A U-Joint is a U-joint for a new joint

[Oldpath05]

Just take a medium sized hammer and tap the u-joint on the side of the "U" so as to tighten the snap ring up against the outside of the grove that it's in. It shouldn't take much and the u-joint will be looser.

I've never been able to insert the snap ring into the grove if there is a needle laying sideways in the cup. That seldom happens to me anymore. One thing that really helps with this is to give a squirt of grease into each cup before installation. Smear the grease around the needles evenly to help hold them in place.

I've found over the years that automotive u-joints last a lot longer if you avoid driving through puddles when it rains and if you grease the u-joint with water proof grease. On my 1990 Cummins with just regular grease I was replacing the rear u-joint once a year. Water proof grease and I now change the rear u-joint once every 5 years.

The last time I did a u joint drive shaft that was my experience, one of the needle tipped and couldn't put it together. Another strange /odd thing, the cheaper Autozone brand had a grease fitting on it and the Spicer brand didn't, and I didn't see all that much grease in the Spicer, told my son I'd put more in, he said it's fine, so he put it together, still stiff I think.

 

[Oldpath05]

I wouldn't call brand new u joints stiff. Smooth would be alot more like it. Getting them apart is usually challenging! Are they grease able joints? The only place on a tractor that I could see it matter about vibration would be something in a pto driveline.

The AutoZone ones my son put in are greasable, Spicer isn't, on front line there are 3 joints, 2 are AZ & 1 is Sp, on rear there are 3 joints he changed 2 with Sp the other one he said was good, The Spicer brand seems to be a hair stiffer. Wonder which ones will wear out quicker.

 

[Oldpath05]

Proper stiffness for a u-joint is when you lift up the U section it falls slowly (like 2 seconds), not dropping immediately and not sticking in place. This is for driveline joints. not steering or height adjustment jack screws.

He's a long ways from proper stiffness but that's what I thought to. Have to hold the shaft firm to move U-joint.

 

[pmsmechanic]

One more tip I'm going to add is that you should always add a good quality grease to a non-greaseable u-joint. It's the only chance you have to fill it with grease!

 

[crazyal]

Another thing to remember is when you are pushing the cup into the joint you can't support the upper "leg". So the upper one is being pushed down while the lower one is supported. If the clip is real close to going in but just not quite there then it's most likely not a needle bearing that fell out of place. If you can find a way to support the upper leg while pushing the upper cap in place you should be all set.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If you can find a way to support the upper leg while pushing the upper cap in place you should be all set.

I quite often use a vice to put u-joints together. Usually a nut or a socket is used to push the "upper" cap in enough so that the snap ring will seat. I find it helps to use a brass drift on the "upper leg" while everything is still in the vice to help the "upper leg" move the last few thousands of an inch.

Another tip that really works is to use a flap wheel sander in the die grinder to shine up the holes in the "legs". Often I can just tap the cups into place with a small hammer. I'm not shy about getting the holes shiny either. My reasoning is that by the time I install the next u-joint the hole will be rusted again.

 

[HHR]

I use air chisel with blunt tip and careful application. Makes adjusting the "tightness" super easy.

 

[TractorGuy]

When I install u-joints I always finish up by unloading them. I open a vise wide enough to rest two ears on top and let the other two fall free in the center. I put a socket large enough it covers the outside diameter on top of the free ear that is facing up. I give it a whack with a hammer and rotate till I have unloaded the pressure on all four ears. By doing this I am driving the caps back out against the clips. This usually frees them up so the joint moves easily but not always.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I replace them in my nephews 2003 Wrangler last summer and they were tight like that too. much tighter than what I am used to
.

 

[ModMech]

Pmsmechanic has hit the nail right on the head.
If a needle fell over...snap ring wouldn't go in.

Oh yes they will

That was they day I learned the value of a hand press and more grease~!!! I HATE doing jobs twice.