So, If I have straps now, I need to continue using straps? I can drill the threads out of the yoke for U-boltsYour yoke will determine which style you use. U-bolts are stronger.
An unthreaded yoke means someone replaced the OE yoke that comes with threaded holes for use with straps with a different style yoke style meant for a u-bolt instead of straps. Having used both types, I'd replace that yoke with one that has threaded holes meant for straps to hold the u-joint in. U-joints don't need a big u-bolt to hold them in, the yoke is what does that regardless of what holds the u-joint's bearing cap down inside the opening. Not to mention it's very easy to over-tighten the nuts on a u-bolt which will ruin the u-joint.
Make sure not to overtighten the u-bolt's nuts which is entirely too easy to do. Overtightening them will take out the u-joint's bearing cap and needle bearings underneath.I have u-bolts since I purchased my set of upgraded Dana 44 axles. They came with yokes for u-bolts
Make sure not to overtighten the u-bolt's nuts which is entirely too easy to do. Overtightening them will take out the u-joint's bearing cap and needle bearings underneath.
And while the additional strength of a big u-bolt may seem like a good idea, as I did when I installed one many years ago, it's just not needed. It's the yoke that provides the strength to hold the u-joint under lots of stress, the u-bolt or strap barely has to do anything... it just needs to hold it down in the yoke which doesn't take much... that direction is 90 degrees from the direction of the force applied to a u-joint.
If the additional strength of a u-bolt holding the u-joint was needed or beneficial I'd sure be running them on my driveshafts but I'm not. I'm running the standard Dana straps.
So, If I have straps now, I need to continue using straps? I can drill the threads out of the yoke for U-bolts
Old thread but related question…
How do you know what straps to buy? Is it some what universal that a Dana 44 needs this and a Dana 30 needs that? Can it simply be determined by the ujoint size?