[C2] u joint woes
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 429
Likes: 85
u joint woes
I am trying to replace the u joints in my half shafts and driveshaft. I bought the spicer joints. I cannot squeeze them tight enough to get the snap ring back in. I have them so tight that they are very stiff to turn and still cannot get the snap ring groove on one side clear enough to put in the snap ring. This is on the driveshaft and on the half shafts. Anybody run into this? i am already using the thinnest ring supplied.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,721
Likes: 3,707
From: Central Arkansas
First question I would ask is are you sure a needle roller didn’t get out of position and trapped under a cap. Second is how difficult was it getting the old u-joints out and could the cap yokes have been collapsed slightly in a hydraulic press. If OK on those two points I would caliper the old and new u-joints to make sure they are the same dimension from cap end to cap end. I have had to strike the joint cross piece with a punch and hammer, back and forth once the clips are in, to seat the caps and free up the joint, but if you can’t even get the clips in that won’t help. Good luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,360
Likes: 429
From: Seattle Area WA
These have been pretty well documented and Gary Ramadei has done some good writeups on using the solid spicers. Maybe on the C3 forum GTR1999
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/4657708-solid-spicer-install.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/4657708-solid-spicer-install.html
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 15,188
Likes: 4,010
From: Connecticut, USA
These have been pretty well documented and Gary Ramadei has done some good writeups on using the solid spicers. Maybe on the C3 forum GTR1999
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-install.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-install.html
Yes, I have written about Spicer's for years. The cross body is larger than most chain store joints and typically won't fit original flanges or shaft yokes without a small radius ground or filed into the yoke.
If the copper clip won't fit, then there could be dirt in the grooves, but I suspect you checked that by now. If it's the flange giving you a problem, then it's bent. It could be from years ago at the last joint change out but a lot of non vette specific mechanics treat them like any driveshaft and they are not like those. If you see flat spots on the tubes under the yokes, it's a good sign someone didn't know what they were doing- crushing the tube in a vise and probably bending the flange. If that is the case, you better hope they didn't work on the TA's or Diff.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,403
Likes: 999
From: Sacramento, Ca
I recently replaced all of my U-joints on my drive shaft and axles and ran into that same situation on one of the axles. I checked thickness of the snap ring with a micrometer and then started working on thinning it down. I used some 320 grit emery cloth on a surface plate to keep it flat. I only had to remove about .0015" before it fit.
Ted
Ted
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 11,284
Likes: 2,146
From: Bowling Green, Kentucky
I suppose that you could also sand/grind/mill the end caps of the u-joints a few thousandths to allow the clips to seat. The clips are available in a few different thickness as well, although you may have yo buy these from a driveline shop. As Dan says, hitting the yoke a few times with a soft dead blow hammer sometimes helps to free up the installed joint if it is very stiff.
Put the half-shaft u-joint flanges on a glass plate to see if they are rolled or cupped and not perfectly flat. If slightly bent, the u-joints will not fit. The flanges can be straightened, but it requires time and patience (and perhaps a a slightly tapered and milled cylinder rod to go thru both u-joint yokes to provide the straight "strong back". Special tools like this are only used/available in driveline shops.
I think many of us have battled this same issue in the past. You could also bring everything to a driveline shop and see if they can work some "magic".
Larry
Put the half-shaft u-joint flanges on a glass plate to see if they are rolled or cupped and not perfectly flat. If slightly bent, the u-joints will not fit. The flanges can be straightened, but it requires time and patience (and perhaps a a slightly tapered and milled cylinder rod to go thru both u-joint yokes to provide the straight "strong back". Special tools like this are only used/available in driveline shops.
I think many of us have battled this same issue in the past. You could also bring everything to a driveline shop and see if they can work some "magic".
Larry
