Hey guys. Yes, I know, I'm still working on this tranny swap! Anyway, I finally gathered all of the parts I need (it took forever and a day to get a master-slave hose), and now I need to reassemble the car.

When I removed the driveshaft from the car, I broke the little bar that spans between the clips on the rear u-joint. The clips are connected to the two arms that aren't connected to the driveshaft (the arms that sit in the yoke). From what I've been reading, this is an aftermarket joint since factory ones don't have external clips.

Anyway, does this mean I have to replace it? If so, how do I remove it, since I only broke the clips on the yoke ends?

 

You need the 2 clips at the end that go around the caps.

You do not need the link part that connects them together.

That connector part tells you with absolute certainty that it IS a factory part. All that the connector does, is keep the caps from falling off the shaft after the joint is installed in it and before it gets put into a car on the production line. It has no "function" on the car whatsoever, it is strictly a "fixture" for handling during manufacturing. No aftermarket ones have that.

That is an INSIDE CLIP u-joint, since the clips go INSIDE the arms of the yoke, like all of them on these cars; aka Mechanics or Saginaw type. As opposed to OUTSIDE CLIP, often called Dana or Spicer type, where the clips go on the OUTSIDE part of the yoke, beyond the cap.

 

Well thats great news! One less thing to do! Thanks.

 

yeah the connector bar thingy is nothing they fall off all the time lol

useless


wrape electrical tape around the u joint caps ends if you want to keep the caps on until the driveshaft is reinstalled

anytime i remove a driveshaft from under a vehicle i immediately tape wrap the caps on



happy swapping