Front driveshaft u-joint part number?

Chris

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I understand that my 05 Rubicon uses a 1330 u-joint on the front driveshaft, is that correct?

If so, what is the spicer part number for a replacement u-joint? Preferably an upgraded one if possible.

5-760X, or will that not fit?
 
For the front driveshaft's very front u-joint you want a Spicer 5-793x.
For the front driveshaft's two rear u-joints inside the CV you want a Spicer 5-1330x.

A great webpage and site for this information is at http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/p22...2003_to_2006_jeep_tj_rubicon_and_unlimit.html

The 5-760x is for the axle shafts, not for the driveshafts. And I would stay with the sealed non-greasable u-joints which are the p/ns I suggested above. :)
 
Thanks Jerry, I was wondering how I'm supposed to know all the different u-joints my vehicle has. Wish they were all just the same to make it easy.

In regards to the non-greasable ones. I keep hearing they are superior, but that makes me wonder why all these drive shaft manufacturers such as Tom Wood are using greasable u-joints in their driveshafts.
 
Tom Wood and the others will build their driveshafts any way you want them, greasable or sealed. But to be competitive, builders normally price with the cheaper greasable u-joints. Sealed u-joints do cost more. However, in my personal opinion, sealed u-joints are generally more durable, longer lasting. and usually stronger than most greasable u-joints are... at least for the majority of us.

Generally speaking, greasable u-joints with a single grease zerk are weaker because of the grease channels that have to run through he body to all four bearing caps, weakening the body. Then Spicer's sealed are "triple sealed" which keeps the gunk out far better than a greasable can. Then, are you really going to keep up with the rigorous 3k mile max greasing schedule greasable u-joints require? At one time I had 8 greasable u-joints and they were a PITA... not to mention Spicer's sealed -joints generally last over 100k miles without needing any attention at all.

The only time I'd run a greasable would be to run a CTM on the axle shafts, as I do, where each bearing cap has its own needle zerk fitting which eliminates the need for weakening grease channels inside the body. This is about as strong as they come for a Wrangler though they're not cheap... about $235 each.

Finally, that chart I gave the link to above gives a complete list of all u-joint part numbers for your Rubicon. :)

Edit: The below is a good writeup on greasable vs. sealed u-joints from Denny's Driveshafts at http://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/c457_cv_driveshaft_parts.html

"Greasable or NON Greasable — Which one is correct?

Let's take a moment to understand the design characteristics of a 1310 and 1330 series Jeep Double Cardan CV Driveshaft. There are two different styles of Double Cardan CV Driveshafts that you may find on your Jeep. It doesn't matter if it is 1310 or 1330 series, factory installed original equipment or custom built aftermarket driveshaft. GREASABLE and NON GREASABLE versions are what this is all about!

  • One version has a greasable ball socket in the CV centering yoke and the other version has a NON greasable ball socket in the CV centering yoke.
Some have expressed a desire to use a "Greasable" CV centering yoke on a driveshaft that was originally designed for the "NON greasable" CV centering yoke. This can be done if you are sure that you want to grease the ball socket regularly. The myth or mystery in doing this is really simple to understand.

Now this is very important....

  • IF your driveshaft was originally designed for the Greasable CV Centering yoke then you MUST always use the Greasable version when replacing the centering yoke. The NON greaseable centering yoke will bind up on the CV Stud Yoke and you will not be able to re-assemble it.
  • IF your driveshaft was originally designed for the NON Greasable CV centering yoke then you have two choices...one is to use the Greasable and one is to use the NON Greasable. The choice is yours.
    • If you choose to go greasable then you do not need the rubber dust boot. It will only get in the way and make it impossible to lube it correctly.
Now the big question is WHY do you want to change over from the NON Greasable to the Greasable?

It appears that many people think that the NON Greasable is a "bad thing" and you automatically think that the greasable is better. This may be true in some cases but for the person who is not into regular maintenance this can be a big mistake. You should consider that you have gotten many years and 50,000 to 80,000 miles and MORE on that NON greasable CV driveshaft before requiring any service. You never once greased it and it has served you well through some of the worst conditions.

There is nothing wrong with NON greasable parts....in fact they can deliver the same and in most cases more trouble free miles than any greasable part. This is exteremely helpful with off road vehicles that get into the mud and water regularly.

The greasable parts require lubrication regularly to keep them in good condition. If you miss just one lube interval then you have lessened the life of those parts considerably. Everyone who has ever lubed their driveline and steering parts has seen the water and dirt being forced out of the seals when pumping grease into the part. The seals are soft and flexible and are designed to purge out the contaminants when grease is pumped in.

The beauty of the NON greasable parts is that they are sealed so that the water and dirt stays out and the grease stays in. You should also consider that you will need to buy a special adaptor to use on your grease gun to fit the "inverted" grease fitting and you should also consider that the CV is sometimes very hard to lube while in the Jeep.

Now you know the pros and cons so that you can make an educated decision when ordering a centering yoke and universal joints. Both styles are good and you can get long life out of either one of them. Make the choice that is right for you and your type of driving. "
 
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Very helpful Jerry. I wish I would have known this before I purchased my Tom Woods rear driveshaft, because honestly I would have had them make it with non-greasable u-joints even if it did cost more.

Right now I have so many damn zerk fittings under my Jeep it's insane... The Currie adjustable control arms have 6 zero fittings on each arm (for a total of 24 just for the control arms), then there's the Currectlync, the rear driveshaft, front driveshaft, etc.

My RCVs only have that one needle grease fitting which I can live with.

Either way, I'm glad I know this because I'm probably going to replace all of the greasable u-joints with non-greasable ones.

I'll have to find out what kind of u-joints I need for the rear driveshaft to replace the ones that came in their from Tom Wood.
 
That I had "so many damn zerk fittings under my Jeep" is one reason I went back to sealed u-joints after having had all greasable at one point.

And regarding knowing what u-joints you need for the rear drive shaft, have you still not looked at that u-joint chart I gave the link to above in my first post? :D

j/k... here it is....

U-joints.JPG
 
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That I had "so many damn zerk fittings under my Jeep" is one reason I went back to sealed u-joints after having had all greasable at one point.

And regarding knowing what u-joints you need for the rear drive shaft, have you still not looked at that u-joint chart I gave the link to above in my first post? :D

I'm going to start putting sealed u-joints where I can. Greasing this thing is driving me nuts, sometimes I forget where all my damn zero fittings are since there are so friggin' many!

I looked at that link, but my rear driveshaft isn't the stock one, and I'm not sure if Denny's and Tom Wood use the same u-joints in their custom rear driveshafts.
 
Oh, I didn't know your rear driveshaft was aftermarket... all bets are off. You're gonna have to ask whoever built it for you. You can also measure the distance between the outsides of the bearing caps to know if they're a 1310 or 1330 size, they should have used one or the other. The diameter of the bearing caps are the same between 1310 and 1330. Measure the distance between each pair so you know if they're a 1310 to 1330 converter u-joint. There would be a different distance between each pair if it's a converter u-joint. I.E. 1310 on one side and 1330 on the other side.
 
Jerry, the rear driveshaft is a 1310.

I emailed Tom and asked him what part number I can use for a replacement sealed u-joint in the rear driveshaft.

I wish I would have just known this when I ordered it in the first place so I could have had them build it with sealed u-joints. Ugh... You learn something new ever day. Damn zerk fittings really make you appreciate a 'sealed' chassis.