Author Topic: U joints  (Read 6001 times)

Offline wymple

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U joints
« on: July 08, 2016, 06:27:50 PM »
Since my son Chris blew up his U joint, and I'm over 100k on my Cal II, I figured I should pull my CV joint and check it out. One of the U joints was tight, the other never had a roller left in the end caps, totally shot. Good thing I checked before heading out for Elkader tomorrow. The entire CV joint is pretty pricey and all I needed was one U joint, so the search was on. Ron, at R&K cycle saved my but for Elkader. He had a used CV joint laying around with good U joint in it. Meanwhile, doing a search on ebay was bringing up some stupidly priced stuff, as much as over 420 bucks for the unit. One guy wants 27 dollars for a single joint, and adds 88 dollars to ship it. Um, no. So I did a search by size, 20 x44 U joint and found a hit. I don't think the guy knew what they were, oddballs and all, so I got all three that he had for 21 dollars, total, FREE shipping. Some days I get lucky I guess. I'll use two of them to rebuild the one R&K had for him, and have a spare.
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2016, 06:49:59 PM »
I get rebuilt U-joints with exchange of the old ones from John Chilcoine in MA.  Good to hear that you found a solution to yours.
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: U joints
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2016, 03:38:20 AM »
I get rebuilt U-joints with exchange of the old ones from John Chilcoine in MA.  Good to hear that you found a solution to yours.
:1: for John Chilcoine, he also makes a kit to refurbish the petcocks for your old loops
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2016, 06:28:07 AM »
Just remember if you have more vibration in the right peg.  Your u-joint is starting to give up the ghost.  Having it go in traffic is no fun.  Got lucky and had one blow coming down to the last 10' of a stop after flying down I90. 
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Re: U joints
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2016, 06:28:07 AM »

Online tazio

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Re: U joints
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2016, 06:31:50 AM »
Yes, my vibration was on decel. Read about here and tore into it.
 Send off to John as stated. No worries.
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Re: U joints
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2016, 08:34:41 AM »
There is a u-joint made by Spicer that will replace the OEM.  Might try thisoldtractor.com to see if he has it listed.

I use to take mine to a driveline shop in Florida & they would press in the new joints.

Offline charlie b

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Re: U joints
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2016, 03:48:33 PM »
How often should you disassemble and regrease?
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Offline cwiseman

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Re: U joints
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2016, 04:47:17 PM »
http://www.theujointstore.com
Has Guzzi U-joints, 2 delivered to the house was just less than $75.00
It's best to just call them.
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2016, 07:30:41 PM »
How often should you disassemble and regrease?

Every time you change the rear tire.
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Offline Arizona Wayne

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Re: U joints
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2016, 10:16:02 PM »
Every time you change the rear tire.



Sorry, but I can't agree with that.  I keep track of the condition of my Guzzi U joints by rotating the rear tire fore & aft with tranny in neutral.  The more slop doing that the more worn your U joint is.   Little slop(play) then the U joint is good.   As it wears the slop get's more.   This is how I keep track of it's condition.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2016, 11:37:37 PM by Arizona Wayne »

Offline wymple

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Re: U joints
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2016, 11:08:17 PM »
Every time you change the rear tire.

That's a little extreme.
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Offline pete mcgee

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Re: U joints
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2016, 11:42:08 PM »
I killed 2 new u joint assemblies in less than a year back in 1989.
That irritated me more than a little as they were $360 AUD each back then, the only single uni joint available was from a Mercedes steering shaft at $150 each (pre internet and pre eBay).
So I bought no 3 and I disassembled it as I had suspected Mario who put them together had a grease allergy.
Bugger all and not enough was the quantity of grease in there.
Now at the time I was in the Australian air force and working on UH1H helicopters that were infested in flush fitting grease nipples, part no started with nas.
http://www.saeproducts.com/flush-grease-fittings.html
I drilled 2 of the caps with a cobalt drill and fitted a zerk to each cap, regreased the joints correctly and assembled with a zerked cap in each uni joint.
I pull the assembly out every 20 to 30 thousand kilometers and regrease it and also the driveshaft and sleeve that connects to the pinion.
That same joint assembly is still serviceable today and it has 280,000km on it, I've replaced the drive shafts and sleeve 2 or 3 times and had the splines on the pinion built up and recut once.
Grease is your friend.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2016, 04:40:58 PM by pete mcgee »
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Offline charlie b

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Re: U joints
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2016, 08:03:57 AM »
So are the crosses 'drilled' so the grease can go to all four?  That sounds like my kind of fix.

I've never serviced Ujoints that often on cars.  Usually grease them every 20k miles or so.

This ujoint has not been serviced in over 50k miles.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2016, 08:04:32 AM by charlie b »
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2016, 02:01:23 PM »
Every time you change the rear tire.

This comment is for greasing the splines not the crosses.
From the Deep Deep South out in left field.  There are no stupid questions.  There are however stupid people asking questions.  🤣, this includes me.  😉

Offline charlie b

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Re: U joints
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2016, 04:24:43 PM »
Sorry I wasn't clear. 

I went though and looked at the disassembly procedure and seems you destroy the dust covers when you remove the crosses?  So may be just as easy to buy new crosses, grease them up good and install.  Done it many times on a car.
1984 850 T5 (sold)
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2016, 04:27:49 PM »
OK.
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Offline wymple

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Re: U joints
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2016, 06:43:20 PM »
So are the crosses 'drilled' so the grease can go to all four?  That sounds like my kind of fix.

I've never serviced Ujoints that often on cars.  Usually grease them every 20k miles or so.

This ujoint has not been serviced in over 50k miles.

The crosses on mine were drilled throughout for grease.
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Offline charlie b

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Re: U joints
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2016, 07:35:28 AM »
Seems like I need to buy some new crosses and do a mod  :)
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2016, 01:53:56 PM »
For some reason, I thought the crosses are sealed with grease.  If I'm wrong let me know. :huh:
From the Deep Deep South out in left field.  There are no stupid questions.  There are however stupid people asking questions.  🤣, this includes me.  😉

Offline charlie b

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Re: U joints
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2016, 03:36:05 PM »
They should be packed with grease in those cross drillings.  As it spins the grease is fed to the end bearings.  Over time there is no grease left.  Hence the need to replace/repack them over time.  Many automotive ujoints have the grease fitting near the middle of the cross so you can regrease at that point.
1984 850 T5 (sold)
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Offline Tom

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Re: U joints
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2016, 03:37:08 PM »
The guys have been installing their own grease zerks.
From the Deep Deep South out in left field.  There are no stupid questions.  There are however stupid people asking questions.  🤣, this includes me.  😉

Offline wymple

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Re: U joints
« Reply #21 on: July 16, 2016, 09:48:50 PM »
Well, the great deal I got on 3 U joints off ebay is a great deal, except I now find that the small block has a smaller joint than the big blocks. I bought 20x44's (right for the v65) and my big block is something like 22x50, or thereabouts. So, I will save one and give the other two to my dealer.
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Offline redrider90

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Re: U joints
« Reply #22 on: July 17, 2016, 10:25:25 AM »
Just remember if you have more vibration in the right peg.  Your u-joint is starting to give up the ghost.  Having it go in traffic is no fun.  Got lucky and had one blow coming down to the last 10' of a stop after flying down I90.


Some 5-7 years after I bought my Mille in 1991 I was told that if I had 1/2" or more of slack (in 1st gear)  in rotation of the read end I should check my U joints. Sure enough I checked the unit and it was shot. Loosie Guzzi they say.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2016, 10:27:04 AM by redrider90 »
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