Axle U Joint?

Horn

Active member
Hi All,

About a week ago I noticed on sharp parking lot maneuvers I was starting to feel a slight rough bumping or clicking at near full lock that sounded and felt like a possible axle u joint starting to get tired.  It has gotten a little more noticeable and I can hear a single clunk when first leaving a stop now.

Tonight I was able to take a closer look but I don't have a lot to compare to. Tonight I was only able to jack stand up one side at a time and when I had the wheels turned one way and another they weren't at full lock. The driver's side u joint has a small amount of play that I can hear when I shake it but isn't enough to be visible. When spinning while turned the drivers side wheel it isn't as smooth as I suspect it should be.  The passenger's side spins more smoothly as far as I could tell and doesn't have any looseness to the joint that I can feel.  I can't feel any play in either front wheel bearings.

I read that the caps can sometimes rotate when the joints start to fail and I marked them several days ago but there is no movement in any of them.  Some of this is just me shooting in the dark with things I've read to try.  Maybe this weekend I will be able to get a closer look at it during the day and get both wheels off the ground at once.  I've been working mostly late at night on it in our parking lot, and while the raccoons in our dumpster are some kind of company, they don't give me a lot of feedback.  Does it sound like I'm on the right track?  I was hoping tonight I would have definitive proof of what was going on so that I could order parts and move forward but I could use a second opinion.

 
You are doing the right tests. I had one go bad and on one side it felt "notchy" when I spun the wheel.


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Just order new ujoints, zthey aren't too pricey, and check your bearings while you're there because you'll have to remove them to get to the ujoints, might as well kill two birds one stone if you've got it apart already and then bearings are worn
 
Get Spicer Ujoints 5-760X.  All else are junk. 

Timkin Unit bearings.  Best place to get this stuff is Rock Auto.com they are only $66. 
 
Lifetime warranties on cheap parts at the local dime store are great for a DD if you have time to replace them when they fail (and they will). Not a good place for the trail nor tow rig where reliability is priority.

Get the Spicer joints and Moog bearings. Do it once...
 
Thanks! Spicer and Timkin ordered. Working on tools and directions. Started reading directions and watching videos on how to do the axle removal and joint replacement. Seems like using a ball/ujoint press might be the safest option for doing it for the first time?
 
There's a great trick for removing stubborn unit hub/bearing - hard to describe.  It involves loosening the three unit bearing hub bolts and putting a deep socket on one over the bolts and wedging it against the inner "C" and using the steering wheel to press the unit hub out! 

As far as the u-joint replacement, the ball joint press works with a 3/4" socket as a ram...

I haven't done either in some time, but I may try it after my parts come in next week
 
You mean start hitting them now with some penetrating oil? Or talking about something else?
 
kakirubi said:
Timkin Unit bearings.  Best place to get this stuff is Rock Auto.com they are only $66. 

X2 on Rock Auto!  I ordered two Timken Unit bearings yesterday for $66 each +$7 ground shipping and they arrived this afternoon...
 
To test a U-joints on driveshafts and axles I take the load off by jacking up the wheel or putting the transfer case in neutral, then push my thumb between 2 of the caps and rotate the wheel or driveshaft back and forth slowly. If you feel the pressure changing on your thumb, the joint is bad.  There shouldn't be any slop in the u-joint while rotating it.

Another thing to look for is rust colored dust around the caps, thats usually a sign of dry rollers.

Crappy picture, but you get the idea.



 
I'll give the thumb test a try this week. Waiting for parts to show up and hitting with penetrating oil in the meantime. I ordered u joints and unit bearings for both sides. After fighting a stuck OPDA bolt last week and looking at the hub bolts I will be removing I ordered new bolts too. Seemed like it was a good time to address everything.
 
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