u joint failing?

[Madcowranch]

'03 3/4 ton chevy started squeaking this week and it sounds like it's coming from the driveshaft.

Squeak repeats every 2-3 feet. Crawled under today and no wobble or looseness at either end??

How do you tell if it's the u-joint going out and do you just replace both ends while you have the driveshaft down?

 

[Squatting Dog]

It will have slop in it... If you are going to do one, might as well do all of them...

 

[pirate air]

If shes a squeakin they might not feel loose, but they will be tight when you pull the drive shaft out. Pull the shaft and turn them back and forth, you'll feel the bad one/s.


They'll dry up and/or rust and thats what causes the squeak. At the same time they wont want to turn. This is the stage before the looseness, after the rollers are forced to move for long enough, they eat away at each other, the cups, and cross and you end up with the looseness.

 

[Madcowranch]

Thanks Pirate, I'll try it.

 

[Squatting Dog]

If shes a squeakin they might not feel loose, but they will be tight when you pull the drive shaft out. Pull the shaft and turn them back and forth, you'll feel the bad one/s.


They'll dry up and/or rust and thats what causes the squeak. At the same time they wont want to turn. This is the stage before the looseness, after the rollers are forced to move for long enough, they eat away at each other, the cups, and cross and you end up with the looseness.

Yep, that irritating chirping sound when driving..

 

[Madcowranch]

If shes a squeakin they might not feel loose, but they will be tight when you pull the drive shaft out. Pull the shaft and turn them back and forth, you'll feel the bad one/s.


They'll dry up and/or rust and thats what causes the squeak. At the same time they wont want to turn. This is the stage before the looseness, after the rollers are forced to move for long enough, they eat away at each other, the cups, and cross and you end up with the looseness.

So you're saying I can put this off til next year. Good.

 

[pirate air]

So you're saying I can put this off til next year. Good.

Are the cows hungry?

 

[Blukrom]

Sometimes they have a grease fitting. If so maybe you can grease them up a little and buy some time.

 

[Madcowranch]

Unserviceable u joints stock. But I will replace with ones with grease zerks.

 

[pirate air]

Iirc the u joints are glued into the shaft yoke on those. Torch burns it out.