I wanted to replace my u-joints, while the shaft is out of the car. Looks like non stock ones on it now, as it has lock rings (inside).

Parts store said they have standard, heavy duty, and greasable. I thought all were greasable ... None the less, I'll have a high 300ft/lbs torque motor in the car, so I think heavy duty is what I want, but does anyone know if that means a shorter lifespan, due to it being non greaseable? Any preference?

Thanks

 

Greasable ones have a channel drilled all through them, for the grease, which weakens them slightly. Or so they say anyway: in all my days, I've never, not even once, seen one fail because of that.

"Standard" ones are probably cast of pure recycled chinesium, and will have relatively few relatively large rollers.

"Heavy-duty" ones will be made of more and better metal, and will have relatively more relatively smaller rollers.

Greasable ones are usually "heavy duty".

I always use the greasable ones. Use a good brand-name product, not the low-bid stuff; Dana/Spicer, or Neapco, or B-W. NAPA may have some one of those in their own box.

 

Kinda forgot about this, it was low on the priority list I guess....

I got the u-joints, and will put them in tonight or tommorow. I have stock ones in the car now, which I think i'll mangle and remove one way or another...

The new ones, I get the choice of inside or outside lock rings, I think I bought outside lock rings. Does it matter which I use? One box came with lock rings, the other did not, so i'm going to have to return that, and see if they have another box in stock ( I don't think they do...) These are heavy duty, but didn't have grease points... I forget the brand they gave me, it sounded "tough", but didn't ring a bell in my memory...

To put in the u-joints, I can get away with just my bench vise?

Thanks.

 

ok, Rockford Xtreme. I have one inner lock ring style, and one outer, as they didn't have any more inner ones, I bought the last two. (and one didn't have the lock rings...)

Inner and outer ok to use?

 

Not trying to be a PITA, but I want to put these in tonight, now that i've borrowed a propane torch to melt out my old u-joints.

Anybody who's done their U-joints, did ya use inner lock rings or outer?

Thanks

 

These cars use the inside (Mechanics/Saginaw style) lock rings.

No place in the yokes to put the outside (Dana style) ones.

New ones go in real easy compared to getting the old ones out. I usually tap them in with an old socket. Sometimes they just push in by hand, if you clean up the yoke.

Be very careful not to knock a roller out and have it laying flat in the end of the cap instead of standing up around the outside. Also, if yours are greasable, PAY ATTENTION to which way the grease fitting is facing; if you out it in backwards you won't be able to grease it.

 

Use whatever lock rings your yoke supports.

 

OK, I can see how the inside lock rings would fit, but the outside lock rings made me , so I thought i'd double check.
I'll buy a pair of the inside lock ring ones here, then return both to C-tire. Thanks.

 

What do you mean by "inside/outside lock ring ones"? Aren't you buying them by application?

 

Every parts store (or online lookup) i've contacted, i've told them my car, and they ask if it needs inside or outside lock rings... I don't know why they list both for my car, if 3rd gens use inside lock rings, and that's the end of the story...

Some moron at crappy tire asked what motor was in it, I said it didn't matter, same u-joints, he looked at me like I was some stupid punk teenager and said it did matter. Ok, I told him, 4bbl 305, (close enough). Then it came up to the screen showing two kinds, and he says "see? Two kinds, good thing you put in your motor!".
I said, "ok, guess i'm wrong, give me two."
he says "which ones, inside or outside lock rings?"
I said, "you tell me jackass, it's got a 305 4bbl. Good thing we put in the motor style eh?"

So I grabbed two inside lock ring ones from napa, "performance" ones, $20 per. :shrug:

 

The application chart should have had something like "with JG1" or "with aluminum D/S". Steel shafts use Saginaw 3R U-joints with inside rings. Aluminum shafts use Dana 1310 U-joints with outside rings.

 

huh, good to know. Well I'm pretty sure i've got the steel shaft, so i'm going to try to use the inside lock rings tonight then.