U-joint warning signs
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: PA
U-joint warning signs
76K on the clock and use the vette for road trips. I have several u-joint questions:
1. What has been the experience of members regarding mileage when u-joint problems start to crop up?
2. Which joints tend to fail first or is it entirely random? half shaft? inside or outside? or driveshaft? front or back? I saw the excellent write up by a member on half-shaft joint replacement. Is the driveshaft joint replacement straight forward like a solid-axle US car?
3. Driveshaft u-joint failure symptoms in some of my previous solid axle cars (Camaros, Caprices, Country Squire wagon) ranged from vibration at harmonic speeds to clunking sounds during shifts and clicking sounds (dry needles being ground up). I have always picked up on the warning signs with these cars in time so as not to be stranded on the road and could effect cheap repairs myself at home. What are some of the tell-tale warning signs members have experienced for half-shaft joint failures and how much time did you have if you did get stranded?
1. What has been the experience of members regarding mileage when u-joint problems start to crop up?
2. Which joints tend to fail first or is it entirely random? half shaft? inside or outside? or driveshaft? front or back? I saw the excellent write up by a member on half-shaft joint replacement. Is the driveshaft joint replacement straight forward like a solid-axle US car?
3. Driveshaft u-joint failure symptoms in some of my previous solid axle cars (Camaros, Caprices, Country Squire wagon) ranged from vibration at harmonic speeds to clunking sounds during shifts and clicking sounds (dry needles being ground up). I have always picked up on the warning signs with these cars in time so as not to be stranded on the road and could effect cheap repairs myself at home. What are some of the tell-tale warning signs members have experienced for half-shaft joint failures and how much time did you have if you did get stranded?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 60
From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Mileage is not a measuring factor as some of us have heavier right feet than others so failure will come earlier to the heavy footed folk. U-joint failure is completely random, they can go bad in any location. You already know most of the noises, sometimes you can hear a squeak-squeak-squeak sound when you take off normally. I've noticed that my ujoints going bad would create a bit of a ringing sound when they clunk because of the aluminum parts.
