U Joint Q

[2kool4skool]

Opinions please. Is it creeping, leave it, replace it?
On our Blue Bird bus, front joint, joint is tight.

The other side of the same X:

[Skoolydoo]

Don it looks ok to me from a picture, I believe if you are in doubt in any way shape or form.
Just do it,replace it for pease of mind

[2kool4skool]

To my shadetree trained eye it looks like the bearing cap may be rotating?

[wauto]

Buy a new u-joint strap kit with bolts. Make sure to get the torque correct.

[opus]

To me, the bottom fastener on the bottom pic, looks loose.

[DT Rutledge]

The cap has moved. It would be moving unless there was some force being exerted somehow. That cap should be spinning without much resistants. Change it, and the bolts and the straps.

[2kool4skool]

Thanks all, here's the underside of the strap.



Finding this issue is a result of regular inspections, don't catch them all but I try....

[DT Rutledge]

Looks deformed.

[Alan N]

If you are in town, get the parts and fix it.
If you are not, grease it up and drive to town.
It needs fixed,but it should work for a while.

[opus]

For the price of the joint...and now that you have it apart.

[one_eyed_jack]

If it were me I'd change it, if that one cup is turning it's going to wear your yoke so that a new cup won't stay tight. Crosses are cheap yokes are not! That cross is done anyway even tho it feels tight, dollars-to-donuts says its dry as a popcorn ____t and due to become very very loose sometime in the very near future, and you do not want a drive shaft coming appart and crashing round an round an round undernieth nelly bell whilst you try to change lanes and get her off to the side into the emergency lane then try to revive the missus who's just had a cardiac arrest. You get the picture I'm sure!!That being said, that half of of the cross is easy to check by removeing the two straps and attempting to rotate the cups. You'll know right away if it's dry. Quite offten for some reason one side will be short of grease and siesed-up while all the rest of the cups can be well lubed and apparently fine . If you do find that all is well and cups all have grease then for sure clean the recesses and cups and deffinately use a new strap. Then watch it for the next while to make sure it has stopped rotating in your yoke.
Hope my long-winded reply helps.
Cheers, One_Eyed_Jack

[2kool4skool]

Disassembled the joint, very notchy, the bearing surfaces are toast. Moog 255. The 2 other joints are ok.

[one_eyed_jack]

As I suspected when I saw the pictures. Those cups usually press into the yoke fairly snug when the strap is tightened so when they start to turn there's a reason. Actualy never seen one that goes round an round like that. Most I've dealt with just work back and forth in a short arc.
Any who, good eye on that Don. By rolling round in the grass and eyeballing things you just saved yourself a world of roadside griefe.
Cheers.

[2kool4skool]

The correct part is 351A. 255 wasn't even close even though it was on the part.

[CaptSquid]

Mensch! Someone failed to lube that U-joint. Those, as well as the slip joint on the drive shaft, need to be lubed regularly. You might want to check the other U-joints while you're at it.

[2kool4skool]

The 3 joint yokes are now all lined up, they were set up with the front 90* off the rear 2 which are of course lined up. OK?

[2kool4skool]

Just road tested all OK, nice and smooth.

[Skoolydoo]

Glad it all worked out for you.