So I wanted to replace the u joints in the X. I went to advance auto and got a pair of moog 534G joints. First off, the grooves where the clips go are off from the ones I took out. They're wider. Compare, here's one side And the other- But the clips are very thin- I press the moog ones in and the joint is tight. Too tight. Even with the thin clips. Something is wrong. I go to Napa and get thier brand u joints. Grooves are a perfect match to the old joints. Press those in but the clips measure 097 I finally got the caps in enough to barely seat the clips, but the joint is tight as F now. So I measure the old clips from the old joints, and they're 094! So I press the caps out slightly, put the 094 clips in and joint is nice and loose the way its supposed to be.
Made in USA? Do they measure the same as these? https://www.dennysdriveshaft.com/p4...sal_joint_3r_series_non_greaseable.html#photo
Got those same joints and had the same problem. Very tight and I could barely move the the joints by hand after I put them on the driveshaft. Drove with them like that for a while to see if they would loosen up, but they never did. Got a different brand set from Autozone and they fit perfectly and the joint was easy to move by hand. Don't have any part number unfortunately.
Moog isn’t what it use to be. Had 2 U3 joints with so much play in the new caps that it would have been better to use the old joints instead. I use Dana Spicer now.
All I know is the the moog didn't fit. And the Napa joints clips were too thick to seat in the groove. I'm just glad I figured it out. Sometimes I think I should of collected stamps instead
Welcome to my world! I cut loose about 40 old car customers, and crap parts was one of several reasons why.
Im glad it's not just me. Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind. The tolerances are ****. You know, .003 on each clip is big. The difference between it fitting and not fitting
Oh no, it’s not just you. And yes, it’s very frustrating. From a business standpoint, I can’t in good conscience charge someone for every second I work on their vehicle (just charge it to the customer). It’s no fault of their’s that many parts are crap now. But on the flip side, I shouldn’t have to pay for poor quality parts. So it’s either fish or cut bait. I chose the latter. And poor quality parts is only one part of the old car repair problem. That’s why many of us shop owners have sworn-off old car repairs. It’s seasonal thing up here, and it did become a major headache.
I had a similar situation with my 60 Electra convertible when I replaced the rear u joints...it was a complete disaster. I went through 4 different new joints before I finally "milled" off a few thou off both ends of one side....and reground the grease channel. Slapped it together and sent it. Pissed me off something fierce.
Yep, what should of been a 15 minute job turned into a research project with micrometers, pressing stuff in and out three times, phone calls,, looking stuff up on rock auto, two trips to two different parts stores and an afternoon in the garage
I hope I have better luck with the new U-joints I'm gonna need for my custom driveshaft. The shop making the driveshaft can sell it with the U-joints installed if you want to pay for it. Maybe I will do it to avoid the hassle Jason had to go through.
There has been times I have had to use 2 caps from a different joint to make 1 joint for an application . That is why I have "U" joints that are not complete on the shelf . I'm pretty sure one time was my 73 Riv .
I'd love to hear all the other reasons, Bob. I'll bet they are the same ones that we have at my shop for not working on them any more. Heck, I don't even like working on mine any more.
Thanks for posting this Jason! If I were to replace the u joints in the GS400, I would have probably ordered the Moog ones. I think that when I get to that point, I'm just going to replace the whole 2-piece drive shaft.
Steve, yes, likely the same reasons. Parts quality and time spent locating them are obviously on the list. Common things are just gone now from the mainstream, or junk. Another obvious one is short arms and deep pockets. Always an issue it seems. Lack of appreciation, unrealistic expectations (no, it won’t run like a fuel-injected Lexus ever, and yes it will leave a spot or 2 on the ground), and working on a 40, 50, 60 year old machine that has been bastardized many times over before, all lead to frustration and unhappy people on both sides of the counter. Why bother with this when there is low-hanging fruit everywhere? One other dealbreaker that some people just don’t get, and we’ve even given them hints, is let us work on your daily drivers! Give us a chance to make some money! We see what they drive, and none seem to be under any warranty anymore. Where are they taking them to? Now to be fair, the ones that we’ve kept understand our plight, are patient, don’t hen-peck the price, and let us work on their daily’s if they are local. And they are very appreciative. As the number of older guys bow-out of the industry, or are fed up with the classic car repair scene, it’s becoming tougher for the avg Joe to get avg repairs and maintenance done on their old car. They are left searching, or might have to consider a dedicated restoration shop. If they choose the latter, then I’d all but guarantee our terms would seem very inviting all of a sudden. Did I miss anything?
Looks like you pretty much covered it. Especially the short arm deep pocket syndrome. They think that since I'm working on a 50 year old car the price will be what it was 50 years ago. Not to mention that most techs, even good ones, have never worked on a carburetor, don't know how to set dwell etc, so it's up to us shop owners to do most of the work. In my opinion, that should pay a premium, let alone standard shop rate. We have completely stopped working on the older stuff, and I advise folks who want to get into a classic vehicle that the only way to do it is to have the knowledge and tools to fix it themselves. Some things you just can't pay for. Finding someone who can fix your 1972 mechanical fuel injected benz is going to be close to impossible, and if you do happen to find that guy, you are going to pay through the nose. Don't even get me started on the daily driver thing, or the ones that want me to babysit the car, ie bring it inside if it starts to rain, don't let it sit outside overnight, wash it every other day in case of dust etc etc. Or the ones who tell me how to do the job. Sorry for the hijack, Jay. Rant over.
I buy he Spicer non-greaseable, they cost a little more but are very strong. I see the same thing on the 67 from old to new joint as Jason. Will Advise as to what i find.
