2000 f350 u joints

[95powersmoker]

Hi guys,

I think I have a bad front left u joint. I can move the outer axle shaft pretty good at the u joint and also by shaking the front hub locker.

I have a shop telling me the u joint is one piece with the axle shafts because there are no clips on the outside of the u joint. Is this true, do I need the whole axle ahaft assembly with u joint? Is there a clip on the inside? Seems silly that the u joint isnt replaceable by itself. If anybody has tips or tricks, that would be great.

Thanks.

 

[CSIPSD]

You need to update your sig picture...

And no, I dont believe those are replaceable...

 

[CSIPSD]

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=4201173&cc=1372519

 

[95powersmoker]

Thanks Joe. I found a local driveline shop that will sell it much cheaper. What seals will I need? Looks like there's at least one at the axle tube.

 

[DEEZUZ]

Um... Aren't the cap clips on the inside???

 

[95powersmoker]

Um... Aren't the cap clips on the inside???

Hey, that was my question...oke:

 

[co04cobra]

The clips are on the inside, and any shop telling you a U joint has to be replaced with the axle shaft you need to run, far, far, far, away from.

Those joints are a pain in the dik to replace, and I would only run spicer or motorcraft.

They all have "play" up and down by reaching in and trying to move them. However, they rarely are actually worn when they are pulled out.

Lock it in 4wd and see if you have a vibration that goes away with the hubs unlocked.

Unless you have a ton of miles on it, or have been in extreme conditions it's probably fine.

 

[DEEZUZ]

I just had a thread on why my truck would not correct after a turn, it turns out the front left joint is locking up. I will be doing mine soon

 

[95powersmoker]

With my hubs unlocked, I have a terrible vibration at higher speeds and when braking down to a stop around 15 mph, the front left starts to thump/clunk a bunch. I thought it was the front driveshaft slip yoke and had that replaced but that didn't fix my noises. It was in fact worn out so it was good that I did that anyways. But now I'm trying to get to the bottom of this noise. It only happens when at speeds around 15mph and is extremely noticeable when braking.

I don't trust any shop mechanic but this is one of the shops near my work that I dropped in at to get an opinion.

My passenger side axle shaft assembly doesn't move the way my drivers side does so I figured it was worth looking into.

Truck has 224k on it btw.

 

[DEEZUZ]

I will bet your inner hub bearings are shot. So in turn the shaft will be scarred. I just replaced both my inner bearings. You don't have to change the hubs, just but the inner bearings. Lemme dig up my thread

 

[95powersmoker]

I replaced that drivers side hub not long ago...

 

[co04cobra]

Is it a auto/lock hub? or free/lock? The inner bearing fails 2x as often as the ujoint.

I was going to post earlier that it is usually at least 200K before a front ujoint fails.

 

[95powersmoker]

Is it a auto/lock hub? or free/lock? The inner bearing fails 2x as often as the ujoint.

I was going to post earlier that it is usually at least 200K before a front ujoint fails.

Manually locking hubs. Like I said though, the hub assembly I had replaced maybe a month and a half ago or so.

 

[DEEZUZ]

What condition was the inner bearing in of the old hub? I pulled mine apart and all the needle bearings were dust. I popped the race out and knocked in a new bearing. Even after replacing this bearings I still had the same symptoms. I found out that the hub seal is a main support for the shaft. A new seal and all the play went away

 

[co04cobra]

You have to remove the wheel bearing to find the inner axle bearing that usually fails. If you're that far it's easy to go ahead and pull the axle to check the joint.

 

[DEEZUZ]

At the very beginning of this you can see how bad the shaft got tore up from the inner hub bearing. But here's the play with bad hub seal. Even with the hub and locker installed it was the same play
Wheel end: http://youtu.be/lVeVKoQRgxQ

 

[95powersmoker]

At the very beginning of this you can see how bad the shaft got tore up from the inner hub bearing. But here's the play with bad hub seal. Even with the hub and locker installed it was the same play
Wheel end: http://youtu.be/lVeVKoQRgxQ

Without having everything off right now I can do that with my truck just by grabbing on to the free/lock end and shaking it.

Guess it looks like I need to take it back apart.

 

[DEEZUZ]

Yep. Report back.

 

[95powersmoker]

Will do.

Thank you guys for the help.

 

[TyCorr]

You have to remove the wheel bearing to find the inner axle bearing that usually fails. If you're that far it's easy to go ahead and pull the axle to check the joint.

Is this what causes the axleshafts to turn when the hubs are unlocked?