inner clip, double cardan, including staked cap joints that get reamed for removal and staked for assembly with a special service kit on cars, trucks and construction equipment. Never a problem with fitment years ago, I chalk that up to global sourcing.
Before I retired and through a PM program found two sister 2015 F550's 4x4 within a year of each other where the front driveshaft joints were dry and shaft barely turned in neutral turning by hand binding up with less than 90k miles, they were caught early. Got two Ford joints for replacement and after messing for a good amount of time they promptly went into the trash, no way, no how were they going to fit being way too tight. Plan B, try NAPA joints and it went together with little persuasion. Dealer repair would have prolly sold and installed the whole front shaft which they did have in stock.
My approach to repair was to always make the vehicle look like no one ever touched it or been into it when returned to the customer or put back into service.

 

[C420sailor]

At standard ride height, the u-joints are really a very low wear item. If you think about it, if there is no angle between the shaft and yoke, the u-joint just acts like a fixed joint. It’s when you’re dealing with modded suspensions with lots of travel, blah blah where the u-joint has to really do its thing.

I’ve seen bone stock Ex’s with 200k and original u-joints that are still tight as the day they left the line.

The more suspension and driveline mods you do, the more work that joint is likely going to have to do. In that case, a very high quality and/or greaseable joint may make more sense?

 

[410Fortune]

Very true!
Environment plays a big role too meaning where we live we are cycling the suspension fully each time we come and go from our place, plus we drive our rigs in the winter and they spray de icer on the roads here. Also we live in the dirt this road is made up of a very fine sand/ silt that was ground down by a glacier, it gets into everything. We also
Live next to a river that can flood so driving through water is normal for spring and fall, winter and spring lots and lots of slush and mudd… that combo will remove stick on wheel weights very quickly
Plus our road has a couple of hills so anything automatic transmission you are riding the brakes down the hill… this is our commute our brakes shocks bushing bearings and u joints do not last like others… I wouldn’t trade it for the world! But it is a good idea to buy stock in rockauto and or commute in a utv