C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

U joint solid or with grease nipples

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 07:01 AM
  #1  
robmat's Avatar
robmat
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
 
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 15
Likes: 2
From: Melbourne Victoria
Default U joint solid or with grease nipples

Hi there, I am restoring a 1973 Big Block corvette, and was wondering what type of U joints I should get for my drive shaft and half shafts.
Should I get the ones with grease nipples or solid ones? The engine is stock so there are no massive HP also its a 4 speed.
Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 07:20 AM
  #2  
Gordonm's Avatar
Gordonm
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Default

Solids are stronger for sure but a stock 73 BB does not have a lot of power. Either one should work as long as they are quality joints. The cheap ones are cheap for a reason. Crappy ones weather solid or greaseable will break.
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 12:14 PM
  #3  
jackson's Avatar
jackson
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Default

All three quality:
Dana-Spicer
Neapco
Moog
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 01:10 PM
  #4  
v2racing's Avatar
v2racing
Melting Slicks
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,666
Likes: 289
From: Spring Park MN
Default

I would go with a solid Spicer. Although there is not big HP in a stock 73 BB, there is a lot of inertia in the big crank, and heavy stock flywheel/clutch and dampner. Drop the clutch with a bit of RPM and there is a lot of force there. The solid spicers are not going to wear out because they aren't greasable with the limited mileage that most of these cars get. IF you do decide to up the power on your engine at some point, you won'y have to worry about the u-joints.

Mike

Last edited by v2racing; Jan 4, 2019 at 01:10 PM.
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 02:56 PM
  #5  
HeadsU.P.'s Avatar
HeadsU.P.
Le Mans Master
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
Default

Solid Spicers, for safety. Your *** is just inches away from a spinning shaft. If a U-Joint breaks, where do you think that shaft is going to go surrounded by fiberglass?
Reply
Old Jan 4, 2019 | 06:08 PM
  #6  
robmat's Avatar
robmat
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
 
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 15
Likes: 2
From: Melbourne Victoria
Default

Thanks for the info
Reply
Old Jan 5, 2019 | 04:28 AM
  #7  
terrys6t8roadster's Avatar
terrys6t8roadster
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 343
From: Allenton Wisconsin
Default

Greaseable u-joints are very difficult to grease, you need a needle point extension on the grease gun and you need to rotate to half shafts and driveshaft to expose the fitting to be able to get the needle point in. T
Reply
Old Jan 5, 2019 | 09:22 AM
  #8  
cor66vette's Avatar
cor66vette
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,333
Likes: 1,311
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Default

Originally Posted by terrys6t8roadster
Greaseable u-joints are very difficult to grease, you need a needle point extension on the grease gun ...
Yup, I tried greasing them with one of those side greasing adaptors, and that's still a no go. Can you recommend a decent needle point extension? Thanks
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jan 6, 2019 | 05:03 AM
  #9  
terrys6t8roadster's Avatar
terrys6t8roadster
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 343
From: Allenton Wisconsin
Default

Originally Posted by cor66vette
Yup, I tried greasing them with one of those side greasing adaptors, and that's still a no go. Can you recommend a decent needle point extension? Thanks
'Lincoln' they make lubrication equipment. And in my opinion it is the best equipment available. T
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To U joint solid or with grease nipples





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:45 AM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE