Silver-I agree, but a lot of guys use the Brute force and they look pretty strong we'll see. The 20 year old joints I have now are just whatever the local auto parts store had not the spicers that were originally there. If they wearout in a year then their covered.
Gary

 

I just looked up my Spicer part numbers and they are 5-618X for the drive shaft and 5-627X for the half shafts. I did mine last year so the numbers might be a little obsolite but they fit in OK.

 

Hey, thanks Gordon! Now, why won't James' joints fit? :confused:

 

It is tight but the way I did it was to remove the caps. Slide the joint into the half shafts the ntake one cap wit hthe joint all the way to one side in the cap and slowly put the cap on. Press it all the way in and maybe a little further. Then take the joint and move it to the other side being careful to not let the rollers fall out and put it in the other cap. Press the other cap on and it should go together no problem. If you install the cap first then try to put the joint in it is a no go, That is the only way I can think that they won't fit. It is a tight squeeze but they do go in.

 

I ran down by the drive shaft shop yesterday to see what they had to say.
He showed me that each half shaft flange had a small bevel on the top of the flange that gives the clearance needed to slide the joint into it. The spicers have a pretty wide center section over the stock joint so the bevel just needed to be filed a little more and then the joint slid in. It was amazing how little he had to hit it with a file. Just a hair on both sides. In fact it looks like that bevel might be done by hand because one flange had more of a bevel then the other flange. I had no problems getting the joints in any other parts of the half shafts other than the 2 flanges. Got everything put back together last night.
Thanks for everyones tips.

 

Now that you mention that I do remember having to hit it with a file to get it in. Just a little though. Glad to see it worked out.

 

So maybe I will get the good ones if it's an issue about wearing out faster I thought it was about breaking them.

That being said the u-joints in there right now have been in there a longggggg time and I don't think they are anything special, I'll look when I get them apart :D

 

spicer, find them accept no subs, imho. :cheers:

 

This is your basic Brute-Force U joint. This is the outbd half shaft joint. Of course the failure happened during a hard launch. Granted the car is a fuel injected 383, but come on! This joint had approx 1000 miles on it. When it failed....OH MY GAWD you should of heard the noise. Partly from the U joint and partly from tearing fibreglass. Of course the laughter from my buddies has yet to subside. But my vote is now and always SPICER.. Oh yea, the brute force grarentee was excelent. They said we'll give you a new U joint No questions ask. No Thanks

 

O.K. guys.... Look at the wear marks on the trunion!!!! You can see that the needle bearings have already began to score the trunion... One picture is worth A thou... er ...one word... SPICER :D

 

Point taken, will go get the 5-178x's or the 5-627x's??? I don't mind doing UJoints but I want more then 1000 miles out of them. I may put a 383 in there if my son has his way :D
Gary

 

FWIW my rear diff was rebuilt and ujoints replaced by a performance trans shop.
I asked about Brute Force ujoints.I was told the shop will only use Spicer non greaseables.

 

You don't get nothin' for nothin' guys. IMO, there is a reason why the Brute Force u-joints are 40% cheaper.


[Modified by Flareside, 8:35 AM 3/22/2002]

 

OK the saga continues. I went to the driveshaft shop to get the 5-178x's and they had the zerks on them. I told the counter guy I wanted the Spicers without the zerks and maybe the part# was 5-625x. He goes in the back room and brings out the Brute Force joints I had already bought at Auto Zone! I said I have those already so he's says he would have to get them from his warehouse next week sometime :confused: I left .
I was on my way to another part of the state so I stopped at another driveshaft place and they had 2 in stock #627x no zerks. I asked about getting 2 more and he got on the phone and had 2 more at his location near me within an hour. They were on the counter when I got there, $16.29 ea. Then I got a drive shaft set for a '69, part# 5-625x no zerks, $13.04 each. The drive shaft numbers are different then Gordon's #'s but maybe the yokes changed between '69 and '72? Also picked up 2.5" ss strap clamps for $6 each so I can now cut my new chambered exhaust and spice it later.
These Spicers are harder to find then Hens Teeth :jester If anyone wants a set and can't find them, send me the cash and I'll buy them for you. The guy had about 7 in stock. I might get another set to put on a shelf for the future.
Gary


[Modified by gtr1999, 2:50 PM 3/22/2002]

 

So how long are the Ujoints lasting for you? 5000 miles? couple years? What?

 

My halfshaft u-joints are the ones that came on the car in 69, about 65K miles ago. :cheers:

AC

 

Well the joints on the 69 were replaced back in 1981 and have about 20k miles on them- again not sure the joint was the problem or the shock causing it? Don't know what brand were installed at the time.
The 72's were the original Spicers. I chaned them last winter but haven't installed them yet-years away from that :rolleyes: I used TRW joints with zerks for this car- 350 TH400 3:08's crusier. I think these were purchased from either Bair's or TLD I don't remember which, but diffinately from a vette vendor.
Gary