spicer u joints

05LJ

05LJ

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
110
Here is a new one on me. The spicer u joint has a plastic shim between bearings and cap. Make sure it doesn't get knocked out when installing. I have been fighting a vibration for about a month or so. I have redone the pinion angle so many times the threads on the adjustable uppers are shiny. While cleaning my workbench I find one of those shims. Having exhausted everything I can think of and putting jeep on jackstands and running in gear, I see some oscillation in driveshaft. Decide to pull driveline and check u joints I just changed a m8nth or two ago. Front joint missing the shim. Replaced u joint with new one because ruined the seal pressing it out. Test drive and no vibration. Learn something new every day even at 64. Never have seen this issue before on any boards so thought I would share. Maybe a freak deal, but maybe save someone the time I have spent chasing this vibration down.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris and Kevin E
05LJ said:
Here is a new one on me. The spicer u joint has a plastic shim between bearings and cap. Make sure it doesn't get knocked out when installing. I have been fighting a vibration for about a month or so. I have redone the pinion angle so many times the threads on the adjustable uppers are shiny. While cleaning my workbench I find one of those shims. Having exhausted everything I can think of and putting jeep on jackstands and running in gear, I see some oscillation in driveshaft. Decide to pull driveline and check u joints I just changed a m8nth or two ago. Front joint missing the shim. Replaced u joint with new one because ruined the seal pressing it out. Test drive and no vibration. Learn something new every day even at 64. Never have seen this issue before on any boards so thought I would share. Maybe a freak deal, but maybe save someone the time I have spent chasing this vibration down.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing, youngster! :)
 
Holy shit... Maybe this is what's causing my front driveshaft vibration.

Got a picture of this 'shim' by chance?
 
No I don't but it is a small round black disc. Apparently it was stuck to the cross when I removed the caps to install and didn't see this one fall off. To clarify, it doesn't fit between bearings and cap but in the bottom of the cap and the cross butts up against it. Sometimes they will stick to the cross when taking a cap off and I didn't catch this one.
 
I have them on my new Adams driveshaft with 1310 u joints mine are white.
1310 u joint.jpg
 
Not the same thing. These are inside the cap and apparently a cushion or spacer for the cross.
 
05LJ said:
Not the same thing. These are inside the cap and apparently a cushion or spacer for the cross.
Click to expand...

And this tiny little shim was enough to cause a vibration? I really need to look into this as I fear it could potentially be the culprit of my vibration issue.
 
Chris said:
Holy shit... Maybe this is what's causing my front driveshaft vibration.

Got a picture of this 'shim' by chance?
Click to expand...
It's not a shim, it is a polymer thrust bearing to keep the end of the trunnion from wearing against the inside of the cap. It also centers the joint in the yokes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Daryl
You are right mrblaine, only thing I could come up with at the moment but definately the cause of the vibration. Changed out u joint and no vibes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
I got a complete 2 piece drive shaft and one cap has the plastic washer and the other didn't have one, I assume it was a spacer to fill inside the saddle of the yoke like a shim. When I put it back together and installed it, that thing vibrate like crazy. I swapped the caps around and it smoothed out. I assumed that when the driveshaft was built the yoke didn't fit in the cap and they took one washer out and balanced the shaft
 
I've done a couple d-shaft rebuilds and never seen that. I'll look for it when I do the cherokee's front.
 
SHANE07 said:
I got a complete 2 piece drive shaft and one cap has the plastic washer and the other didn't have one, I assume it was a spacer to fill inside the saddle of the yoke like a shim. When I put it back together and installed it, that thing vibrate like crazy. I swapped the caps around and it smoothed out. I assumed that when the driveshaft was built the yoke didn't fit in the cap and they took one washer out and balanced the shaft
Click to expand...

If you are talking about the "washer" inside the cap, it isn't a washer, it is a bearing and it is just as important as the small needle bearings to keep the joint working correctly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Daryl and Chris
I see this is a rather old thread. Not ancient, mind you, but old. It's just that it was one of the few hits when I did a search for something related to this little spacer/bearing. After installing the final Spicer 5-1310x u-joint in my double-cardan front driveshaft (ZJ, not Wrangler), I couldn't get one of the outside clips to seat into its groove. When I pulled the u-joint apart I found that this plastic disc had a piece broken off of it. With the types of clearances that these things run, I don't know how it could have happened. Maybe it was cocked in there and I didn't notice? Whatever the case, an edge of the disc is now missing. I'm hoping that I can get it back together as it is instead of buying a new u-joint. If anything odd happens, I'll report back, just in case anyone is interested. Cheers.
 
Top Bottom
Back