u joint q's

alrighty i just ordered a few joints from drivtrainsuperstores and after calling to confirm that they were servicable joints i find out that there are not zerks on them wtf so in lue of sending them back i was thinking of drilling out one of the caps and putting a zerk on it. the trunion sp* is hollow by the caps but i'm not sure if it goes all the way thru to the other side. anyone drilled out the caps for a zerk?

well i havent

i dont know how much you are paying for these joints, but i guess the worst thing that would happen is the u joint goes kaboom

the cap doesnt seem like the ideal place to put a zerk because the metal is somewhat thing IMO

You could drill the caps, and use flush fittings, but I think I'd just run them. The greasable joints have the cross drilled all the way through, so you'd have to put fittings in all the caps in order to grease the whole joint. The greasablefittings use the flush fittings in the cap, so the thin metal there is not really a big deal. They do sacrifice a small amount of strength. Although unless you break them regularly, you're probably better off having them serviceable, which will increase life if yo get them wet often.

explorer said:

You could drill the caps, and use flush fittings, but I think I'd just run them. The greasable joints have the cross drilled all the way through, so you'd have to put fittings in all the caps in order to grease the whole joint. The greasablefittings use the flush fittings in the cap, so the thin metal there is not really a big deal. They do sacrifice a small amount of strength. Although unless you break them regularly, you're probably better off having them serviceable, which will increase life if yo get them wet often.

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yea i was thinking of just putting a flush zerk in the center of the cap and i am pretty sure that the trunion is drilled all the way thru

If they are non-serviceable joints, the trunions usually are NOT drilled all the way through the cross. They are drilled a short way into the trunion to provide a reservoir for grease, but not all the way through, so you would have to put a fitting in each cap. What brand of joints are they? The only ones I used that lasted were Spicer. Any of the store brand ones didn't hold up to well. The non-serviceable joints actually last quite a while, as they use a better seal then the others. Don't put to much grease in the cups though, it will damage the seal when you press them together. Factory joints actually specify that yo not add any more grease than what is in there, and from experience, if you do, they are a pain in the ass to assemble.

yea you were right they are not drilled all the way thru o well back they go.

You might want to reconsider. What you have are the 760 spicers, I believe. They are generally more desired that the greasable 297s. They are stronger because they aren't cross drilled for grease. You'll find most people stick with these joints for that reason

kid4lyf said:

You might want to reconsider. What you have are the 760 spicers, I believe. They are generally more desired that the greasable 297s. They are stronger because they aren't cross drilled for grease. You'll find most people stick with these joints for that reason

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yup you are right they are 760's the center of the cross is the only thing not drilled they have abut 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch drilled on each side of the trunion, but they do not go all the way thru. what is more desirable about a non greaseable joint. seems to me anyone using them for off-road would want greasable joints to be able to clean them after mud/water.

Strength in the cross. And I've run greasable and non, both Spicer, with not much difference in life. My jeep sees its share of water and mud. I have to admit I wasn't the best at keeping fresh grease in them. I never had a problem breaking them, just wearing them out. I run cv shafts now so I don't have to mess w/ them.

Experience shows that the non-greasable can outlast the greasable, for a couple of reasons. The cross is slightly stronger without the hole drilled through it, and the seals are better and do a decent job of keeping contaminants out. You were sent the correct u-joints, if it was me, I'd run them.

I agree with Goatman. Seals are better, joint is stronger. A friend scavanged what seemed to be an original non greasable off an early 80's model truck to run on his early Bronco. It was a temporary fix that lasted for several years of wheeling.

I would run them too. Besides, you will NOT be able to drill the caps! I tried and they are VERY hard. A cobalt bit won't even scratch them. I wanted to install grease fittings in each cap so I could grease them after I welded them into my stock shafts with stretched ears. Oh yeah, I installed brass bushings in them in place of the needle joints too. Jeff