My car has started making a clicking noise coming from undernieth when i let out the clutch and take off. I am thinking u joint. I think there are a total of 6 in this car? So which ones are the likely culprits?

 

I'd put my money on the half-shafts. They're easy to check as long as you can support the car off the wheels.

 

The half shaft u-joints are the first to go. If you have access to a car floor jack and plenty of metric sockets and wrenches you can do the job yourself. Buy heavy duty u-joints. It might be best to take the shaft to a machine shop and remove the old joints and press in the new ones. I use a hammer, a beat-up 5/8 inch deep well socket, and a lot of WD-40 and beat the crap out of it. Do not miss when pounding

 

Can you recommend heavyduty u joints and source?
i once spoketo a guy that said to upgrade to moser hesvyduty half shafts as well.
Any experiene with thisupgrade?

 

When I did mine, I used Moog coated non-greasable ones. I also have a hydraulic press so I made an adapter to press out the old ones. It works like the TigerTool so it presses against the crosses of the u-joint to remove them without excessive pressure or hammering on the old ones. Once the new ones are in, if you need to spread the caps because the joint is too tight, substitute a piece of steel down the mounting hole and use it like a tamper and it works well.
When I did mine I pulled the whole shaft out on each side. Support the car and unhook the spring and dog bone on the knuckle on one side. Remove the spindle nut and u-joint straps on the differential, drop the half shaft and slide it out. Suggestion - while working under there put a piece of carpet down so when you drop a bolt (which you likely will do) it won't go skating all over the place.
While I had mine out, I replaced the Teflon washers at the same time, only tear it apart once if at all possible.

There's an excellent writeup here: http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=144562
It's intended to replace the hubs but it goes through removal and replacement of the u-joints also. The pictures are back (the photobucket thing), so if interested I'd print it off to have it. I found it useful when doing mine.

 

Just for info,
Axle U joints are 1350 series,
3.625 x 1.187

Tailshaft U joints are 1310 series,
3.219 x 1.062

check Summit - they have a fair range.

 

Great write up! Now on his car, the clicking and popping sound is exactly what my car is doing. Why did he think it was a hub? When you load and unload the drivetrain, how is that affecting the hub? I have always associated that with u jointt.
So it looks like i need 4 u joints and the teflon washers?

 

The bearing will make a squeaking noise that varies with RPM when they go, and usually they will go at the same time or nearly the same time as the joints. Preferably you would change it all out at once.

You want the Spicer joints withOUT zerk fittings. Only get those.

 

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

This is the general consensus. And get the ones with coated caps for the aluminum driveshaft yokes. It may work without the coating, but you might as well get the correct ones. The Moogs are probably the second best. Denny's Driveshaft seems to have the best prices for the Spicers. If you throw in the two for the driveshaft they will ship them all free.

 

If you're referring to that thread I referenced, I didn't mean to imply that there was a hub issue. I found the thread that covered both u-joints and hubs and used it through the parts of the u-joints in my case. It was very detailed in the explanations. If you need to do your hubs, that's covered. If only the u-joints, that's covered. Do it as far as you need to.

 

Looks like those Spicers will be $50 each locally.

 

ACTUALLY a special coated U-joint is what was used so no dissimilar metal reaction occurs. It is clearly stated in the GM parts manual and gives a SPICER part number for it.

The SPICER 5-447X u-joint comes to mind for the half shafts.

Now another brand may be available due to I think SPICER does not make this coated u-joint any longer.

Put in one that is not coated and you can run into what I have found and that is the cap or cup of the u-joint gets loose in the half shaft over time and the half shaft needs to be replaced....even though the U-joint is in prefect condition.

DUB