so i have a bad u joint or a bad knuckle on my passenger side axle (4x4) i was wondering if anyone knew how to tell for sure if i can just replace the caps or if i have to replace the u-joint? is the a max diameter that i can measure or something? thanks for any help.

 

Do you mean you want to replace just the u-joint caps? Why wouldn't you just replace the whole u-joint? If the caps came loose and you lost the needle bearings, chances are pretty good that the rest of it is messed up as well. Besides that, I don't know that you can buy just the caps.

Is this a Dana 44 or a Dana 60? (I'm not sure what the 250 came with). If it's a 44, here's a link to the procedure for changing the u-joint.

Hope this helps.

Kevin K.

 

its a dana 44 and im not sure if its the yolk on the axle or the caps. i was planning on replacing the entire knuckle, and you can buy just the caps i do it t work quite often., but i didnt want to buy anything before i knew if it was the axle or just the knuckle. thanks for that link, it helps out quite a bit.

 

Can you see the joints or is that one of those closed knuckle deals? (On my 78 F150 they're easy to see, but I'm not sure what setup you have.) Try turning the wheel all the way to the right and peek in at the end of the axle.

There's an easy way to determine which part is broke. Jack up that side, lock both hubs, put the t-case in 2h, and spin the wheel. If the axle is broken, the drive shaft won't turn. If it's just the joint (even if it's completely gone) the ears on the shafts will still mesh and the drive shaft will turn.

If it's the axle, you'll have to pull it apart like in the article. Usually they break in one of 3 places: the knuckle on the outer shaft, knuckle on the inner, or at the splines in the carrier. A few weeks ago I broke the spline, one of the ears, and the joint off the passenger side inner shaft, and snapped the knuckle off the outer on the driver side.

I never knew you could buy just the caps. Learn something new every day. Still, the u-joints I buy are only like $12, and when I break them, I break 'em good. Guess that's why I never looked for just the caps. Check out this PHOTO from a few weeks ago.

Kevin K.

 

Replace the whole joint, preferably with Dana/Spicer brand joint, they're worth the exta money. The axle joint is different than the driveshaft joints, so I doubt you could buy just the caps. Plus if the caps are bad, the whole joint is wasted.

 

ya well when i am driving i can hear it "klunking" , so according to what you guys are saying, this means that its just the knuckle right?

 

Depends what you mean by "knuckle". Each shaft has loops or "ears" on it that the u-joint goes into. So it's either a shaft or u-joint.

From your description, yes, it sounds like the u-joint.

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk, but it helps to use the correct terms for parts on here. Lots of people have their own nick-name for parts so using the right terms keeps us all on the same page.

Kevin K.

 

well i was always tought that it was called the knuckle. sorry for the confusion

 

I agree with correct terminology.

That's why I'll add that the part is called: the YOKE.

The ears as they were called are just "sides" of the yoke

The term....knuckle shaft.... has been used on FTE as well... for both the front driveline to the wheels on a 4x4 & the steering column to box shaft.

 

Replace both joints and I'll lay money you'll find that the tie rod ends are in need of replacement too. A hydraulic press is a big help. Did it on my 79. No big deal.