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Would you hit this?


Los_Control

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Guys/gals ... have a dilemma I need to take care of.

 

 

Need to fix my chebby so this girl can get her parking space back  :(

Problem with the chebby is a u-joint, problem with u-joint is a bent yoke. Last spring I rebuilt the driveline, I found this one yoke had taken a hit and some metal scaring. Like out 4 wheeling and hit a rock.

I dressed it up with a dremel and installed new u-joint ... ujoint was tight and figured would loosen up. It did not so doing it again.

 

 

The left side is what right should look like, right side is bent slightly in and again the u-joint is to tight to freely move.

I can easily remove the joint and caress it with a bfh .... but should I?

Any advise to bend it back? I think it will be ok, yet I know some metal you should not bend .... my 16 gauge will break when I bend it. But the yoke is thick enough it will not matter?

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Just now, Plymouthy Adams said:

no....get a new yoke.....that is if you intend to get good driving characteristics and long life....sometimes you just got to bite the bullet...if you don't, it exits the back of your head.

Yes sir, kinda what am thinking. ... might try to see if can source a good used one. Truck is odd enough that it probably be cheaper to take to drive line shop and have replaced.

If the ear did break off while on highway, is connected to trans and would destroy the tail housing of the nv4500 manual trans which would not be cheap.

 

25 years ago, was only $100 to have a drive line modified repaired ... sure it not changed much  ?

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Right or wrong if it were me, I’d “tap that” and try and straighten enough to get her in the parking spot, then look for a new drive line 

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It is a common 1991 chebby 1/2 ton ... extended cab short bed,step side.  the odd part is it is a manual trans. Most are automatics.

Buuuut, it is a 2 piece drive shaft, possibly I can match the front 1/2 with another?

Buuuut, it also has the carrier bearing installed on it, is pressed on and brand new. Not sure I can remove it and expect to re-use it. Another $40-$50

 

I think the turbo 350 automatic and the manual 5spd are different lengths, do not know if they use different yokes.

99% of these trucks are a silvarado, automatic, power windows, power seats, carpets etc... There are 4 of these trucks right here in hicksville TX, all automatics.

 

Mine is a cheyenne. rubber floor mats, manual windows, manual transmission ... more of a working mans truck. More odd is the short bed stepside .... most working trucks are long wide bed. I simply have not seen another like mine.  And on the siverado forums, only 1 guy knew what it was, but admits he never seen one.

 

Without looking, I just have slim hopes of finding what I need used.

 

 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Brent B3B said:

Right or wrong if it were me, I’d “tap that” and try and straighten enough to get her in the parking spot, then look for a new drive line 

Yes sir I just went out and turned the heat on in the shop, going to do exactly what you thought.  I do not need to drive it, just get it moved so dodge can be parked under cover.

 

I guess I planned that all along ... real issue I was fighting, can I just call that good and consider fixed?

Or do I need to get it replaced .... seems everyone agrees it needs replaced.

Edited by Los_Control
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I dunno, maybe ocd is kicking in ... I got it back together. I had to show love to both ears .... just when I thought all was good it seemed to move again.

 

1, maybe they should be pressed out, not beaten to a pulp with a 3 pound sledge .... never had issues in the past changing u-joints.

 

2, I suspect this truck was ordered when new to haul a trailer. It has overloads and a class 3 hitch & 420k miles on it.

While many parts have been changed, I suspect the drive line is original with 400k+ miles on it.

 

Now am wondering if maybe getting metal fatigue?

 

The front yoke is just as smooth and free as you would want it. I bet if @Plymouthy Adams was my customer, I could hand him this drive line and say all done and he would agree.

Just the fact I had to use a sledge hammer to get it that way is wrong.

 

At this point I think will put it back in the truck and try it. I will call a driveline repair shop next week and talk to them ... if one yoke is bad, the other 2 are also.

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Edited by Los_Control
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I have had to man handle more than one u-joint....a Chebbie truck visiting here from Indiana was the worse case scenario I can recall.  However for the most part it is usually in the disassembly that the hammer and words fly......on the install usually less hassle as hopefully you have cleaned the rust and burrs from the edge and provided a light lube on assembly.  A u-joint press is good to have on hand...

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Just now, Sniper said:

www.car-parts.com for an online junkyard search source

Yeah only option I know for used ... if available can drive to Abilene and pick it up. If they allow me back in the store.

Last year bought something off car-part and drove to Abilene to pick it up ... They jacked me around on time, I showed up and they went to lunch. I explained I was retired ... I did not have time to sit here and wait on them.

 

Other day I went to the local truck stop, asked for 3 of the daily dinner specials. Sometimes would be wise if I had a mouth filter ... life would be easier.

 

Yeah will search carpart.com tomorrow and call yards to see if can give dimensions and find a match.

 

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I ran into a similar problem with The Blue Bomber awhile back as the yoke did not seem wide enough for the replacement U-joint, by maybe the width of the snap ring.  I verified that new had the same dim's as the old, so remembered a trick I saw at the Waco driveline shop back around 2000.  They chucked the yoke in a press, overdrove the U-joint slightly, installed the snap ring, flipped the yoke over and pressed the U-joint home to seat the other snap ring.  I think the yoke flexes enough that the U-joint has to be worked into place with a press.

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I've installed dozens of u joints in the implement business and would need a bit of binding from installation and a couple of light taps to seat the second cup against the lock ring would relieve it.  Those driveshafts didn't turn much over 1000 rpm though.  I worry more about a yoke that got a bit twisted.  Those would always bind and never last.

 

That yoke looks like it went together hard on the right side..or.. it has a needle dropped out of place.

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I talked with a repair shop yesterday. Was very helpful. All pro clutch and drive line repair. In Abilene.

His opinion was it was not common but happens, needs to look at it to see if repairable.

Prices seemed reasonable, roughly $160 labor to replace yoke and re-ballance + cost of new yoke. I will be using them in the future at some point.

 

Imho, I probably bent it removing the old original u-joint ... bend it back and it works fine.

I drove it yesterday and while only in town, Am sure the problem is solved.

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