Ive got to change a couple u-joints on my 84 f250 4x4, rear shaft front joint (closest to t-case) and front shaft rear joint (closest to t-case). what u-joints do i need ive seen some where the retaining pin looks like a c and it look like the retaining pin on these newer shafts.

 

Easy answer is to go to auto parts website and look it up. Just enter your vehicle information and they will lead you there

Most will give a choice - front or rear shaft, at transfer case, etc.

Several manufacturers available

 

Sorry to dig up an old post but my U-joint failed on my truck today.

I have a crew cab with a split driveshaft. I've been looking at different auto parts sites and they all look the same and they all have 4 snap rings but I only need 2 as I use u-bolts on both the front and rear yokes.

The question I have is, are they all, in fact the same U-joint or are am I looking for a different style due to the different drive-shaft?

 

All u-joints are generally the same design. Some have inside clips like the front axle u-joints, and some have the outside clips.

There are around 3 common sizes they seem to use, and sometimes you can't predict what your truck may use. My truck used a smaller u-joint, the exact same truck, year and everything, but with a 5 speed, used larger u-joints.

So your best bet is to take them out and then go match them up. If you have no way to get there, tell them you are not sure if they give you a choice, and buy both sizes and then take back the one that is not correct after you have transportation again. Most stores will do that for you, so long as the part and the box comes back in good shape.

 

But most U-joints do come with 4 retaining clips, regardless of whether you are going to use U-bolts for two of the caps or not. There are applications where that U-joint goes that would require all 4, so rather than stock 2 part number (one with 2 retainers, one with 4) they just throw 4 retainers in all of the boxes.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it.

 

OK. I found the correct U-joint. Now all I have to do is separate the driveshaft but I'm having a difficult time with that. I can't get the rear drive shaft off the center spline; the one with the carrier bearing. I thought that it could be separated by just pulling them apart but something is keeping it together. It slides along the shaft until I can just barely see the splines but then it stops. Am I missing something?

 

Try tapping it back to where it slides nice (gently), then take really fine sand paper, just to deburr it . And /or any of your favourite lubricants, might work

 

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to get at, tree. The image below illustrates what I'm trying to do. I read somewhere that the collar needs to be loosened which is circled in red. But it doesn't budge either way when I try to move it. I'm trying to get the carrier bearing off so I can replace it but I'm not having much luck. The bearing in circled in orange.





The arrow is showing which way I'm trying to pull the rear half of the drive-shaft.

 

The shaft should pull out , but you might need a press to get the bearing off. It's been awhile since I've done one, I don't remember it being that difficult.

 

It would seem that the yoke should just slip of the shaft but it seems like it's stuck and won't move any further. Getting the bearing off is, at this point, secondary. I am completely reconditioning the drive-shaft by replacing the u-joints and the bearing. To do that I have to separate the two halves. I'll keep looking online but I'll take any further advice.

 

I just looked in my Haynes manual, I think you really have to pull. This manual says nothing about unthreading the end of the slip yoke. That end should just be a rubber seal. But picture it hard as can be, as far as rubber can get .

 

Thanks, tree. I'll let you know what happens.

 

If the tip on the yoke will unscrew(most of the time it will) it does make it easier to come apart. Yes there is a rubber seal in there and it should slide over it, but the rubber gets old and stiff and makes it difficult to get apart.

 

Just wanted you all to know that I didn't need to separate the two drive shafts. I decided that the problem wasn't with the carrier bearing but with a loose u-bolt. In finding this out I changed out all the U-joints. Probably not a bad idea with a truck this old. However, the root problem was the u-bolts coming loose at the transmission which was causing the initial vibration. Had I checked the u-bolts this endeavor would haven't have been necessary but was probably a good idea. What I'm trying to say is, check all the bolts and nuts in the drive train when you get a weird vibration you can't explain.

I changed all the u-joints in my drive train but it was probably unnecessary but probably still a good idea. The truck now drives good as new with no vibrations.

Thank you all for the advice.