MARK COFFIN WROTE:
Like most stuff on a 30 yr old car, the u-joints were
>worn and I figured now is the time to remove and replace those little
>devils, rather than wait until I was 500 miles from home. Good thing
>too because both of them had severe grooves where the needle bearings
>rode. Plus it makes it easier to paint the driveshaft and flanges!
>
Speaking of U-Joints, I remember the time I purchased a new U-Joint for my
car from a Auto Parts Store that I had been doing business with for years.
I'm a funny kind of a guy when it comes to the drive train, especially when
it involves something that must be greased. I wanted to use a water proof
bearing grease in the U-Joint, so I had to disassemble it. Washed out all
the old grease from the needle bearings, the cups, and the shafts that the
bearings ride on. On inspection of the shaft ends, I noticed that it had
been damaged. It looked like someone had taken a hammer to the end and
mushroomed it on one side of the end. I do that now every time I have to
install U-Joints. I would rather be safe-R than sorry. It does'nt take
that long to do the job.
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