This is the same person as last time with the '74 Dart. I was in an accident a while back. I was hit from the side and the frame is slightly off in the front but the allignment of the driveshaft to the diff. is still perfect. The joints still break every week. I'm thinking about getting a new pinion yoke. It just stumps me how the car can have the same joint for 30 years and then all of a sudden break every week. The car drives smooth as ice each time i put a new joint in. No noise or vibration besides the mild clunk i get when putting the car in gear and letting off the gas when cruising. The bearing cups fit into the pinion yoke farily easily and turn easier when tightened down then all the other bearing cups on the rear and front U joint of the driveshaft (that have never broken, i might add) . Are they supposed to turn so easily or are they supposed to have a little bit of resistance?
2006-08-08 20:55:09 · 7 answers · asked by Logan 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
If the U-joint is breaking every week, there is a serious dis-alignment in the drive shaft. Possibly the transmission mounts are broken, possibly the motor mounts, or possibly both. Or the rear has shifted. Something is WAY out of alignment.
2006-08-08 21:01:10 · answer #1 · answered by druid 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have seen this before and would ask you to try this before you tear the rear end apart or start spending a lot of money. If the u joint was replaced it's very posible that 2 of the bearing cups are supposed to be a different size than the other two. The difference is very small but will tear a u joint up in a couple of days.
Make sure that the cups are held in very snug from side to side where the u bolts clamp them down. Any slop at all will tell you that the cup size is wrong. I have seen this happen and it drives even the best mechanic nuts trying to diagnose the real problem.
2006-08-09 08:19:28 · answer #2 · answered by jarhed 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have probably given away the reason for the breakage without realizing it. You said there is a mild clunk when putting the car into gear. Most likely this is the pinion and ring gear taking up wear slack. The action of taking up the slack in the drive line can put tremendous stress on the U-joints. Easily enough to break them if you get on it once in a while. Take your car to a good rear end specialist and have them evaluate your drive line. I think they will probably tell you to rebuild the rear end and again replace the U-joints as a precaution.
Also, If you have even the slightest missalignment of the drive shaft it will put way to much strain on the U-joints and will also snap the out very easily. The solution again is take it to a really good drive line specialist for evaluation.
2006-08-09 04:04:50 · answer #3 · answered by .*. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They should have some resistance. All bearings, have to be preloaded for them to work efficiently. Is the rear end ******
to the side a little bit that you can't see it with the naked eye?
Is the pinion angle the same as it was before, or did it change when you got hit? To me it sounds like the rear end is ****** one way. Measure your wheelbase on both sides, they should be close to equal. Is the driveshaft balanced correctly?
20 years autotech, suspension and steering specialist, ASE certfied. No anything about automatic trannys with a compulsive leak that wont quit?
2006-08-09 04:05:06 · answer #4 · answered by race21 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is only one reason for this, It has to do with the harmonics of ujoints. The plane of the end of the tranny MUST be parallel to the plane of the diff, if they are not even in the slightest the drive shafts speed variation (no drive shafts do not turn at a continuous speed) will snap the u-joint prolly the rear one. how to fix? check motor mounts to be sure the motor is in a fixed position next check tranny mounts. If both are good get the frame straighted.
2006-08-09 04:05:20 · answer #5 · answered by Roy W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The alignment may look perfect, but believe me, it is not. If your frame is bent this will throw the drivetrain out of alignment because it shifts your mounts, both motor and transmission, and it doesn't take much to put extra strain on the u-joints, causing them to break. If you go to a qualified body shop and have your frame straightened it will solve your problem.
2006-08-09 04:02:04 · answer #6 · answered by Lonnie P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
having U-JOINT problems well sometimes there are grease nipples on the u-joints and if you don't put grease in them they will heat up and break quicker because the cups get dry and then the little roller bearings inside wear down and its just metal on metal which will heat up and break I'd try putting a new u-joint in and packing them with more grease then just the way they come because factory or replacement u-joints never have enough grease in them hope this helps you out
2006-08-09 04:09:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋