UJoint wear (1 Viewer)

I have my front drive shaft out. As I move the rear spider, it is not as smooth as the front spider. There seems to be a "dead spot" where the resistance is a bit different (at about the angle it would turn). The front spider does not have this "dead spot". Both have plenty of grease. There is no slop in the U-joint that would indicate excessive wear.

Is this normal, or should I replace it? It's about to hit 100k miles....

Thanks...

replace both

Do the fronts wear faster than the rears on 80s? Should I also order the rears and be done with Ujoints?

I just put on a 2.5" lift, FWIW.

I don't know, however my front joints are original and the rears have been replaced. Check over the rears and if they seem fine I'd leave them alone.

i noticed the same thing when i droped mine to grease the splines to get rid of "the clunk". i couldn't afford the time it would have taken to replace them then but they are certainly on the list of things to do.

i'm only jumping in here to relate a story of what can happen if you let them go too far. i used to have a volvo 260 ( i swaped the PRV boat anchor of a motor for a proper B21F after the original ate itself ) anyway, the u-joints were so ceased up that a horrible shudder would shake the whole car when accelerating from a stop. i mean the whole dash would shake up and down!! for the longest time i could not figure out what it was. finally, i replaced the u-joints and... bingo! smoothness was returned to 'Oblio the Volvo"

does anyone here listen to 'Car Talk'? there was a puzzler based on a job that came in the shop they run. it was about a brake pulsation that could not be solved after having the rotors shaved and then replaced several times. they found that the u-joints were ceased up and when the brakes were applied, it caused the suspension to raise just enough to bind them up.

now i have a question that pertains.
i've heard the the toyota u-joints are expensive but last longer than after market versions. the question is: if after-market units are kept well greased, and i mean greased to the point of the obsesive maintanance that most of us on this board seem to exhibit, will they last long enough to bother with?

i noticed the same thing when i droped mine to grease the splines to get rid of "the clunk". i couldn't afford the time it would have taken to replace them then but they are certainly on the list of things to do.

i'm only jumping in here to relate a story of what can happen if you let them go too far. i used to have a volvo 260 ( i swaped the PRV boat anchor of a motor for a proper B21F after the original ate itself ) anyway, the u-joints were so ceased up that a horrible shudder would shake the whole car when accelerating from a stop. i mean the whole dash would shake up and down!! for the longest time i could not figure out what it was. finally, i replaced the u-joints and... bingo! smoothness was returned to 'Oblio the Volvo"

does anyone here listen to 'Car Talk'? there was a puzzler based on a job that came in the shop they run. it was about a brake pulsation that could not be solved after having the rotors shaved and then replaced several times. they found that the u-joints were ceased up and when the brakes were applied, it caused the suspension to raise just enough to bind them up.

now i have a question that pertains.
i've heard the the toyota u-joints are expensive but last longer than after market versions. the question is: if after-market units are kept well greased, and i mean greased to the point of the obsesive maintanance that most of us on this board seem to exhibit, will they last long enough to bother with?

woah... first time a double post has ever happened to me.
i'm not a post-whore i swear.
uh.. faulty cat-5 termination... really.

hobbes said:

As I move the rear spider, it is not as smooth as the front spider. There seems to be a "dead spot" where the resistance is a bit different (at about the angle it would turn). The front spider does not have this "dead spot". Both have plenty of grease. There is no slop in the U-joint that would indicate excessive wear.

Click to expand...

I had the identical situation you describe and replaced both front u-joints today. The drivetrain is *much* quieter with the new u-joints in front. The difference is so marked that I plan to do the rears as well to hopefully get rid of the remaining drive train noise.

Looks like I get to feed CDan's dogs.