Just got back from Mile High Classics with a replacement for my u-joint's
rear yoke. Turns out what happened (most likely) was that one of the
four bolts on the front yoke unscrewed just enough so that the head caught
on something and sheared off. The busted bolt head rattled around inside
the bell until it found a resting place where it could jam itself, seizing
the u-joint, and causing the rear yoke to split. The shaft had enough
energy left to keep spinning and further distort the busted pieces.
The suggestion from the folks down at Mile High Classics is to remove the
somewhat useless flange bit that attempts to hold down the bolts, and just
drill holes in the bolt heads, and wire them together. That, combined
with some Lok-Tite, should keep the u-joint from self-destructing again
until I can afford a new, open driveline, rear end.
I highly recommend that anyone using a closed driveline inspect their
u-joint and perform the above preventative maintenance.
And oletruckers in the Denver area might want to check out Mile High
Classic Truck Parts. They're really helpful -- in fact, they found a
replacement grill for my 1954 pickup! Their number is 303-287-3977, and
they're at 5900 York St., just off the 58th St. exit from I-25. They're
supposedly coming out with a catalog in the very near future.
On Wed, 18 Sep 2002, tim wrote:
> For those following the saga:
>
> I did as suggested and pulled the cross member (48-year-old bolts are not
> easy to remove), and that got me able to pull back the ball and get at the
> u-joint. When I got the ball pulled back (after supporting the driveshaft
> with a floor jack and jack stand, a few chunks of metal fell to the
> ground. Turns out what happened was the rear yoke on the u-joint had what
> we call in the engineering profession a "catastrophic failure." I'll post
> some pictures of the thing on my web site shortly -- it's quite
> impressive. The U-shaped part of the yoke has split in two, and the shaft
> part is now in three pieces that don't appear to have ever fit together.
>
> Next week, after I get back from my vacation, I'll double-check the
> splines on the drive shaft, as well as the rest of the hardware involved,
> to make sure there was no other damage from this failure, and then pay a
> visit to Mile High Classic to get a new u-joint. Unfortunately, I can't
> afford to do what I really want, which is to replace the entire
> transmission and rear end. That will come later.
>
> Thanks to everyone for their help.
Tim Lloyd, lloyd@lasp.colorado.edu
"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been
sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful,
rebellious, and immature." -- Tom Robbins
"The eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the
planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed
by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace."
-- John F. Kennedy
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