New front driveshaft u-joint too tight

[Vtx531]

Rebuilding my stock front driveshaft - removed all old ujoints. Used the hammer and socket method. Sandblasted to get it all cleaned up including the c-clip slots. Deburred little edges that the old u joint put in the yoke when hammering to remove. I am using Spicer joints, knowing U joints are critical pieces not to mess around with China junk. Tried hitting the side of the yoke with a hammer to get it to loosen up. The problem is the u-joint is still VERY tight.

I am using the copper c-clips which are the thinnest of the three sets of c-clips the spicer joints come with. The only way I can get the second c-clip in is to hit a socket on top of it but then the u-joint ends up way too tight. The yoke doesn't look bent to me.

Any advice?

 

[LONGJP2]

I am using the copper c-clips which are the thinnest of the three sets of c-clips the spicer joints come with. The only way I can get the second c-clip in is to hit a socket on top of it but then the u-joint ends up way too tight. The yoke doesn't look bent to me.

Any advice?

Did you try setting the caps back against the clips after it's in to loosen the joint up?

 

[Vtx531]

Did you try setting the caps back against the clips after it's in to loosen the joint up?

Do you mean giving the yoke a couple hits with the hammer? I did do that. There's not really any room for it to loosen up. It is so tight when the clip is forced in that there is no room at all, not even a thousandth, almost like a heavy preload on the caps.

I tried expanding it with a bearing puller in between the ears but used to spread. Didn't really do anything.

 

[hear]

are you 100% certain you didn't accidentally tip over a needle bearing when you were assembling them? I did a bunch and never had that happen, and then like the last 5 u-joints I've done I've had a needle get knocked over. Makes it just about impossible to get the caps all the way on, but if you did I bet the preload would be supes tight.

 

[Vtx531]

are you 100% certain you didn't accidentally tip over a needle bearing when you were assembling them? I did a bunch and never had that happen, and then like the last 5 u-joints I've done I've had a needle get knocked over. Makes it just about impossible to get the caps all the way on, but if you did I bet the preload would be supes tight.

Ya 100%. I pulled the joints out and reinstalled multiple times. I even double checked that the plastic thrust washers didn't get mixed up/doubled up or any problems with those.

 

[hear]

Then my next guess would be that you somehow bent the ears. I had a buddy help me one time. When I wasn't looking he walked over to the press.... next thing I know the axle u-joint was extra tight, enough that it made the car pull to one side.

You could always pull the joints out and swap sides and see if the problem follows the joint or stays with the ears.

 

[Zorba]

How tight is tight? Mine were a bit on the tight side, they just worked themselves out with time.

 

[LONGJP2]

I even double checked that the plastic thrust washers didn't get mixed up/doubled up or any problems with those.

I had one that was double-thick.
It was actually two that weren't completely separated during manufacturing.

 

[OldBuzzard]

Repeating Zorba: How tight is tight?

Mine were just a couple thousandths too tight. The thinnest C-clip would start to go in, but I couldn't get it to go all the way in without jamming up the u-joint. So I rubbed the C-clip on sandpaper for a minute or two, taking off a couple thousandths, and it went in correctly.

 

[GregBelleville]

 

[JMT]

Repeating Zorba: How tight is tight?

Mine were just a couple thousandths too tight. The thinnest C-clip would start to go in, but I couldn't get it to go all the way in without jamming up the u-joint. So I rubbed the C-clip on sandpaper for a minute or two, taking off a couple thousandths, and it went in correctly.

I did the same, sanded the clips down so I could get them to seat.

 

[Vtx531]

Repeating Zorba: How tight is tight?

Mine were just a couple thousandths too tight. The thinnest C-clip would start to go in, but I couldn't get it to go all the way in without jamming up the u-joint. So I rubbed the C-clip on sandpaper for a minute or two, taking off a couple thousandths, and it went in correctly.

Tight enough that I'm not at all comfortable installing it like that but I do think some thinner clips would fit. Found some in a Dana parts catalog but not easy to find where to buy them.

 

[Vtx531]

I did the same, sanded the clips down so I could get them to seat.

Same exact spot as mine? Front-most front driveshaft ujoint?

 

[Mike_H]

I’d guess you have a slightly bent ear. You should not need to sand the clip or buy thinner ones.

 

[Vtx531]

I’d guess you have a slightly bent ear. You should not need to sand the clip or buy thinner ones.

Could be- I know this isn't the first time I changed the u joints in here. They were probably stuck worse than most due to rust. This time I sandblasted all around the ears and that helped a lot to get them out easier, maybe the last time I changed them out I wasn't as careful and bent it? Would have to have been a lot of force to bend it with the hammer method.

Oreillys is putting in some sort of special order price request for the thinner clips. Prefer not to sand the clips, and if you only file down one, the it makes the ujoint offcenter. There is a local driveshaft shop down the street, maybe I'll check with them on Monday.

I tried another new ujoint just to see...Iabeled the caps to keep each cap on the same trunnion to not mess anything up, didn't add any grease to this one like I did the last one, measured the length of each cross and used the side that was shorter (every thou helps right?) Maybe a tad better but still the same. Still had to hammer a socket down onto the clip to get it to seat.

It is tight enough that I can hold the yoke at a 90 degree angle to the ground and it won't droop down. Takes force to move it.

 

[JMT]

Same exact spot as mine? Front-most front driveshaft ujoint?

Don’t remember the joint location. Not sure it matters. It’s shaving a minuscule amount off.

 

[JMT]

Could be- I know this isn't the first time I changed the u joints in here. They were probably stuck worse than most due to rust. This time I sandblasted all around the ears and that helped a lot to get them out easier, maybe the last time I changed them out I wasn't as careful and bent it? Would have to have been a lot of force to bend it with the hammer method.

Oreillys is putting in some sort of special order price request for the thinner clips. Prefer not to sand the clips, and if you only file down one, the it makes the ujoint offcenter. There is a local driveshaft shop down the street, maybe I'll check with them on Monday.

I tried another new ujoint just to see...Iabeled the caps to keep each cap on the same trunnion to not mess anything up, didn't add any grease to this one like I did the last one, measured the length of each cross and used the side that was shorter (every thou helps right?) Maybe a tad better but still the same. Still had to hammer a socket down onto the clip to get it to seat.

It is tight enough that I can hold the yoke at a 90 degree angle to the ground and it won't droop down. Takes force to move it.

View attachment 558152

View attachment 558153

If the clip is seated it’s fine. Just because it’s hard for you to move the joint by a hand doesn’t mean it’s hard for it to move under the loads it will see which are much greater. Seems fine and normal.

 

[jjvw]

If the clip is seated it’s fine. Just because it’s hard for you to move the joint by a hand doesn’t mean it’s hard for it to move under the loads it will see which are much greater. Seems fine and normal.

I agree. I don't recognize an obvious problem here.

If anything, he should smack the end of the drive shaft harder with a hammer a few times and it might settle the u joint a bit more.

 

[Ashim]

If you get both retaining clips in and it's still to hard to move, just give it a few whacks with a hammer. Hit it by the base of the ears, near the shaft. That usually equalizes and loosens up the U-joint.

 

[Vtx531]

If anything, he should smack the end of the drive shaft harder with a hammer a few times and it might settle the u joint a bit more.

If you get both retaining clips in and it's still to hard to move, just give it a few whacks with a hammer. Hit it by the base of the ears, near the shaft. That usually equalizes and loosens up the U-joint.

Unfortunately I've been doing this since post #1 but hasn't worked 100%. It maybe loosens it a touch but still seems like there is a small preload on the ujoint. Just how they are? The thing that tells me maybe it is tighter than it should be is the center of the c-clips spring outward at the middle - they aren't sitting flat on the caps. I do the trick to hit it with a hammer to get the caps to come out a little bit and have both clips evenly bowing outward, seems to be the lowest resistance but tighter than I would like. So, maybe that's just how it is with new ujoints it sounds like.