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| | | Re: Pictures of your driveshaft please! | Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 645 addict | addict Joined: Feb 2012 Posts: 645 | Thanks, RamVan.
I think I used the wrong word when I referred to the bracket. I meant that the tranny mount seemed to not like the angle. The rubber bushing is pulled toward the passenger side. You would think they would have made it angled as well but I guess if all are just slightly different angles that would have been difficult to do.
Well the manufacturer had their reasons, but I can assume they were cost related. It's very expensive to do little things because it can require changes in the materials, machine setup (very expensive), sometimes suppliers. The point is if it works and if it works do not change it. | | | Blowing U Joints... rinse, repeat | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 old hand | OP old hand Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 | Re-opening this thread because.... it has been 1.5 years since we put in our second set of u joints and our front one is now going.
That will be 3 sets in 8 years of ownership! So, if it isn't the driveshaft sideways angle from the tranny to the diff - which this thread seems to have confirmed... what could it be? Where would you suggest we start to look?
Last edited by nikothenomad; September 14th 2018 4:06 pm.
| | | Re: Blowing U Joints... rinse, repeat | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 Maniac | Maniac Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 | Well, you have a big heavy vehicle with a big motor, so the U-joints will have some stress on them and they are wear items. That said, three sets in eight years seems excessive unless you are doing A TON of driving.
Everything is made in China now, so I always try to get the "heavy duty" or more expensive option on parts, and on U joints I try and get ones that are greaseable (and I grease them!). I have had good luck with Moog bearings. A Moog 246 is a heavy duty greaseable u-joint that is supposed to fit both the axle and trans ends of your driveshaft. The 317 is the standard duty greaseable replacement. Both are pretty cheap (under $25 for two of either from Rockauto), so $75 over 8 years isn't really a big deal.
Try replacing your current u-joints with those heavy duty ones and see what your results are.
Windows- they're what make a van worth owning! | | | Re: Blowing U Joints... rinse, repeat | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 old hand | OP old hand Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 | Reed, thanks. We do realize our girl is heavy (even heavier with the conversion and all of our personal - some very heavy - possessions).
Perhaps that is all that it is but still it seems like something might be off. While we do live in her and drive her all over the place we actually keep our mileage down to between 6 and 10,000 a year. So, by most standards that is not excessive at all. It is a combination of highway, city and forest or refuge dirt road driving.
We had discussed trying a more heavy duty u joint but before we did that wanted to evaluate any possible causes for going through them so quickly.
When we put on the first set in 2014 since our taking ownership of her in 2010 it appeared that we were removing the original set. So, of course we expected the ones we put on would certainly last longer than two years.
Just wondering if there is anything else in the package that could cause undue stress on the joints.
| | | Re: Blowing U Joints... rinse, repeat | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 old hand | OP old hand Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 | By the way, the Master Pro 317's is what I have put on twice now with no so great luck. First set I put on second set I let a shop do just in case I had screwed something up but theirs didn't last any longer. | | | Re: Pictures of your driveshaft please! | Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 9,855 Likes: 234 carpal tunnel | carpal tunnel Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 9,855 Likes: 234 | I just pulled the driveshaft of our GMC to check the U-joints. They felt great so I put in back. Didn't wanna take a chance on new ones until I have to...... The quality of replacement parts these days is so low. How's Annie's brake caliper issue going?? | | | Re: Pictures of your driveshaft please! | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 Maniac | Maniac Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 | Hmmm. The 317 is the standard duty replacement. The 346 is the heavy duty Moog part. I suggest installing the 346s and have a driveline shop check your driveshaft balance. They can go out of balance and put extra stress on the u-joints.
Right now I am running a couple of oldstock Moog u-joints in the driveshaft in my van. I pieced the front one together from the best bits of several used u-joints I had laying around the garage. I lubed them up and so far so good.
Windows- they're what make a van worth owning! | | | Re: Pictures of your driveshaft please! | Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 old hand | OP old hand Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,080 Likes: 1 | CatFish... Caliper hasn't acted up again. Bled it one more time and found no air. Driver's side though started dragging off and on. Never froze up like passenger but a little drag. I evaluated another noise that I had been hearing on the dirt roads and discovered one of our 7 year old idler arms is going out and allowing some play. Not sure if that could be the reason the calipers are dragging now and then or not. When we get to GA we'll replace the idler and check out all of the other front stuff that has already been replaced to ensure it is still good, then do the u joints (we've caught it super early with just some squeaking noise so hoping it will hold up until then; if not they'll get done on the road).
Reed... Thanks. I've considered having the drive shaft checked and may do that. Also wondering how much the leaf springs play into the u joint issue? We've put new shocks on the rear but the springs are the originals. | | | Re: Pictures of your driveshaft please! | Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 Maniac | Maniac Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12,107 Likes: 37 | Wow, you probably should think about replacing those rear leaf springs. They have been holding up your heavy van for 30 years now and probably have lost some of their spring. Heck, last year I replaced the rear leafs on my 89 Ford 150 conversion van and they were worn out. I got the heaviest option spring that would fit with my mounting hardware and it made a positive difference in comfort and handling. I can't see how worn rear leaf springs would cause u-joint problems, unless you are getting extreme axle wrap, but I doub that is the case.
Becase you have a 250 you will have to be careful ordering springs. Depending on what spring package was originally installed on the van you could have different rear spring hanger and spring eye dimensions. A few years back i replaced the rear leaf springs on my brother 83 Dodge van and was looking in the factory parts manual and there was something like nine different spring package avvailable that year for the van. In the 3/4 spring packages there was a cutoff line between the smaller and larger hardware.
In your case I would probably opt for the heaviest spring I could find. Rockauto has the DAYTON 34213 {#4089144} leaf spring for $270 per spring. This is a 6 Leaf, 2-3/16" Pack Thickness, 2500lb Per Spring Rating. That being said, you don't want to go too stiff. Earlier this year I replaced the rear leaf springs in my Ramcharger and I got the stiffest spring I could thinking I would get results like I did when I replaced the springs in my van. I regretted it after the first drive. The ride was too stiff and made it very unpleasant to drive the truck unless I have several hundred pounds loaded in the back. I am going to take a leaf out of the spring pack and see if that helps. But your van is so heavy that you probably would be fine with the heaviest springs.
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