i'm posting this message to let others know of a mistake i made installing the rear universal on my 55 first series 1/2 ton. the joint is a crossover type that also has a grease fitting on it. i drove the truck for the first time last week, and the rear end was trying to stop with every revolution of the drive shaft. i thought that the ring or pinion must have a serious problem, so i took off the back diff. cover and the planetary carrior out to find there was no problem. then i rotated the driveshaft and pinion and found that the universal was binding on the front of the pinion shaft. i installed the joint backwards, and the lump in the casting for the grease cavity was hitting the pinion shaft. removing the joint and turning it so the fitting is facing the front solved the problem. well i needed to replace the axle seals and gear oil anyways! hope this post helps some else in the future. good luck.


our garage is a non-profit organization