The Stang blew a U-joint!

[88 Fox GT]

So I was out for a spin tonight in the '65, trying to listen to the strange popping noises coming from the rear end and feeling how the car swayed a little when you would step on the gas. Well, I pulled onto this street and out of first gear just nailed it to see what I could tear up. I took it to about 6k and BAM! I looked in the rearview to see a piece of metal come flying out from under the car. The engine had already died for some reason, so I was s**ting myself hoping I wouldn't see a trail of oil or anything. So, I stop the car and look under it to discover my driveshaft just hanging down, but was sitting on the x-pipe so it wasn't dragging. Under further inspection, I noticed that my U-joint caps had completely busted off in the rear. :damnit:

I am hoping that my wierd noises and feelings I was getting from the car were from this u-joint. They were pretty old anyway and slapping an engine with a s**tload more power than the stocker doesn't help.

 

[iskwezm]

make sure you dont get the u-joints with the zerk fitting, i heard they are weaker.

 

[88 Fox GT]

Any truth to that? I'm going to get the u-joint tonight.

 

[Edbert]

Be VERY glad the rear u-joint failed and not the front, otherwise your car would be totaled and you might be seriously injured or worse.

 

[84convertablegt]

not to steal this thread, but how hard is it to change a u joint. i noticed mine are all rusted and seized kind of. is this something the home mechanic can do or do you need a press to get out the u joints?

 

[Dr_Pain]

not to steal this thread, but how hard is it to change a u joint. i noticed mine are all rusted and seized kind of. is this something the home mechanic can do or do you need a press to get out the u joints?

If you have a shop press, they are more than easy to change. If you don't have a press, you can also rig something up at home to mimic a shop press, but since my lawyer is looking over my shoulder telling me that I could get into serious trouble if one of you guys was to injure yourself, I will restraint from describing the exact details.... but let's just say you had a bench vise with a pipe adaptor and a solid C-clamps that may have been rigging with a 3/4" nut and a good set of arms or a impact wrench..... well I would say that you were on the right path.

or you could do like http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/ujoint_install/

 

[88 Fox GT]

I think I'm just going to get a stock replacement u-joint, because it should be able to hold the power. This one broke because it was original and 40 years old. lol

Anyone know if there is a difference between 6 cylinder driveshafts and V8 driveshafts in the '65s?

 

[reenmachine]

Any truth to that? I'm going to get the u-joint tonight.

There's no need to get greaseable U-joints. You do sacrifice a bit of strength, but you'd probably never get to the point where that would be an issue. It's just unnecessary, as the non-greaseable kind are designed to last pretty much forever, for sure for more miles than you'll probably ever put on your stang.

Have you considered replacing the entire driveshaft? Do you have the type with the rubber insulator in it? Getting a nice new 1-pc steel or aluminum shaft is a very appropriate upgrade if you've upped the power significantly over stock.

 

[84convertablegt]

or you could do like http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/ujoint_install/

VERY NICE

 

[krash kendall]

not to steal this thread, but how hard is it to change a u joint. i noticed mine are all rusted and seized kind of. is this something the home mechanic can do or do you need a press to get out the u joints?

You can use a couple blocks of wood, a mallet, and a socket the size of the cups with an extension on it to knock the joints through one way untill one cup comes out and then back the other way for the opposite cup.

I've used an arbor press thinking it would be more civilized, only to find the joints wouldn't budge and needed the impact of the mallet to break free of their pockets, so wound up on the shop floor anyway doing it the old way.

ON ZIRC FITTINGS

Any joints I've used with zirc fittings I found that when I got around to greasing them that they had sheared off at some point, so the fact that I had them was pointless. This was in my CJ7. There weren't any severe driveline angles to speak of or vibration problems, but nonetheless, they were always gone.

 

[84convertablegt]

when pulling off the caps with pliers, do they pull straight up and off?

 

[krash kendall]

when pulling off the caps with pliers, do they pull straight up and off?

After you've knocked them through, yes.

 

[huRACEmentPSR]

So I was out for a spin tonight in the '65, trying to listen to the strange popping noises coming from the rear end and feeling how the car swayed a little when you would step on the gas. Well, I pulled onto this street and out of first gear just nailed it to see what I could tear up. I took it to about 6k and BAM! I looked in the rearview to see a piece of metal come flying out from under the car. The engine had already died for some reason, so I was s**ting myself hoping I wouldn't see a trail of oil or anything. So, I stop the car and look under it to discover my driveshaft just hanging down, but was sitting on the x-pipe so it wasn't dragging. Under further inspection, I noticed that my U-joint caps had completely busted off in the rear. :damnit:

I am hoping that my wierd noises and feelings I was getting from the car were from this u-joint. They were pretty old anyway and slapping an engine with a s**tload more power than the stocker doesn't help.

same exact thing happened to me in my last car like...6 times i think. after it happened once or twice i messed up the 3rd member and it wouldnt stop happening until i got a new 3rd memeber. make sure everything else is ok before it happens agian

 

[88 Fox GT]

There's no need to get greaseable U-joints. You do sacrifice a bit of strength, but you'd probably never get to the point where that would be an issue. It's just unnecessary, as the non-greaseable kind are designed to last pretty much forever, for sure for more miles than you'll probably ever put on your stang.

Have you considered replacing the entire driveshaft? Do you have the type with the rubber insulator in it? Getting a nice new 1-pc steel or aluminum shaft is a very appropriate upgrade if you've upped the power significantly over stock.

Well, all I know is that I'm using the stock driveshaft that the car had when it was stock. It used to have a 6 cylinder in it, so I don't know if that makes the driveshaft any different or not.

Where is a good source to get driveshafts from? Summit?

 

[reenmachine]

Where is a good source to get driveshafts from?

http://eleanor.pro3i.com/showthread.php?t=548582

 

[Rjovi]

Where is a good source to get driveshafts from? Summit?

I own a driveshafts shop here in Colorado, contact me if you want to buy a new one.
Ford used a bunch of weird u joint sizes back in '65. My '65 had two of the smaller size on the driveshaft side and than a bigger size on the diff side. Ford loves to use x-over joints(two different sizes on the same joint.) I definitely recomend upgrading to 1310 series, which I'm sure is the size on the diff, if you don't have this already.

On the strength question - they are weaker when they are greasable because they are threaded for the zerk, and drilled hollow for the grease to travel through.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Be VERY glad the rear u-joint failed and not the front

I agree. I had that happen with my '65 doing about 80mph. Luckily the h-pipe caught it, but the shaft grabbed the trans yoke and shook the Toploader hard enough to break the driver's side bellhousing ears off. Wrecked the yoke too.

On the greasable joints, I would err on the side of strength. I cant remember the last time I or anyone I know needed to grease u-joints after installation.

 

[Rjovi]

I cant remember the last time I or anyone I know needed to grease u-joints after installation.

Exactly, that's what keeps me in business.
The non-greasable joints(spicer) are tighter and have better seals also, they are just a better joint

 

[88 Fox GT]

Well, I got the u-joint tonight, but it had the wrong caps on the sides that bolt to the rear end. They were too small, so we ordered another one and are going to give it a try.

I noticed that the driveshaft put a couple small dents in the driveshaft tunnel near the rear end. Also bent the hell out of one of the u-bolts that holds it to the rear end.

I also snapped my clutch cable in my '88 GT today. Luckily, I JUST got my replacement like 3 hrs before hand and had it with me. Got that replaced in a parking lot in about 20 mins. Not been having much luck with cars lately.

 

[Rjovi]

Well, I got the u-joint tonight, but it had the wrong caps on the sides that bolt to the rear end. They were too small, so we ordered another one and are going to give it a try.

Here are some u joint part #'s that might help, these are all spicer part #'s;

5-2173x - 1" cap in shaft and 1 1/8" cap in rear
5-1201x - 1 1/16" cap in shaft and 1 1/8" cap in rear
5-2140x - 1" cap in shaft and 1 1/16" cap in rear

I would guess it is the 5-2173x, these also have inside snap rings on the driveshaft side.