Half-Shaft U-Joint Rebuild

[rossiz]

been a while since i posted - sucked into the quagmire of moving, work, summer travel, getting 2 kids off to college... all while the z has sat idle in the driveway due to horrible sounds emanating from the rear end (something my kids accuse me of on a regular basis). i finally got moved into the new place, installed some concrete pavers to allow me to jack up the z safely (gravel driveway) and immediately saw the telltale signs of blown bearings in the half-shaft u-joints. that red-iron-primer color all around the joint that comes from the factory lube escaping - i've seen this on motorcycle drive chains that blew the o-ring seals. turning the wheels produced unsettling creaking/cracking noises from the u-joints, confirming my suspicions. so i ordered all the parts to re-build the half-shafts from MSA: 4 new "heavy-duty" u-joints, new rubber boots and sst band clamps.  did my research and read the very helpful blog post from woodworkerb (huge help) and when the parts arrived i pulled the half-shafts and knocked out the u-joints. they literally fell out in a pile of dust and broken bits - can't believe these parts were spinning around back there and hadn't exploded on me while on the freeway...

my experience with this job was shockingly parallel to woodworkerb's blog: i discovered that MSA had sent 3 correct u-joints and one with caps that were 1mm too small. big PITA, but o'reilly's had 'em in stock (for cheaper + no shipping) and they were identical to the "heavy-duty" ones MSA sells. hmmm...

the sliding bearing sets were in brand-new condition and fully packed with brand-new looking grease. i really could have left 'em be, but i went ahead and cleaned everything and re-installed with new grease and new boots.

the whole project was done in half a day and the rear end is nice and smooth now. interestingly, the shimmy i had at the steering wheel at 65 is gone now. coincidence?? never thought that the rear could affect the steering, but stranger things have happened...

the carnage that fell out:

all cleaned up w/a fresh coat of epoxy paint:

[Patcon]

Good job! Glad to you found your way home, even without the bread crumbs...

[S30Driver]

Nice job, glad you are back on the road.  Wondered what had happened to you.

Drivelines NW in Seattle is where I got my U joints when I did the same job about 3 yrs ago.  They had the beefy Neapco joints that were a perfect fit.

[Mark Maras]

Good to hear from you. Is Lilith still running good with the SUs?

[rossiz]

thanks for the kind words - i've missed being in touch w/the gang. she's been running strong and dependable on the new motor and the SU's are rock solid. i've got a few more months of house projects and "other stuff" that will keep me from doing any appreciable work on her, but i'm still looking forward to rebuilding the 5-speed i have stashed and doing the tranny-swap.

 

[7tooZ]

On 10/5/2016 at 5:08 PM, rossiz said:

been a while since i posted - sucked into the quagmire of moving, work, summer travel, getting 2 kids off to college... all while the z has sat idle in the driveway due to horrible sounds emanating from the rear end (something my kids accuse me of on a regular basis). i finally got moved into the new place, installed some concrete pavers to allow me to jack up the z safely (gravel driveway) and immediately saw the telltale signs of blown bearings in the half-shaft u-joints. that red-iron-primer color all around the joint that comes from the factory lube escaping - i've seen this on motorcycle drive chains that blew the o-ring seals. turning the wheels produced unsettling creaking/cracking noises from the u-joints, confirming my suspicions. so i ordered all the parts to re-build the half-shafts from MSA: 4 new "heavy-duty" u-joints, new rubber boots and sst band clamps.  did my research and read the very helpful blog post from woodworkerb (huge help) and when the parts arrived i pulled the half-shafts and knocked out the u-joints. they literally fell out in a pile of dust and broken bits - can't believe these parts were spinning around back there and hadn't exploded on me while on the freeway...

my experience with this job was shockingly parallel to woodworkerb's blog: i discovered that MSA had sent 3 correct u-joints and one with caps that were 1mm too small. big PITA, but o'reilly's had 'em in stock (for cheaper + no shipping) and they were identical to the "heavy-duty" ones MSA sells. hmmm...

the sliding bearing sets were in brand-new condition and fully packed with brand-new looking grease. i really could have left 'em be, but i went ahead and cleaned everything and re-installed with new grease and new boots.

the whole project was done in half a day and the rear end is nice and smooth now. interestingly, the shimmy i had at the steering wheel at 65 is gone now. coincidence?? never thought that the rear could affect the steering, but stranger things have happened...

the carnage that fell out:

all cleaned up w/a fresh coat of epoxy paint:

Rozziz, could you share the method you used to remove and replace the u joints?

[Mike W]

@7tooZ,

I also did this job some time ago.  I primarily used the U Joint tool from Harbor Freight along with my large bench vise.  Although they call it a ball joint tool, it works equally as well on U Joints.  You can find it here:

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/steering/ball-joint-service-kit-for-2wd-and-4wd-vehicles-63279.html

You basically need to remove the C clips so the joint if free to move in the yoke.  Use the pressing tool to press it out from one side, remove the bearing cap, and then press in the other direction to remove the other bearing cap.  Once you have both of them off the U Joint will just come out of the yoke. 

I used Spicer U Joints as replacements, and although a little more expensive than some others, they were really good quality.  I used them on the half shafts as well as the drive shaft.

Installation is basically the reverse of removal.  You need to be very careful that the needle bearings in the bearing cap stay in place.  The Spicer joints I purchased had a reasonable amount of grease in the to hold the needles in place, but you may want to add a little more just to be sure.  The other thing I found is that you need make sure that when you start to press the bearing cap in place, that it is very straight.  If you start off crooked, they will not go in and you run the risk of ruining a bearing.  Ask me how I know!!

Just make sure to install the C clips when you are done to ensure the joint stays in place in the yoke.  Also the Spicer joints I purchased were greaseable, so you will need to install the grease fittings and thoroughly grease the joint before re-installing on your car.

That's about it.  It's not a hard job but a little tedious as you have to be very careful on re-installation of the new joint.

Hope that helps.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

Mike.

[7tooZ]

Awesome. Thanks for your help.


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[240260280]

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/ujoint/ujointtechtip.pdf

[7tooZ]

Thank you. Good information.


Don's iPhone using Classic Zcar Club mobile

[7tooZ]

5 hours ago, 240260280 said:

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/ujoint/ujointtechtip.pdf

Used the above method of sockets and bench vise to remove the existing u joint. New spicer joint to arrive on Tuesday thanks to Amazon who has the greasable version for a 240Z.

[240260280]

Nice photos! Good thing you have a vise with a wide opening!