signs

hey fellas, can some of you please tell me ways I 'll be able to tell if my u-joints are bad, what are some characteristics of one about to say bye bye

vibrations excessive popping while accelerating/decelerating... the best way to tell is to park on level ground block wheels to keep from rolling put in neutral crawl under and start shaking/twisting drive shafts if they are bad you will be able to see it

I always take a flashlight with me and get close and look at the rubber gasket around the bearing cap, then twist the shaft (a couple of times a year). If you can see any movement at the seal, chances are, the needle bearings have play and aren´t long for this world.
A sure tip off, of a dry bearing, is a coating of rust dust near the seal for the bearing caps.
The thunk thunk thunk when your turning a corner, means you didn´t catch the front axle U joints soon enough or the clang or thunk when you put it in gear often means the driveshaft U-joints are worn. Fronts will often vibrate and will also often thunk when putting the auto in gear.
Some differentials (mostly Chrysler corp.) clang when putting the auto in gear, I´ve had a couple that did this, spent untold hours trying to find the cause, after a hundred thousand miles or so, figured it wasn´t really hurting anything and learned to ignore it.

If you think your u-joints may be bad, and you've never changed them, I would change them just for the hell of it (and peace of mind). It's cheap insurance and good practice.

If your driveshaft falls out, your u-joints are bad.:wierd::laugh3:

Seriously, I agree with xjohnnyc. If you don't know how old they are, or how worn, replace them. U-joints are inexpensive enough, and not difficult to do.