I'm in need of help identifying Universal Joints.

[Jonathonmb357]

I need some help with my 1979 C30. I's a cab and chassis with a 140" wheel base, and has a two-piece driveshaft.
The center U-joint is in terrible shape and has a boat load of play, and I need some help identifying it please. It will be my first time attempting to replace them so that will be fun!
It seems that the u-joints at the transmission and the differential are the same, but the center is different. I plan to try to replace all three, the carrier bearing, and the leaky pinion seal while I have it apart.
I appreciate any advice!

 

[CalSgt]

Best bet is to knock them out and bring them to the parts house with you to get replacements. Compare the cap diameter, width of the cross with caps installed, and what type of retaining clips the caps use. With new ones they sometimes seem too long from cap to cap, might have to push hard on the caps to hydraulic some grease out to compare them. Sometimes you might also have an option of greaseable or non greaseable joints.

ETA: U joints can be a real PIA if you've never done them before. Good hammer and set of impact sockets to use to drive them out helps. Also a large socket or something to use under the opposite side you are knocking through to allow the cap to be pushed out.

 

[Snoots]

Spend the extra $ for greaseable. And use only bearing grease!

 

[LateOnTheBrakes]

I don't know that you are going to identify them without removing/measuring them. You need a set of calipers to get the cap diameters and the distance from one cap to another. Then look for a cross reference from your company of choice.

 

[84c10Tony]

Had my little SR5 driveshaft redone years ago when having the original clutch replaced at around 190k. In my mind, I wanted it super strong to last, so went with Rockcrawlers super heavy duty u-joints instead of Toyota OEM.
What I did not know to check, was specs, the heavy duty joints were about 3 ten thousands of "play" where the OEM was 1 tenth, the message I got when shaft was rebuilt, "these will last 25k miles", uh huh, hmm, too late...
The super heavy duty looked twice as thick which was cool, the extra play, not so much. Sure enough, 25k and it tore up the center shaft bearing. The truck was not riding smooth, and had vibrations at different speeds.
When having the rear diff seal replaced, I had the shop install my new OEM joints (which were sitting here in my boxes of new oem parts waiting on my hobby for future fun!) and re-balanced. Rides smooth as silk now.
A lesson learned, I was not trying to be cheap, but to make it stronger, and missed an important point.

Note, after an accident, I am no longer able to do these fun things as my hobby, so...off to the shops to install my boxes of parts when needed, $$$$ ouch...
So remember to appreciate and enjoy having the Ability to do stuff...and "Get er' done"!

 

[Frankenchevy]

Should be a 1350, if I’m not mistaken. The lifetime spicer joints supposed to be the strongest and highest quality, but are not greasable.

On the lifetime joints, when you pull the caps to install the new joints, do not mix up which cap came from where. They need to go back onto the same trunnion they came off of. Also, learn from my boneheadedness, when you press or beat them out, it’s not a bad idea to have a piece of pipe or other metal to wedge between the ears of the yoke so you don’t squeeze them together on accident. Some people cut the cross out to avoid pressing two caps out at once (less force required).

 

[bucket]

Should be a 1350, if I’m not mistaken. The lifetime spicer joints supposed to be the strongest and highest quality, but are not greasable.

On the lifetime joints, when you pull the caps to install the new joints, do not mix up which cap came from where. They need to go back onto the same trunnion they came off of. Also, learn from my boneheadedness, when you press or beat them out, it’s not a bad idea to have a piece of pipe or other metal to wedge between the ears of the yoke so you don’t squeeze them together on accident. Some people cut the cross out to avoid pressing two caps out at once (less force required).

Right, they should all be 1350 joints.

 

[Doppleganger]

I went through this a couple years ago - no one at Moog seemed to know what fit so I have a pile of new U-joints in the box that will fit someone's truck.....just not mine.

Like Sgt said.....remove old, take with, and get what matches.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Best bet is to knock them out and bring them to the parts house with you to get replacements. Compare the cap diameter, width of the cross with caps installed, and what type of retaining clips the caps use. With new ones they sometimes seem too long from cap to cap, might have to push hard on the caps to hydraulic some grease out to compare them. Sometimes you might also have an option of greaseable or non greaseable joints.

ETA: U joints can be a real PIA if you've never done them before. Good hammer and set of impact sockets to use to drive them out helps. Also a large socket or something to use under the opposite side you are knocking through to allow the cap to be pushed out.

Thank you! I appreciate it man

 

[Jonathonmb357]

I went through this a couple years ago - no one at Moog seemed to know what fit so I have a pile of new U-joints in the box that will fit someone's truck.....just not mine.

Like Sgt said.....remove old, take with, and get what matches.

Spend the extra $ for greaseable. And use only bearing grease!

Alright, definitely noted down! Thanks a bunch

 

[Jonathonmb357]

I don't know that you are going to identify them without removing/measuring them. You need a set of calipers to get the cap diameters and the distance from one cap to another. Then look for a cross reference from your company of choice.

Okay! Thank you very much

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Had my little SR5 driveshaft redone years ago when having the original clutch replaced at around 190k. In my mind, I wanted it super strong to last, so went with Rockcrawlers super heavy duty u-joints instead of Toyota OEM.
What I did not know to check, was specs, the heavy duty joints were about 3 ten thousands of "play" where the OEM was 1 tenth, the message I got when shaft was rebuilt, "these will last 25k miles", uh huh, hmm, too late...
The super heavy duty looked twice as thick which was cool, the extra play, not so much. Sure enough, 25k and it tore up the center shaft bearing. The truck was not riding smooth, and had vibrations at different speeds.
When having the rear diff seal replaced, I had the shop install my new OEM joints (which were sitting here in my boxes of new oem parts waiting on my hobby for future fun!) and re-balanced. Rides smooth as silk now.
A lesson learned, I was not trying to be cheap, but to make it stronger, and missed an important point.

Note, after an accident, I am no longer able to do these fun things as my hobby, so...off to the shops to install my boxes of parts when needed, $$$$ ouch...
So remember to appreciate and enjoy having the Ability to do stuff...and "Get er' done"!

I definitely will! Thank you

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Should be a 1350, if I’m not mistaken. The lifetime spicer joints supposed to be the strongest and highest quality, but are not greasable.

On the lifetime joints, when you pull the caps to install the new joints, do not mix up which cap came from where. They need to go back onto the same trunnion they came off of. Also, learn from my boneheadedness, when you press or beat them out, it’s not a bad idea to have a piece of pipe or other metal to wedge between the ears of the yoke so you don’t squeeze them together on accident. Some people cut the cross out to avoid pressing two caps out at once (less force required).

Thanks man! I appreciate it