The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1950, Chevy 3600 u-joints, do they still exist?

Well here’s tonight’s dilemma. Pulled the rear drive shaft out last night because I was going to try and get some grease into the joint. After scraping away a pound or so of grease/mud, I could see some slop in the joint. I’d bet the u-joints haven’t been greased in 20 years nor the spring shackles.
So the stubs on the trunyon are supposed to be precision ground and they looked like 25 sided polygons. I’m surprised the needles aren’t all ground up.
So I’m explaining to the wife that I might as well just go ahead and replace all of them and the center bearing while I got her up on the stands and half tore down already. Then we won’t have to worry about the drive line. I’m telling her they shouldn’t run more than $10 or $12 each from a casual glance at a couple of catalogs that I have gotten in the last week. I guess that would be true if we had a ½ ton, except for the front one inside the ball, that one runs a whapping $175 and I think I saw a price of $225 exchange from one vendor.
The worst part is, there are none listed for the 3600, at any price. I spent around an hour on the net trying to find u-joints for a 1950 Chevy 3600 and came up empty. The rear and center are just standard Universal joints, I mean really, how many different sizes could they posably come up with for U joints? They don’t look like anything special and now I’m hoping that when I get the center support out that I can find one at Berry Bearing. The seals are gonna be another story, as is the front joint.
What are you guys with the heavy iron doing out there for drive line parts?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have not found any either; had to scrounge around junkyards for serviceable u-joints. I guess the demand is just not high enough to convince any manufacturers to make them.

I have a 49 3600 and although I dont need u-joints at this time I will some day. I havnt found a supplier either.If you come up with someone let me know. It would be very helpful.
Thanks

i know what you're going through. i also needed to replace u-joints on my 3/4 and could not find anyone who had them.

i ended up going to a driveshaft shop to see if they could help me out. while they were checking out the u-joints they discovered that the telescoping spline on the drive shaft had signigicant play. solution? we built a new driveshaft. they did a great job, i will have no trouble finding new u-joints for it (since they used a readily available product) and it looks just like the original. driveshaft and u-joints ran about $120.00. even if you don't need the driveshaft rebuilt, i bet any good driveshaft shop could match u-joints to the existing ones.

as far as the u-joint in the ball. mine was in great shape so i did not have to do anything with that or the carrier bearing. seals/gaskets are still available at napa and some of the vintage parts suppliers. if i remember correctly, i got the seal/gasket kit from grumpy's and all the tranny gaskets from napa.

hope this helps!

Denny Graham,

I'm going to go out on a limb here! If you have a competent auto supply house, you should be set.

U-joints can be identified by cross length, cap diameter and type of cap retention..outside clip, inside clip. If you have a parts store that deals in medium duty trucks, or even a good NAPA store around, you can take your old joint in and they should be able to match it up by its dimensions.

There are a bazillion u-joints out there, and one will fit your truck. Don't go on application, measure and find a match.

Stuart

Hy guys, I did some research on these "U" joints, I came up with some part numbers from different suppliers. Joint at transmission, 4spd. Republic p/n C1910, Spicer p/n 288-1X, GMC p/n 3609288 or 3689288. Joint at transmission 3spd. Republic p/n C1710, Spicer 302-13X, GMC p/n 591646. For all the other joints in the system, Republic CB1350A, or CB-R55, Spicer 5-7X, GMC p/ns 609515 609948 2186972 2186973 2230781 2450093 3708931, I don't personally understand why so many GMC numbers cross to the same part but thats what I found, I hope it helps you guys somewhat.

Ok guys, let me put this one to bed. Fred posted a number, Precision #331 back in Aug., long before I found this forum. I ran across his message last night. I’ve been searching every Stovebolt vendor out there and the only one that lists u-joints for my 1950 3600 was, the one Robin mentioned, heavychevy.com . As he also mentioned, their site is kind of confusing but I believe they have them priced at about $25, plus shipping and handling.
Well on a whim this afternoon, I stopped by my local auto parts store with the u-joint and a 6” dial caliper, of course the parts book doesn’t go back that far, but the counterman reached around the corner and the first one he grabbed off the shelf matched up perfectly. Ya want a Number? Precision #331, $15.85, and no shipping or handling. I asked him what that u-joint was used on and he said all the ¾ ton Chevy’s.
So there it is, definitive answer. Why none of our vendors list them in their catalogs is a mystery to me. They seem to be able to supply the center bearing and rubber just fine. And they also seem to have the $200 front joint.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Obsolete Chevrolet says they sell them for $225.

I've found them for about $75, bought two but that was way back
when. Looks like they're getting much more elusive that they
can demand that sort of price for one.
A little heads up here. I've had bad dealings with Tim Tygart's
Obsolete Chevrolet Parts. Bought some NOS parts a few years
back and they'd been modified or a better description would be
butchered from the original part so they would fit an older
truck. They also appeared to have been on a shelf where they
got rust pitted then they spray painted over the rust.
That was enough to turn me off to that vendor, just a word
to the wise.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have bought a lot of parts from Obsolete Chevrolet and have always been pleased. I would highly recommend them.

Just to keep this thread from going off in some weird direction,
the rear U-joints are common stock at all of your FLAPS, it's
the front enclosed one that is no longer available and hard to
find.
Glad you had good luck with that vendor, I'm sure most of the
customers fall into your category or else they wouldn't still
be in business. Mind you now, I didn't say not to do business
with them, just to be on guard when buying NOS parts and
because of my experience I'll shop elsewhere.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Good answers Denny. May I add something here also. I work part time for Carolina Driveline. Tom has been doing this for years but I have to admit, he has no "book" listings for vehicles. However, he does have a way of identifying and knowing what will work. He has his ways of measuring that will tell him what current part that he can use.

May I also add that he can "make" you a joint that will do the job and maybe for less than some prices I see posted just for the part.
That said, remember to check to see if there is a driveline shop close to you that can do the same things.... before you give your money to some high price mark up...... just adding my .02

Here is where I work part time. I've known Tom and Jennifer for 14 years. Great folks.

http://www.carolinadriveline.com/

I've taken shafts to racing shops, including Nascar, transmission shops, 4X4 and specialty shops, big tractor rigs to lawn and garden shops. They tell me if Tom can't do it can't be done. I see him fix stuff that other people have royally messed up. He works everyday out in the shop with his guys, not at his desk. He also builds/repairs and ships a lot of places. Currently just finished modifying a 1928 Buick driveshaft/driveline that is incredible.

Whew, did that sound like an advertisement?

Not at all Alvin. Nothing wrong with pointing people toward a
shop that can fabricate parts that are no longer in production
and are in rapidly disappearing NOS. No different than steering
a member to Jim Carter or Novak or LeBaron Bonney.
As you've seen, when I had my shop up and running that's what I
really enjoyed doing the most, that is, making the parts that
ya just can't find anymore. I'm old and slow now so I've only
got the time to make stuff for myself. It's nice to know there
are people that still possess the skill and desire to make a
living at custom fabrication. The poor quality reproductions
that are coming to us from off shore are better than nothing
but very often need to be reworked to make them usable. I'd
like to see more small shops here in the states pickup the ball
and start reproducing parts here.
When I had a hard time finding an enclosed 3/4 ton U-joint for
the '50 I though about fabricating one. If I hadn't been able
to locate a couple new ones I might have delved into it further.
If you have access to a Mill, a lathe and a few other common shop
tools there isn't much in the way mechanical that you can't
reproduce on these old trucks.
The trunnion or cross and bushings are the only parts
that normally needs replacement in these ring and
trunnion style U-joints.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/153506583
They're making the rebuild kits for the 1/2 ton but they won't
work in the 3/4 ton. The bushings would be easy but the
trunnion would have to be fabricated from a billet and of
course the parts would have to be made from an alloy and be
properly heat treated. To do it right, the way the factory made
them, they would need to be ground to size after heat treat.

Well, maybe some day,,,,, heck at $225 a pop for NOS it may be
profitable to fab new rebuild kits. Someone some day is bound
to see that void and jump in to fill it.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

the U joints are the same from 1948 to 1972 3/4 tons. My 48 3/4 ton used the 331 Precision for both joints... I believe both together cost me about fifty bucks. All you have to do is bring one of the u joint caps so they can match it up because there are two different options. I believe its either the 331 or the 269 or is it 369... well anyway its something 69

that's for the rear two u-joints

Yes PJ, we posted that Federal Mogul Precision #331 number way
back in '06 for the two rear u-joints. Very common part
available every where even in the far reaches of Lake Wobegon,
Minnesota. Here's just one FLAPS listing who's price is typical
at only $15.99:
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PRE0/331.oap?pt=01462&ppt=C0362
That number is shown to fit 2773 different Chevrolet
applications, 2801 GMC applications, 1850 Ford applications.
Silverado's and Suburban's are just a couple that used them all
the way up to 2006, so I guess we could upgrade the years from
1948-2006, and maybe more, but that's really enough to assure
that they will be available for many decades.
The one that we've been addressing here for six or seven years
in this thread is the front one which is enclosed in the ball
at the transmission. That u-joint or a u-joint
rebuilding kit is not available any more and NOS is
about impossible to find at a reasonable price.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have one that was sent to me by mistake if you want it.