Front Driveshaft U-Joints

I'm about to tackle the rear driveshaft's U-Joints. I tried to get some for the front Driveshaft as well, just to do them all and be done with it, however the parts guy (Advance Auto) told me the front was one assembly and is $70 or so.

What's up with that? I got my Moog U-Joints for $12 a piece.

Base single cab 4x4 solid driveshaft (no carrier)

 

Interested in this as well. I guess it also begs the question...how often should the front shaft u-joints be replaced? Less than 1% of my mileage is on 4x4 but I'm under the impression that shaft spins regardless.

 

The front shaft does not spin unless 4wd is engaged.

 

yes and no. Technically it should not spin, but its free to spin however it wants in 2wd. Friction in the front diff could make it spin.

OP. Let me see if i can dig up the spicer part numbers. I know the rear spicer joint is a Spicer 5-1330-1X

Edit. Fronts are Spicer 5-153X's

$23 Spicer 5-153X U-Joint Kit 1310 Series (OSR)

https://www.amazon.com/Spicer-5153X-5-153X-U-Joint-Kit/dp/B000CKN762

 

Awesome thank you! I should have just gone with spicer to begin with if they aren't $80 like I thought.

I just finished the rears. I used the auto store loaner tool. Went fairly well, the cups got crooked a few times but nothing damaging. I did it with the driveshaft still on the truck. It's easy enough I wouldn't mind doing it anytime soon if the Moog parts fail me.

 

Nothing beats a good vice and a set of 1/2"
drive sockets. One trick is to push the 1st cup in. Then put the cross in. Then push the 1st cup in too far. This allows the cross to stick out the other side and you can start the other cup on the cross before you start pressing the 2nd cup in.

 

That's exactly how I did it.

Sockets won't fit on the nuts, we need wrenches since the diff is so close. This was way easier than stripping out my hardware and being screwed. Also, not everyone has a torque wrench. I do, but it's sat for too long to be trustworthy.

No vice or 1/2 drive sockets needed. Although I do have both.

Like I said, easy enough to not worry about doing it again if the cheap Moog parts fail. More than one way to skin a cat.

How would you do it on the trail? Bring your garage with you?

 

I've changed lots of u-joints with just a 6-inch C-clamp and a couple of sockets. Never had to do one on the trail, but that would be my attack plan.

 

Yessir, same effect as the ball joint tool, works great in a pinch.

 

On the plus side, I discovered one cup had no needle bearings left, just chunky grease. Another cup had several broken. Most of the grease was solidified hence why I couldn't get grease to flow through to all of the cups.

 

The 1/2" drive sockets are used as a pusher and a receiver for the ujoint cups while using the vice.
I don't wheel my Taco hard enough to break it. I have a Ford with a 460 and Boggers for that. Never broke a ujoint. Knock, knock.

 

yup the "ball joint" tool you can rent from say autozone / o'reilly makes replacing u joints a CAKE walk. never again will i do a u joint replacement without that tool.

 

I use mudnfuns method.........or just bring the shaft to a auto machine shop to be pressed in.....

 

Has anybody done the front drive shaft u joints? was it worth it? I did the rear driveshaft this week, and was thinking of going through the whole thing for sake of completion. I dont use 4x4 much though.

 

Lol. I would add alligators and snakes to the schema as well for those of us in the southeast. But great informatic!

 

I like it.

@Benny123 I did not end up doing my fronts. They didn't have any play in them and when I greased them, grease flowed nicely throughout unlike the rears where grease didn't flow freely.

 

On the "sealed" u-joints with no fittings, if they're still good (move free) I've taken them apart and put grease in the cups. It's obviously as much work as just replacing them.

The ball joint press is the way to go on u-joints- especially if you have an impact gun. I have an OTC but Astro makes a nice one that's cheaper. I had a HF one prior to the OTC but it was a POS and I finally scrapped it a few yrs ago

 

So these will fit the 05-15 year trucks?

 

This is what i used. My battery impact wrench didn't have enough torque... My 24in breaker bar did.