Wrong Autozone U-joints ?

I have a 98 classic, 4wd without ABS. I bought replacement axle u joints and they are too small. I'm going back tomorrow to see if the ABS ujoints will fit. Why would my non-abs vehicle require ABS u-joints ?

Sounds like you got the smaller 260 joints. You want the larger 297 joints or maybe a 297 joint (center of joint is stronger). Also, try to get spicer joints by using the internet.

http://www.northridge4x4.com/proddetail.php?prod=DANA-SPICER-760

camarors8992 said:

I have a 98 classic, 4wd without ABS. I bought replacement axle u joints and they are too small. I'm going back tomorrow to see if the ABS ujoints will fit. Why would my non-abs vehicle require ABS u-joints ?

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In 95 Jeep went to the larger 'Dana 44' size ujoints on all of them. We just went through this a page or two back where a guy had the same thing happen with Autozone. Follow that link the other guy posted and get the Spicers.

This is Deja vu all over again. Remember Auto Zone is the Macdonalds of auto parts. Buy your auto parts from stores professional mechanics use. Do you think professionals would buy from a chain store that can't sell you the right high quality part the first time? Just my opinion, based on my experience.

cherokee chuck said:

This is Deja vu all over again. Remember Auto Zone is the Macdonalds of auto parts. Buy your auto parts from stores professional mechanics use. Do you think professionals would buy from a chain store that can't sell you the right high quality part the first time? Just my opinion, based on my experience.

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I still buy from the CarQuest that supplied our shop. :farmer:

Pre 95 NON ABS XJ's used the 260 joints..ABS used the 297's (larger.)

95+ ABS or non-ABS XJ's used the larger 297's.

I had the same trouble when buying universal joings from AutoZone.

They are also the only joints (Brute Force) that I've actually broken on the trail.

Don't buy them in the first place and buy Spicer or something else.

I'm using a Spicer joint on my passenger side and a Precision joint on the driver's side...I've heard some bad things and good things about Precision so I'm not really sure.

Never heard anything bad about Spicer.

I believe MOOG makes universal joints too? Would be a good choice as well!

ECKSJAY said:

I still buy from the CarQuest that supplied our shop. :farmer:

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2X, I buy spark plugs, oil & filters from the chain stores, [Schucks Auto, I won't buy from Auto Zone since they sold my son the wrong serpentine belt & argued it was the right one], but I buy all my hard parts from Car Quest or Napa. Napa is pricey but Car Quest gives me a professional discount and has never sold me the wrong part[yet]. 90% percent of the posts concerning wrong parts & info on this forum specificly mention Auto Zone & my experiences with them have not been good. Working on your rig is enough of a challenge when you have the right parts.:soapbox:

While they may not be the best, AutoZone is one of the most convenient places to find Timken bearings. FWIW

THATS your problem.

STAY OUT AUTOZONE !!!!

I dont even go in there for oil.

Went there for a Chevy alternator once.
Got home, put it on.
Was no good.
Took it back, after 5 min of fussing with the guy, got another one, it was also bad.
Took IT back..
They told me I hooked it up WRONG and blew it up or something was shorting them out and
they were NOT gonna give me another one and would NOT refund my money.
Argued VERY loudly with the manager for 15 min, in front of about 7 customer's.
3 of them set their stuff down on the floor and left. BWAHAHAHA!!!!!
FINALLY got my money, went to O'Rileys got one.
Guess what?
Worked fine.

You want good parts and service...
Go to O'Rileys or NAPA.

BTW...
a buddy of mine had an alternator go bad about a month ago on his T-Bird.
He went there to get one.
(after i told him NOT to)
Guess what?
He got a bad one too.

camarors8992 said:

I have a 98 classic, 4wd without ABS. I bought replacement axle u joints and they are too small. I'm going back tomorrow to see if the ABS ujoints will fit. Why would my non-abs vehicle require ABS u-joints ?

Click to expand...

I'll say this one more time"It's a catalog issue. You need the 1 3/16 joint, not the 1 1/16 joint. Disregard the abs B.S. issue"

Right, the ujoints have nothing to do with ABS in terms of functionality.

I got an alternator from AutoZone once after mine quit on me on the trail. I'm still looking to upgrade the output but the AutoZone alternator worked and got me home, and is still working today (more than a year later)

cherokee chuck said:

2X, I buy spark plugs, oil & filters from the chain stores, [Schucks Auto, I won't buy from Auto Zone since they sold my son the wrong serpentine belt & argued it was the right one], but I buy all my hard parts from Car Quest or Napa. Napa is pricey but Car Quest gives me a professional discount and has never sold me the wrong part[yet]. 90% percent of the posts concerning wrong parts & info on this forum specificly mention Auto Zone & my experiences with them have not been good. Working on your rig is enough of a challenge when you have the right parts.:soapbox:

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Bought one part from AutoZone, ever. It was an O2 sensor on my last XJ in 1999. There are a few around here, but they're all at least 10 miles away. I won't even shop the local NAPA now since the last time I was in there the crew was talking company politics and talking about how horrible things were...right in front of the customers. I grabbed a bottle of injector cleaner off the shelf and it came up a dollar more in the computer, and they argued with me over it. Ready to drop a few hundreds bucks in the store and the manager is going to argue over a buck. I drove the further distance and picked everything up from CarQuest.

Starters and alternators get rebuilt by the auto-electric guy down the street. He's half the price of a new one to completely rebuild my old one with a one-year warranty. Couple hour turnaround, typically. :read:

I go to the AZ right around the corner all the time (like 4 blocks), but if I need to go to the counter I will only buy something if the old gearhead guy is working. I'd heard stories about thier alternators too. He pulled it out and tested it, before I said anything, to make sure I didn't have to come back as I was on foot. He never lets me leave until we go through the box to make sure everything is there. He's even told me I should go to napa to get a better quality part when his version is a pos! He wouldn't even sell me their brake calipers for the Dakota! Right there on the shelf behind him and he didn't even bother to grab them. "We don't have any you want, I'd check with napa."