axle shaft u joint install failure

ok so my "ready to bolt in" built axles I bought came w frozen ujoints in the front d30 h.p. (30 spline arb/alloy shafts/4.56 /etc. etc.)

anyway I ordered some spicer 760x joints and today tried to do my first set of ujoints ..

we have a nice "c" style ball joint press with lots of attachments and a vice so I proceded to grab with the vice and set up the press and they pretty much pressed right out..

so getting the new one in was a disaster I hate those dang needle bearings.. I could get one side in by sliding the trunion into the cap holding the needle bearings while I pressed in the one side. But when I tried to do the other side I'd press it in a bit then try and slide the trunion over to that side only to have it slide out of the other side enough for the needle bearing to fall out of place (with the dang cap pressed in) so the needle bearings fell out of place on the first try and I ended up smashing one trying to get it to seat back in..

so then try #2 I think I have it. And have almost all 4 full circle clips on but can't get the last one on because that cap isn't in just enough.. Guess what it was one of the needle bearings laying down spacing it out.

so now I'm possibly out like $50 I suppose due to lack of experience and no one that had done it before to supervise..

so heres my queries these parts look new and undamaged but I might have lost or damaged some of the needle bearings.. Can I buy new ones and repack them?

also one of the black seal boot thingies got damaged is this a big deal? Could it be replaced..

is there a way to convert it to the non needle bearing type? If not who has the cheapest hd ones that don't use needle bearings..

I suppose I might just have to replace them and be out the $50.. I might (cringe) pay a shop to put the new ones in since I already screwed up twice.

I like that idea .. I wonder if I can use the needles and seals from a 297 so I can scource one locally

u-joints are just simply a pita to install. When I do them I press one cap in a little more than it needs to be with the trunnion in place then put the other cap in place and slide thetrunnion in so that it is partly in both caps then press the other cap in place. This works best with an assistant to help you hold things in place. I have broken the caps on a couple of u-joints when the cap got cocked in the shaft ears and the top of the cap broke out. Talk about throwing tools!

ive use a happer to tap the caps in, broken way to many trying to pres them together

X2 on buying an extra u-joint, you can use it for parts if you are unlucky now or as a whole spare if you are unlucky later. Use a lot of grease the needles will stay in place. Another thing is to install the caps halfway instead of fully installing them separately, the trunion only has to be in a little ways to keep the needles from falling out of place. Finally if you are having trouble getting the cap to go that last little bit then you probably dropped a bearing and forcing it will make things worse.

one trick to keeping the needle bearings in place is to clean the bearings and cup, then grease them with soft butter. place the cap on the trunnion to make sure all the needle bearings are set properly. then carefully remove the cap keeping all the bearings were they are supposed to be, and place it in the freezer. the butter will freeze and keep the bearings in place for a good long time while installing the u-joint. by the time you have either pressed or hammered them in place, the butter will start to melt and you can now grease them with good quality grease.

2stix said:

one trick to keeping the needle bearings in place is to clean the bearings and cup, then grease them with soft butter. place the cap on the trunnion to make sure all the needle bearings are set properly. then carefully remove the cap keeping all the bearings were they are supposed to be, and place it in the freezer. the butter will freeze and keep the bearings in place for a good long time while installing the u-joint. by the time you have either pressed or hammered them in place, the butter will start to melt and you can now grease them with good quality grease.

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I can see my wifes face now. "Where is the butter and what the hell is this in the freezer" Way to go! Sounds kinda cool and can make some toast while your joints are in the freezer :cheers:

How cold does grease have to be to freeze?

Usually just adding more grease does it for me

jeeperjohn said:

How cold does grease have to be to freeze?

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i am not sure, but the butter freezes faster and doesnt stink up the freezer. also the freezing of the cup slightly shrinks the metal which makes it easier to press in.

2stix said:

one trick to keeping the needle bearings in place is to clean the bearings and cup, then grease them with soft butter. place the cap on the trunnion to make sure all the needle bearings are set properly. then carefully remove the cap keeping all the bearings were they are supposed to be, and place it in the freezer. the butter will freeze and keep the bearings in place for a good long time while installing the u-joint. by the time you have either pressed or hammered them in place, the butter will start to melt and you can now grease them with good quality grease.

Click to expand...

I'm diggin' this idea! I've always just glommed them up with grease, but it's still nerve racking when I don't have an extra for spare parts if necessary. I'll usually buy an extra for the "just in case" factor, but I tend to forget to return it until I see the bank statement and realize I spent $75.00 on a couple u-joints.

OutkastBoss said:

I like that idea .. I wonder if I can use the needles and seals from a 297 so I can scource one locally

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The 760X replaced the 297X, but the only thing the same is external dimensions. 297X=hot forged. 760X= cold forged, better grain control and strength,. The 760X has a larger trunion, different cap and bearings.

After installing about 10,000 axle joints, I have found nothing faster or more controlled than a bronze hammer and tap them in by hand.

Ron

I use a vice, hammer and socket..

FWIW.. AlloyUSA u joints from serious offroad kick ass! for $25 more a set then the spicers!

i broke a alloy usa 760 just a couple hours ago, and it had less than 10,000 miles on it. im confused as to why this happened, and how to prevent it from happening again.

What were you doing when it broke?

CrazyEli said:

i broke a alloy usa 760 just a couple hours ago, and it had less than 10,000 miles on it. im confused as to why this happened, and how to prevent it from happening again.

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i just got 2 of them in, and installed them in a set of yukon chromos. then iread the box where it says "made in china" i was pretty disappointed with that but its pretty well expected now days.

I'm putting spicers in my chromos. I've just heard better things about them.

So I'm gonna ask a dumb question. I ordered Spicer joints for my new Yukon shafts and ordered the full circle clips for them. They showed up today and there were only 4 of the full circle clips in the box. I was under the impression that all of the c clips got replaced with the full circle ones. Am I just a moron (probably wouldn't be the first time) or did they not include all the needed clips. Sorry for the hijack.

they were probably only sold as each pack having enough for one joint? call the company you ordered from and verify, then order another set