hey guys i got a question some i have no idea when and or how i broke the u joint that connects the front right wheel 4x4 axle to the hud snapped shattered what have u. i don't have the time or the proper toolsl to fix this and i was wondering if anyone could give me a guestimate of how much this is gonna set me back thanks ahead of time chris

 

I had both mine replaced at Les Schwab for less than $300, and that was for the good ones with grease fittings. If your only need one I suppose you could do one at a time but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

300 to do both gad damn dont' sound as bad as i thought it would but i am thinkin i might have snapped the ends off i gotta look in the morning to so how bad i F*ed this one up

 

if ya busted the yoke think thats gonna be another $100

 

Sounds familiar......we break them all the time on our Jeeps, with a Ford front axle. It's nearly impossible to break the u-joint and not also break or ruin the yokes on the axles. You probably also need the axle shafts.

 

Oh, BTW, don't put it back into 4x4. Driving on a broken axle u-joint can allow the yokes to bind against each other when turning, and I've seen the knuckles break off when that happens. It can either break the inner knuckle around the ball joint or pop the ball joints apart.....I've seen both happen, and it's not pretty.

 

well i parked my truck i ain't risken anymore damage to my truck i cann't afford to break nothin else lol well i tthink i broke the yoke on the axle and the yoke on the wheel like they saying goes go big or go home

 

While we're on the subject, I'll add some info to this thread for those who might be interested. You haven't said, but I'm assuming you have the TTB D44 front axle. It's pretty hard to break the axle u-joints in a D60 or D50. There are a couple of inexpensive upgrades for the D44 axle u-joints if breaking them is a problem, or if you happen to have the axle apart and just want to make it stronger, just in case.

It has been verified in independant testing that Spicer u-joints are the strongest, so first only use Spicer joints. Spicer has replaced the original 297x axle joint with the 760x joint, which is slightly stronger than the original 297x, and definitely stronger than any aftermarket brand. The biggest single strength improvemnt that can be done (other than go to chromemoly shafts and u-joints, which I run in my Jeep) is to install the u-joints with full circle clips, or snap rings, instead of the c-clips that come stock. The 297x/760x joint most often breaks when the torque pops one or more of the c-clips off, then the cup starts to walk out through the yoke until the joint itself breaks, virtually always damaging the ears of the axle shaft yokes. The snap rings won't pop off, so the torque has to break the u-joint cross itself, which can still be done but it's harder, so the whole assembly is stronger. You can also buy 760x u-joints that are cryogenically treated, making them even stronger, although it seems that a snap ringed 760x joint is stronger than the Spicer axle shaft yokes, which become the new weakest link.

The only thing necessary to be able to install the snap rings is to grind away the small lip on the inside of the axle yokes that keep the c-clip from rotating, so the snap ring has room to be installed. You can also put a couple of small tack welds on the outside of the cup and the yoke, which works well, but probably isn't a good idea for a daily driven truck.

 

if hes over here its gonna be a powerstroke with the ttb 50 or d60, they break when there wore out or if the grease got out of them. i broke one on my 94.5 superduty a year ago.

 

Yup, I stand corrected. The TTB D44 and D50 look the same, except for the hubs, and the D50 still has a much smaller axle u-joint than a D60. I'm still learning about this truck, and now after a little searching around I see that the D50 uses a 1350 Spicer u-joint, which is a driveline style, and uses the driveline style outer snap rings. Would be much stronger than the D44 parts. I also see that it is a major PIA to pull the axles, since they use a c-clip to retain the inner axle, meaning the cover has to come off. If it's a D60 then it's easier to pull the axles out.

 

well i finaly got a good look at it today and i have to get a new axle cause i broke the yoke on that and since i broke the yoke on the wheel i will have to take apart the spndle and all that crap should be a great weekend exspecially with the 4-8 inches of snow were supposed to get

 

Adding to RocknXJ's statements...there is also a push/pull situation to consider. Take a joint and draw it on paper, now imagine taking 2 opposing caps and apply rotational force on them and see where the web is being pulled apart. Now use the next set as the driven 2 caps. You will notice that if you drive off of the wrong 2 caps your pulling apart the web at the grease fitting, this will cause failure much easier than using the other 2 caps to drive from. If you use the 2 caps to drive the power that put the grease fitting in compression you will have a much stronger set up. I cant tell you how many folks dont know there is a right way and wrong way to install joints! Spicer joints are about the strongest OEM style U-joint on the market. There are some speacial high end OX joints out there but they run in the $140 each price range...not needed for average use.

 

Contrary to what might seem to make the best sense, non-greasable u-joints are stronger because the cross isn't drilled through for the grease passages. Also, the non-greasable joints seem to be made with better seals that keep contaminants out better than greasable joints, and can actually out last them. Of course, if you don't use 4wd in situations where you can be at risk of breaking an axle joint, and if you're willing to regularly grease the joints, it doesn't really matter.

Not applicable here, but just if anyone is interested in this stuff, in the Ford D44 front end in my Cherokee I run CTM Racing forged 300M u-joints that are cryo treated and use a thin bronze bushing rather than needle bearings, allowing the trunion to be the same diameter as a D60 axle joint. These require chromemoly axle shafts so the yokes are strong enough. I've still broken two of these u-joints.

 

Yes, Fordtruckpuller, exactly what you are saying, I concur. Put the U-joints in so they are being driven together, not pulled apart at the zerk.
Also a counterpoint to RocknXJ; Most of us don't ask of our drivelines that I assume you are of yours. We just drive on down the road for many miles not putting a huge strain on the driveline. And eventually the grease gets dried out in the caps, but the U-joints themselves are in good condition. Hence the need for a zerk fitting. A simple lube job and all is restored, heading off a repair bill.

 

Even in my pullers I run Dana/Spicer joints with a grease fitting. I use a Dana 60 front and 80 rear and 14XX series joints on the rear driveshaft. Its all off the shelf stuff that I get at my local driveline store. I can pull 40-60K lbs while hanging 1500 lbs on the bar 60" in front of the front axle and bounce off the ground while applying 800+ HP to the tires without busting stuff. Every now and again I eat a rear ring gear....but thats about it.