Bad u-joint

Driving my ?93 Ford last weekend, there was a bad drive train vibration. I checked underneath and felt a slight amount of slop in one of the front drive shaft u-joints. So bought a new one. I replaced that one and pulled the other end joint apart to grease it. My supervisor is checking the work. Then, as I shot grease into the rear shaft u-joints, I found the ?actual? bad one, which had no needle bearings left under one cap, as it turns out. So back to the auto parts store to get that u-joint. I figured a 1 hour repair. Took about 4 total, including the 45 minute drive to the parts store. I am thinking a successful repair job is a good way to start the new year.

Looks like the cat 🐈 might have had a few to many Christmas cookies over the holidays

Maybe. He was born tail less, actually. He likes to lay in the sun. Especially on that warm cardboard.

Sounds like how my projects go. A one hour job ends up being four or five. Looks like one of mine too, end up with nearly every tool in the box out. Actually you probably have some of the best help you can have. He isn't setting there telling you how to do it, or arguing with you about it.

One morning the boss called me to come check his truck, making a bad vibration so he stopped.

It was a 07 F350 Super Duty, probably never had the 4x4 engaged, but even disengaged the front drive shaft still turns. For whatever reason, the alignment ball that centers the front U joint yoke broke off. That let the shaft flop off to the side by about an inch. Talk about severe vibration!

Luckily it broke as he was exiting the freeway and was down to about 40 MPH. Had it happened any faster it would have probably broken something.

He limped it on to the shop at about 10 MPH, had to put in a reconditioned drive shaft.

At first glance I thought your helper was an aardvark?? ...shock.. Then after a closer look I see it was just the paw placement. Good thing it?s not -10F with a foot of snow in your CBS shop. Lol.

He?s a pretty nice cat it looks like it?s funny how the animals like to come see what your working on

Was working under my truck tightening a nut which made squeaking noises. I thought that the sound would make a great coyote call, then looked up to see 3 cats staring at me. They were like "Where's he at, boss?".

I need to get another cat 🐈 one died another one ran away . Sounds like you have some good mousers

Your helper looks just like mine. We call ours ?the inspector? as he always has to come and see what you?re up to. He always seems to have a knack for rubbing up against something greasy.

Sounds like most of my "projects" lately ! The 1 hr. job taking 4. It also looks like me as far as by the time you get all the tools needed to do a "simple" job you may of just dumped them all out on the ground to start with ! lol.

"I am thinking a successful repair job is a good way to start the new year."

Yep, I agree.

I find it takes more time putting something back together than it did to take it apart. Then you look around and find a part you forgot to install.

I have a set of adjustable ream. When the U joint doesn't want to go back together, it time to clean up the hole.
geo.

A little advice here on u/joint replacement , Buy nothing but Spicer . This i learned from experience . when i bought my 88 Ford used qand ex oil field refugee every and i mean every u/joint was out of it along with a host of other problems . I run down the road to a NAPA store and bought every u/joint from them and set about fixing . Once that was done i set out on bed building . Once i got everything fix so i thought i hooked to my new to me trailer and off i went running to sales and gathering up my buys . After a week and a half of running to sales and bring full loads home it was oil change time and time to put the grease gun to the truck. While greasing the dive line i found that the back joint was toast with around 3500 miles on it So out comes the joint and back to NAPA , the needles were inbeded into the gross . So they give me a new Perssion joint and i install it and grease it well. with good grease . a week and a half later it is oil change time again and here we go the u/joint up at the transfer case is toast with the same thing needles inbedded in the cross , so back to NAPA and again i install a new u/joint . a WEEK later the back one is out again , this time i go to the ford dealer and borrow the drive line angle gauge set and check drive line angle and it is where factory spec's call for so back down to NAPA and we try again only to replace the ft joint the next oil change . This is getting old . I had to go up to a truck parts place one day and was talking to the owner and i asked Bobby if i could get Spicer joints for my LITTLE truck from him and if he would order them in for me . HE told me that he did not have to order them as he stopcked every Spicer joint made , looked up all the numbers for the whole truck walked bqack and came out with and arm load of SPICER joints and said THERE . He wrote up a bill and i was shocked at the price , the price was less then NAPA . Last u/joints i put in that track and put 200000 more miles on the same joints . When i sold the 88 the new owner got a full set of new spicers to go with it as due to the distancve between my shop and Bobby's place i got double of all the joints and never had to replace any . The 88 had a 460 in it and that thing would flat out and run . No i did not even complain about the gas mileage with it , it was a lot better then a semi and yes i could only haul half of a semi load back then there were no hassles with a one ton and a gooseneck .

I had a 67 Chrysler with a 440 & never replaced a joint in 183000 miles. Also had a 78 Ford pickup with the 300 6 & had to replace the joints in less than 100000 miles.

Sounds about right for my repair jobs. Always ask myself how long it SHOULD take, then add about three hours to that. Nice cat, looks like my old cat Greygirl. Adopted and given up twice at the shelter before I gave her a permanent home. Could never figure out how anyone could give up that sweet cat.