Anyone ever had any problems with their rear u-joint squeaking or breaking? The squeak is pretty loud and seems linked to the rpms, the higher the rpms the louder and faster the squeak. Is there a way i could lube it? If not the u-joint then maybe a squeaky brake pad? Haven't had a chance to put the car up on stands yet to spin the tires by hand.

 

Are they the stock U-Joints?

 

well i got my ory installed at a muffler shop and the guy told me that i should have my u joint checked out. Ive never heard any weird noises or anything like that before. heck i dont even know what a bad u joint would sound. HOw bad is this?

 

If they are the stock U-Joints you can't lube them. Spicer makes HD U-Joints for our cars in (2) verisons: (1) that you can lube thru a zerk fitting using a grease gun, & (1) that you can't.

To be honest with you, if ya get a replacement go with the non greasable versions of the Spicer. I had a set of the greaseables in my T/A at first but they will spray grease all over the underneath of your car at each end

So I put in the non-greaseable set and everything is fine

As far as how bad is it? It depends on the condition of the U-Joint ends and little roller bearings inside the caps. I can tell you that when the U-Joint fails - the DS is coming off - along with alot of other **** that is in it's way...

I would just replace the U-Joints on each end with a set of Spicers - should run ya around $60.

-Jay-

 

Can you replace them yourself or would a shop have to do it?

 

x2 and how much would a shop run, i know every shop is diff. but just an estimate.

and i dont know if its related to this or not, but every now and then when i put my car in revers, i hear this clunk noise. I did some search on this and from what i got, it seems to be related.

 

You can do it yourself as long as you have access to an Arbor Press or a Large Vise.

If they are the original U-Joints the cap retainers are actually a plastic that is flowed into the retainer groove. You have to heat the yoke ear area of the DS for the (2) caps with a torch to melt out the factory retainers, then using a short piece of pipe with an ID bigger than the U-Joint cap for the receiving end, and let's say, a socket slightly smaller than the cap OD on the other (driving) side, put in a press or a vise and push the cap on the receiving end out of the DS yoke ear by pushing on the driving end mandrel, then reverse the process for the cap on the other side only use something the same size as the u-joint spider shaft OD as the driving mandrel. Once both the caps are pressed out the u-joint spider will come right out of the yoke.

When installing the new u-joint you will first need to press a u-joint cap into the DS yoke from the outside of the yoke ear till the retaining clip groove on the cap clears the inside surface of the DS yoke ear, then install the new metal retaining clip onto that cap on the inside of the DS yoke. The new u-joint must be loosely installed into position between the DS yoke ears before you do this otherwise you will not be able to get it between the yoke ears. Make sure that as you press the new cap into place that the new u-joint shaft engages into the new cap.

You will then press the other (opposite side) new cap into the DS yoke ear from the outside - again until the retaining clip groove on the cap clears the inside of the yoke ear and agian, making certain that the u-joint shaft aligns with the bore of the cap as you press it in. Then install the other new retaining ring and you're done!

It probably sounds way more complicated/detailed from my description that it actually is. I've done quite a few u-joint replacements just using a large vise as the press with absolutly no problems.

-Jay-

 

So do u-joints commonly fail on these cars or am i just unlucky? Im putting the car on stands today to further inspect it.

 

Common to fail on f-bodies=no...common to fail on 99-03 Gm trucks=yes.