U-Joints won't fit

[Craig O.]

I'm replacing the half shaft u- joints on my mid year. bought new Spicer 5-799x u- joints that they recommended. half shaft side of installation just makes it in, the half shaft flange side is not even close. tried it on some old flanges I had laying around and no dice, just wont fit. it seems the main body of the u-joint is too big. I certainly don't want to grind the yoke ears. anyone else had this problem?

[Joe L.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

I'm replacing the half shaft u- joints on my mid year. bought new Spicer 5-799x u- joints that they recommended. half shaft side of installation just makes it in, the half shaft flange side is not even close. tried it on some old flanges I had laying around and no dice, just wont fit. it seems the main body of the u-joint is too big. I certainly don't want to grind the yoke ears. anyone else had this problem?

Craig-----


What you are describing is EXACTLY one of the reasons that I don't recommend that folks try to change the half-shaft u-joints themselves. Folks think that changing the half shaft u-joints is just as easy as changing driveshaft u-joints. It's NOT. Let someone that does u-joint installations all day long and has done their share of Corvette half-shafts do it.

[Timothy B.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

Craig,
Yes, I had the same problem using the HD spicer U-joints. The trunion is too large to fit and the fix is to get a standard duty ujoint. I purchased the GM parts and they come for sale on ebay often and fit fine. I do not believe the GM joints have grease fittings, if you need the part# I can get it when home.

[Larry M.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

Craig:

If you cannot get the Spicer U-joints to fit, then I recommend that you buy the following U-joints for your mid-year Corvette:

For half-shafts: GM#89029305 (Delco #45U0123). Cost approx $20/each.

For driveshaft: GM#89029327 (Delco # 45U0145). Cost approx $15/each.

These universal joints are USA made with no grease fittings. Although I ordered mine from a Chevrolet Parts Department, the u-joints were dropped shipped from Federal-Mogul in Chicago. However, they were all in GM/Delco boxes.

Larry

[James J.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

I took the advise from this board and took my half shafts to a driveline shop and they installed the Spicer 5-799X u-joint for me. No problems.

[Jim T.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

Compared to replacing u-joints on my 68's half shaft, changing the u-joints on my 85 was extremely easy, the u-joints pressed out with no difficulty.

[Jeremy D.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

It's not the u-joint's fault...it's whoever took the old joint out of the flange that bent the flange doing it and screwed it up. Joe's on the money. You REALLY have to know what you're doing because those outer flanges are EASILY bent if you don't support them as you're removing the old joints, and you'll bend them and they become pretty much junk.
5-799's will fit just fine if your flanges OR the halfshaft ears aren't bent...and when I say bent, I'm talking barely visible to the naked eye. It's called "get out your calipers and measure". I had a machinist buddy make me a jig that you bolt the flange to to keep it from warping and I SLOWLY air-hammered the old ones out, after pre-soaking the crap out of them with PB Blaster. I custom-made an air hammer bit with an old 3/4'' impact socket welded to a machined cheapo 6" extension (won't work on the driveshaft joints) and like I said, turned the air WAY down and SSSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWWly hammered the old one out. I then did the opposite installing the new ones....being VERY careful to fully insert the trunnion into each bearing cap as they're pressed in (I used a C clamp to get them started) to keep the needle rollers inside intact.

My driveshaft guy wanted more money to replace the u-joints in my halfshafts and driveshaft on my '70 than what a rebuilt, ready-to-bolt-on PAIR of shafts from Bair's cost. I don't want anyone THAT stupid and ridiculous touching my car, and I want to be able to change these things on an upcoming project car, so I figured I'd better get a good system going in prep for that car, which has the u-joints that came on it when it rolled out of the factory.

[Craig O.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

Jeremy, what distance do you have between spindle flange holes at the top? I got approximately 2-3/8" thanks.

[Jeremy D.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

From the inside of bolt-hole to inside of bolt-hole, 2 3/8" is on the money.

[Tyler T.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

[quote=Jeremy Davito (31374);341030]It's not the u-joint's fault...it's whoever took the old joint out of the flange that bent the flange doing it and screwed it up. Joe's on the money. You REALLY have to know what you're doing because those outer flanges are EASILY bent if you don't support them as you're removing the old joints, and you'll bend them and they become pretty much junk.
5-799's will fit just fine if your flanges OR the halfshaft ears aren't bent...and when I say bent, I'm talking barely visible to the naked eye. It's called "get out your calipers and measure". I had a machinist buddy make me a jig that you bolt the flange to to keep it from warping and I SLOWLY air-hammered the old ones out, after pre-soaking the crap out of them with PB Blaster. I custom-made an air hammer bit with an old 3/4'' impact socket welded to a machined cheapo 6" extension (won't work on the driveshaft joints) and like I said, turned the air WAY down and SSSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWWly hammered the old one out. I then did the opposite installing the new ones....being VERY careful to fully insert the trunnion into each bearing cap as they're pressed in (I used a C clamp to get them started) to keep the needle rollers inside intact.

quote]

I use a large C-clamp and 2 sockets. Amply apply PB Blaster, let them soak. One socket just fits inside cap and the other is large enough to have the cap slip inside it. Put one socket on cap and the screw part of the clamp on the socket and the other on the flange, get it straight and turn the clamp. It sometimes takes a light tap on the flange but it has worked for me any number of times.

[Jeremy D.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

It's not the u-joint's fault...it's whoever took the old joint out of the flange that bent the flange doing it and screwed it up. Joe's on the money. You REALLY have to know what you're doing because those outer flanges are EASILY bent if you don't support them as you're removing the old joints, and you'll bend them and they become pretty much junk.
5-799's will fit just fine if your flanges OR the halfshaft ears aren't bent...and when I say bent, I'm talking barely visible to the naked eye. It's called "get out your calipers and measure". I had a machinist buddy make me a jig that you bolt the flange to to keep it from warping and I SLOWLY air-hammered the old ones out, after pre-soaking the crap out of them with PB Blaster. I custom-made an air hammer bit with an old 3/4'' impact socket welded to a machined cheapo 6" extension (won't work on the driveshaft joints) and like I said, turned the air WAY down and SSSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWWWly hammered the old one out. I then did the opposite installing the new ones....being VERY careful to fully insert the trunnion into each bearing cap as they're pressed in (I used a C clamp to get them started) to keep the needle rollers inside intact.

My driveshaft guy wanted more money to replace the u-joints in my halfshafts and driveshaft on my '70 than what a rebuilt, ready-to-bolt-on PAIR of shafts from Bair's cost. I don't want anyone THAT stupid and ridiculous touching my car, and I want to be able to change these things on an upcoming project car, so I figured I'd better get a good system going in prep for that car, which has the u-joints that came on it when it rolled out of the factory.

I should clarify that when I said "I don't want anyone THAT stupid and ridiculous touching my car," I was referring to the local idiot driveshaft repair guy I USED to use, NOT BAIR'S CORVETTES. Bair's just did a KILLER job of rebuilding/setting up a pair of VERY screwed-up rear bearing assemblies/parking brakes for my '70.....I HIGHLY recommend them. They weren't cheap, but they are RIGHT, and they stand behind what they do. Ed over at Bair's is one of the nicest people I've dealt with over the phone in this hobby. I just wanted to make that clear.

[Timothy B.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

Craig,
Here are pictures of the GM joint I used for my half shafts. Going by memory I think I paid around 20/ea for them. Hope this helps, Tim

[Timothy B.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

One more picture showing the trunion.

[Craig O.]

Re: U-Joints won't fit

First let me thank everyone for there input. Jeremy I understand what you are saying, I also have the utmost respect for Bairs and the restoration work on parts I sent them.

Tim, thanks I ordered two u- joints from my local Chevy dealer ( 28.00 ea)
what I'll do is use the two 599 Spicers at the differential side, since I have them, and use the two Delco at trailing arm flange.