U-joint words of wisdom

[Chuck R.]

Remembering prior posts regarding the process of removing and installing u-joints by Joe Lucia and John Hinkley, I mounted an old outter spindle flange to the back side of my cleaned up flange. As explained, this was to prevent the flange from bending during u-joint removal and replacement.

I could not believe how easily the flange wanted to flex!

Thanks for the words of wisdom, you saved me some bucks on that one!!

I'm lucky that the ole grey matter didn't let this one drop of the edge (as is normally my case

Chuckster 32205

[Christopher R.]

Re: U-joint words of wisdom

I've had to replace the driveshaft and the front yoke on my C1 a few times recently. Every time I did it, except once, I did it the way I've done it for 40 years - press them out with a socket and a bench vise. I did note that they seemed tight afterwards, but figured they'd loosen up after being driven a while. The one time a machine shop did it, they were nice and loose.

When I mentioned to the machine shop how I (and I thought the rest of the shade tree world) did U-joints, he looked at me like I was the worse kind of "Bubba." He said that not supporting the flange could and probably would result in the flange being bent in, shortening the distance between the 2 flanges, resulting in a tight fit. Not a good thing.

Am I the only one who never knew this? Heck, I've seen "hot rod" magazine articles that illustrated how to do u-joints on a bench vise.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: U-joint words of wisdom

I remember when people used to bend them during installing and then just buy a new one, telling you the old one was defective. Of course, one of those same Bubbas has broken a spring bolt off in the rear end and left it, pounded the threaded end of a spindle worthless, pounded both lower shock mount/strut rod shaft threads senseless, left a few bolts out of the camber rod bracket (and all the washers) and who knows what else in the '79 I bought a couple of months back, so they are still around.

And the best part, according the lady I bought it from, these "Bubbas" run a Corvette shop on OBT north of John Young in Orlando. Think of all the "Bubba-ized" Corvettes being done by "the pros".

Those tips from John and Joe saved you $139 each according to Eckler's price on those flanges.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: U-joint words of wisdom

You only have to bend one flange so tight you can't get the joint back in to know you have to place the u-joint on a support and drive the flange on or off.

As to Hot Rod, it is where most of us learned in jr high, but Southern California doesn't touch reality in most places of the world, as you find once you are out of school.

Remember all the T-buckets with no tops, no fenders, no wipers, etc.

Hot Rod taught about cool cans packed with ice, no radiator shrouds, low speed water pumps and alternators, and a 4.88 as a "highway gear". Basically, their world consisted of a quarter mile.

Reality?

[Chuck R.]

Re: U-joint words of wisdom

I can't begin to count the u-joints and yokes I pulverized over the years and was lucky enough to be able to re-use them.

Of course none of them were Corvettes....Ahh the joys of owning one

Chuckster