The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline No u-joints anywhere??

So I've called around looking for a u-joint repair kit for my 52' half ton and nobody has them in stock. Everyone says their on back order. Anyone know where I can find one?
Thanks

Have you tried your FLAPS? You will be surprised what you can find there.

Unfortunately my local "FLAPS" are all big chain stores that say their computers don't go back that far. I'm gonna stop by a transmission/drive shaft shop and see if they can fix my u joint.

If I am looking for a part, I first check local FLAPS websites. In my area Advance Auto and Autozone are the most popular followed by NAPA. I go on their websites and look myself then arrive at the store with a part number. Takes all the frustration out dealing with the rookie behind the counter.

3-speed or 4-speed (important differences, if you need yokes)?

What parts are you looking for?

u-joint-cross & "caps"/bushings?

chevs of the 40s

http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/shop/s...p;dept=Truck&searchtype=FT&Go=Go

Go to a NAPA and tell them to pull a book off the shelf.
I was suprized at one of my local napa's it was a younger fella that knew the older stuff pretty good.

Finally found a supplier on ebay that had U joints in stock! Had to cancel my order today (ordered a month ago) from classicparts.com. Hopefully the manufacturer will get rolling again and get these u joints out to the big parts suppliers. I might order a second one just to have a back up in case something like this happens again in the future.

A note on compatibility. I have found that my 54 chevy pickup and 54 chevy sedan use the same u-joint and u-joint yoke that slides onto the drive shaft.

Walt Williams
La Verkin, UT

Walt,

Does your '54 sedan have a Powerglide transmission?
Does you '54 truck have a Hydra-Matic transmission?

oldchevytrucks has not told us what transmission he has (or, u-joint parts he needs).

TC,
The U-joint repair kit you posted earlier (http://www.classicparts.com/1940-54-U-Joint-Repair-Kit-1_2-Ton/productinfo/92-215/#.UVH82RyG30d ) from classicparts.com was the very kit I had ordered a month ago. My truck has a 3 speed on the column.

oldchevy trucks,

Sorry to hear about that. That kit is the easiest to find set of parts for a u-joint (Jim Carter and Chevs of the 40s, and I suppose other vendors have that kit). Some of the splined yokes are often harder to find.

Too bad no one posted a NAPA part number, so you could have gotten them locally. I could not find a set by searching NAPA.

I contacted every vender I could find including Jim Carters and Chevsofthe40s. I was surprised that not a single vender had the part. This is the first time I had this problem not being able to find a vender that actually had the part in stock. Almost everyone sells it, but nobody has it. The company on ebay I ordered from already has it shipped and on the way.

good perseverance, oldchevytrucks

My experience with u-joints for the older stuff has been that the local store probably has them, but often you need to do one of two things:
- If it is a relatively young person, make him take them off the
shelf and match yours OR, if you get permission, do it yourself
- Find an experienced (not necessarily old) person, they often can
recite the part number from memory
It's as Tim said, good perseverance.
don

My sedan has a powerglide. My 3100 pickup has a 4 speed.

Walt Williams
La Verkin, UT

My 1/2 ton 53 Chevy had a 4 speed transmission in it. The u-joint (4) bolts worked out on it. 1/4" bolts if I remember right. At that time there was no internet for help, no 4spd u joints to be found. So what I did was get one from a 3/4 ton truck that had a ball. Took it and the rear part of the 1/2 ton u-joint to a local machine shop. They turned out the original splined part on the rear of the 3/4 ton joint and welded and machined the splined portion from my 1/2 ton 4 spd joint. Works great, only thing is you need to pull the rear end back to separate the assembly now......
John