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Looking for U joints for my Rambler

4K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  farna 
#1 ·
Ok, I am finding some odd stuff when looking for U joints for my American. The one guy I trust is Galvins and they show two different ones, saying you need to pull the ones in the car out and measure it. All for 10 thousands of an inch!


I am not a mechanic but my brother who is said he has never seen something like that. If they are going to be different they will be a lot more than ten thousands.

But anyway, I could care less (other than the bigger ones being three times the price) but I need to knock my car out of commission to find out by removing a U joint and measuring it. I did some other searches and found a Splicer 5-103X that is suppose to be the one and it's just a tad under the 1"! I have an extra drive shaft I pulled a U joint out of and a Yoke. They both measure about 1.007 not the 1.010 and the Splicer 5-103X is loose in it!



I want to be able to buy them locally being this car is a daily driver and I don't want have to wait for parts in the mail or I would knock it apart and buy them from Galvins.

The U joints are loose and it does have a vibration at 45 or so that I am hoping to fix.

Any ideas for me?

Brian
 
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#3 ·
Brian - I don't think you have much choice but to pull the driveshaft and do a check. There are enough variables to confuse anyone. Four fasteners in the rear and slide it out, throw it on the parts counter and let them supply the right part (unless it has a torque tube like the early Rambler's had).

If you want real u-joint confusion, look at a post '99 Ford F250/350
 
#4 ·
I've faced the same kind of dilemma where there are more than one option for a certain part. I usually pick whichever part is the most common (most pricing at a parts store gives an A, B, C etc rating by sales.) If it's wrong I'll return it and exchange it for the one that matches what I took out, but I usually have pretty good success with the most common part. Of course that only works at the local parts store, if you have to order online it's not such a good option.
 
#5 ·
My buddy's '60 Rambler is another story. He's altered so much he's put together a spiral notebook with all the changes and what parts came from where.
 

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#8 ·
Frank already answered the question over on the AMC forum I visit. But not a whole lot of help (rare case for Frank).

This is the first time I've seen the two different sizes. I've ordered u-joints from NAPA for my old 63 American and never had this issue come up. It's a common joint, six cylinder Fords used the same one (early Falcons and Mustangs). You might see if your local NAPA has one in stock and measure.

The small difference may be due to a glitch from suppliers. In the late 50s/early 60s AMC tried to have at least two suppliers for every outsourced part. This was due to a problem in the mid 50s with a supplier. I think there was a fire at the supplier and it halted production for several weeks. Might have been early 58, don't recall now. In any case, if the only problem was 0.010" in size AMC may have took the parts and honed the yokes -- especially if it was their mistake. May have sent the wrong specs or not been specific enough? Just guessing...

But honestly, so far it's a dead end. What a difference in parts places, another "REAL PARTS STORE" in town, I went in there and the guy all but laughed (this is the owner!) and didn't hardly give me the time of day. Looked it up and then told me he didn't have it in stock, "good night". Now I go in there regularly to get things, it's right around the corner from my house. I have known this guy for years and years and have a good rapport with him I couldn't believe it.

My goal has been to just be sure the REAL parts store (now I guess there IS only one in town) has them both in stock so I can have them waiting for me when I pull the thing apart.

I don't want to have to wait days to get them in the mail from Galvins.

Brian
 
#7 ·
Brian, have you talked to your local driveline repair shops to see what they charge to swap out U joints? Might be they will have both joints in stock, and if you plan it out, you may be able to just drop it off in the morning, and pick it up after work.
My local Six States Driveline Service charges me less to replace U joints, than I'd pay to buy them and install them myself. When they did the '69 Camaro driveline swap into my Falcon, they removed the Frod 8.8 style rear yoke from my donor driveline, and installed adapter joint in the rear for it, plus front joint for the Super T10 yoke, and the grand total was $43 for the two joints, and the swap work.
 
#9 ·
The nearest one is about 20 miles away and hard to get to for me during business hours. The other thing is I am still a little hung up on how I will be getting the drive shaft out of the car. It's got a bolted on yoke on the rear end that I still have never gotten one off without cutting the lock nut in half with the die grinder. It doesn't have U bolts understand, so I am not sure how easy the U joints will come out. They have a clip holding them but then are also pressed in a bit, they don't "fall out" when the clip is removed and the one I took apart on a spare drive shaft took a BUNCH of banging to get out, I can't imagine doing this on the one in the car!

I was looking at a tie rod end puller to maybe working, I have to get under there and see.

Mechanics are not my thing. :sweat:

Brian
 
#13 ·
Brian,
If you decide to change them yourself, if you don't have the "correct removal tools" an air hammer with a flat end punch will knock the old one right out. Remove the retainer clips and use the air hammer on the cap to push the joint through pushing the opposing cap out, then push it the other way with the air hammer pushing the first cap out. When you get the old ones out, clean the holes with sand paper or a hone to remove any corrosion.

Kelly
 
#14 ·
Thanks so much Kelly, that makes sense. And I do have a chisel made for such thing but I hadn't thought about it, thanks again.

Brian
 
#19 ·
I sprayed it with WD-40 back a few days ago and thought I was nuts but thanks to your support that does sound like a good idea. I will be changing over to the "PB blaster".

Thanks guys! :thumbup:

Brian
 
#25 ·
"The other thing is I am still a little hung up on how I will be getting the drive shaft out of the car. It's got a bolted on yoke on the rear end that I still have never gotten one off without cutting the lock nut in half with the die grinder. It doesn't have U bolts understand, so I am not sure how easy the U joints will come out. They have a clip holding them but then are also pressed in a bit, they don't "fall out" when the clip is removed and the one I took apart on a spare drive shaft took a BUNCH of banging to get out, I can't imagine doing this on the one in the car! "

But that's how you do it -- under the car! You have to have the rear axle jacked up and supported, as when the body is jacked up and axle hanging the shaft moves forward and binds. Can't do the work on a body lift, unless you put a jack under the rear axle. A drive on lift (supports from the wheels) is perfect! I usually jacked mine up and supported the front end and rear axle on jack stands. The internal c-clips are hard to drive out, but the only other way to remove the shaft (and what the factory manual says to do) is to unbolt the rear shackles, unbolt the u-bolts holding the axle to the springs, disconnect brake lines, and slide the whole rear axle and shaft out. Then you have to loosen that big nut or take the joint apart (take it apart, that big nut has to be TIGHT and an exact measurement from the axle). It's much easier and faster to take the joint apart under the car, just a bit of a PITA working in tight quarters. Take the caps out of the yoke on the axle, not the shaft. The shaft can then be easily removed.
 
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#26 ·
Thanks Frank. :D I easily got it out using a press for u joints pushing the one out of the rear end yoke and then removing the shaft from the tranny just like a "normal" car with U bolts holding the joint to the yoke.

I then removed both the joints from the shaft on my bench and I am putting the new joints in tonight. And it used the cheaper 1.000 joints WHOOO HOOOO!

Brian
 
#27 ·
You have a press.... sort of like a c-clamp? I've used a large clamp and socket, but usually just knock it out with a block of wood and hammer. Wood against "hard" part near end of shaft. That can be dangerous -- a slip of the hammer could easily ding the shaft enough to ruin it. The c-clamp and socket is just to darn tight under the car though. Post a pic of that press you have.
 
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