U-joints
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Definitely check with Dan at Van Steel. Although I think I remember a recent post regarding u-joints where Dan said they are recommending a different brand now because Spicer is using some plastic parts that tend to crack on installation.
The only thing worse than my short-term memory is my long-term memory, so call Dan to get the straight scoop.
Rick B.
The only thing worse than my short-term memory is my long-term memory, so call Dan to get the straight scoop.
Rick B.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
I know GTR1999 does great work
If you don't go with him, Look up Local Driveshaft Service in Yellow Pages,Call them an get a price on the joints Spicer Life forged and installations. I learned about this too late and paid $10 each too much. Corvette vendors want 28-32 each, my local shop only wanted 19 for the half-shaft u-joints spicer life and 16 for the drive-shaft. Charged $7.50 per u-joint to install. I wish I had done this to begin with and avoided bending my half-shaft flanges on the press I spent $99 on.
Yes the Spicer life do have an issue with the plastic dust boot seal cracking during installation, the driveshaft shop showed me a half-box full of them, they are okay once you get them installed, and the local shop should have the boots in stock. I asked the local shop which were best the Spicer Life or the Neabco? and they said the spicers were stronger. This shop builds a lot of custom driveshafts for drag cars 8-9 second ETA and says the spicer lifes have never come back.
These joints are used on a lot of 4 x 4 too, replaced them on my 100+k Explorer the other day while I had the tranny out for a clutch replacement. There were still useable but I went ahead and did it while the shafts were out.
Good Luck
Yes the Spicer life do have an issue with the plastic dust boot seal cracking during installation, the driveshaft shop showed me a half-box full of them, they are okay once you get them installed, and the local shop should have the boots in stock. I asked the local shop which were best the Spicer Life or the Neabco? and they said the spicers were stronger. This shop builds a lot of custom driveshafts for drag cars 8-9 second ETA and says the spicer lifes have never come back.
These joints are used on a lot of 4 x 4 too, replaced them on my 100+k Explorer the other day while I had the tranny out for a clutch replacement. There were still useable but I went ahead and did it while the shafts were out.
Good Luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,739
Likes: 630
From: Unreconstructed, South Carolina
Originally Posted by b71vette
If you don't go with him, Look up Local Driveshaft Service in Yellow Pages,Call them an get a price on the joints Spicer Life forged and installations. I learned about this too late and paid $10 each too much. Corvette vendors want 28-32 each, my local shop only wanted 19 for the half-shaft u-joints spicer life and 16 for the drive-shaft. Charged $7.50 per u-joint to install. I wish I had done this to begin with and avoided bending my half-shaft flanges on the press I spent $99 on.
Yes the Spicer life do have an issue with the plastic dust boot seal cracking during installation, the driveshaft shop showed me a half-box full of them, they are okay once you get them installed, and the local shop should have the boots in stock. I asked the local shop which were best the Spicer Life or the Neabco? and they said the spicers were stronger. This shop builds a lot of custom driveshafts for drag cars 8-9 second ETA and says the spicer lifes have never come back. These joints are used on a lot of 4 x 4 too, replaced them on my 100+k Explorer the other day while I had the tranny out for a clutch replacement. There were still useable but I went ahead and did it while the shafts were out.Good Luck
Yes the Spicer life do have an issue with the plastic dust boot seal cracking during installation, the driveshaft shop showed me a half-box full of them, they are okay once you get them installed, and the local shop should have the boots in stock. I asked the local shop which were best the Spicer Life or the Neabco? and they said the spicers were stronger. This shop builds a lot of custom driveshafts for drag cars 8-9 second ETA and says the spicer lifes have never come back. These joints are used on a lot of 4 x 4 too, replaced them on my 100+k Explorer the other day while I had the tranny out for a clutch replacement. There were still useable but I went ahead and did it while the shafts were out.Good Luck
Go to a nearby driveshaft shop. If you can't locate one easily ... go to a HEAVY truck repair garage ... ask there ... they'll know. You'll find ujoint & labor prices at driveline shop are reasonable ... PLUS ... if they bend a yoke ... they'll fix it on their dime. If you try and do it yourself you may not have good luck. BTW ... it's spelled Neapco ... a driveline shop'll have spicer & neapco ... DO specify you want ujoints with NO grease/zerk holes.
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