U-Joint Strap Question
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
U-Joint Strap Question
Over the weekend I noticed my car has a vibration at highway speeds. Maybe I had the driveline angels different with the stock motor compared to the LS. Anyway, tonight I am under the car checking everything with a wrench and I find the rear u-joint is loose in the diff yoke(my vibration?). There is about .010" play side to side, none forward or backward. Could this be a worn u-joint or mis-sized u-joint? The strap is tight, could the strap be worn or out of shape and the reason it is not holding the u-joint in place? Can replacement straps be had?
I hope this is clear enough that you guys can offer up some help.
Thanks,
Eddie
I hope this is clear enough that you guys can offer up some help.
Thanks,
Eddie
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Eddie,
It may be a combo of both! The cap should fit in the yoke tight and I believe there are little protrusions in the yoke that help allow the cap to stay secure and aligned.
The strap then holds the joint in place. If the wrong joint is placed in there or the little protrusions are worn this may allow the joint to move and if the joint is moving it will wear on the strap.
This could and probably is your vibration too! Straps are available new. See if Gary see's this too! He should be able to give you a better insight on this. I may be wrong about the protrusions.
Willcox Inc.
It may be a combo of both! The cap should fit in the yoke tight and I believe there are little protrusions in the yoke that help allow the cap to stay secure and aligned.
The strap then holds the joint in place. If the wrong joint is placed in there or the little protrusions are worn this may allow the joint to move and if the joint is moving it will wear on the strap.
This could and probably is your vibration too! Straps are available new. See if Gary see's this too! He should be able to give you a better insight on this. I may be wrong about the protrusions.
Willcox Inc.
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; May 26, 2009 at 08:20 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I took the strap off and checked it. You can see the little protrusion on it is basically worn away. I was going to guess this was my vibration but I have not checked driveline angles since I put the new motor in the car and that was my intentions tonight when I got started down there working.
Add one more thing to the list. I need to hunt me a set of caps.
Add one more thing to the list. I need to hunt me a set of caps.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
Likes: 2
From: gold coast queensland
did you say you protrusions that hold the uni in place have worn away???? the protrusions on the yolk??? they really shouldnt ware away unless that uni was completely the wrong size and slapping around in there but i think it would have totally fallen apart if that was the case. can you get some pictures up cause this is an important safety orientated part?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I will get some pics up tomorrow night. But the yokes are fine, it is the strap that appears to be worn. I tried to flatten out the strap to make it grab the u-joint a little tighter but that did not work either.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
We still need to hook up. I was through Cookeville last weekend on my way to Bowling Green.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: MN
What gingerbreadman is saying is that on the yolk there is a little tab that holds the ujoint in place so it can't slide up and down. The strap doesnt have a tab but should fit tightly over the cup.
Sounds like you have the wrong size ujoints but make sure the tab is on the yolk.
Get some solid spicers. Duntov has them and free shipping.
Sounds like you have the wrong size ujoints but make sure the tab is on the yolk.
Get some solid spicers. Duntov has them and free shipping.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Short video of the slop I found when looking for the vibration. I bought some new straps and this seems to have taken the slop out for the time being. I am not sure it almost looks like this yoke is made for caps, anyone know? I did change the differential years ago but it has been this way since, probably 8 or 9 years. The u-joint is not that old though. It was changed when I installed my Keisler and probably has 7k miles on it at best.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,029
Likes: 137
From: Nashville TN area
Eddie,
My original small block diff had straps like you're showing... I bought a 3.90 geared diff and didn't know it but it had big block yokes, so then I needed caps instead of straps.. your yoke doesn't appear to be the big block style yoke. unless that's the input yoke, then not sure.. i'm comparing to the issue i had with my output yokes.. see this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...rop-shaft.html
My original small block diff had straps like you're showing... I bought a 3.90 geared diff and didn't know it but it had big block yokes, so then I needed caps instead of straps.. your yoke doesn't appear to be the big block style yoke. unless that's the input yoke, then not sure.. i'm comparing to the issue i had with my output yokes.. see this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...rop-shaft.html
Pro
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 517
Likes: 7
From: Peoria IL
If your vette is like mine, that pic is of the driveshaft yoke- not the halfshaft yoke. The differential side yokes had cast caps in BB and L82 cars, and U-bolts on L48 cars (like mine). I don't believe even the big block cars had cast caps on the driveshaft, only the halfshafts.
