The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Chinese Replacement U-Joint with needle bearings

Hello all, I am here to announce I am the proud owner of a replacement U-joint Chinese made. The only problem is although the U-joint looks the same the caps have needle bearings and grease to hold them there. There is no zert fitting hole in it, but it wouldn't matter anyway because it is inside the transmission ball on my 53 3100 with a SM420 enclosed torque tube. Will the heat melt the heavy grease and let the 90 weight in to lubricate the U-joint or will it not be smart at all to use it. I can use it as an expensive fishing weight and try to find an NOS one or a good replacement if I shouldn't use it. I did a few searches on here and read a couple of strings and it seems like Spicer is the crowd favorite. Also the spline has a wear groove where one cap sat. Can that be honed out or do I need to replace the front spline also. This is the truck that had the front spline that exploded when I wasn't in it if anyone remembers all that. I sent the 3rd member to Patrick's in Casa Grande and all is fixed now. The original problem I found was the flange that holds the ball to the transmission was bolted fast with no gaskets causing the ball to be unable to adjust to slight driveline angle changes when driven. I suspect it never happened to me and only because it had the weight of 2 men in the truck it was enough to move the angle and get it hot and burn the OKIE bushing up. I have had some personal problems getting back to it and now I am almost done putting everything back together. I always thought that since I was going to be this deep into it I should replace the U-Joint also. I bought it 3 or 4 months back or more, so I have no idea who I bought it from on Ebay. I should have inspected it then but I didn't I just threw the box on the bench when it arrived. Here are a few pictures. I am open to any suggestions and/or comments. Thanks Much, John

Chinese U-Joint Pictures Click Here

John,

Looks like you will be the Guinea Pig lab test on using this style of u-joint assembly in a torque tube (unless someone else posts their experience).

Make sure you properly fill the transmission with lubricant. After running/driving on a short trip, check and top up the transmission lubricant. If you have significant dripping near the u-joint bell/ball (this is not not uncommon), top up the transmission regularly.

Also, you most likely know about how to determine the number of gaskets needed at the ball/bell to allow proper seal and proper flexibility (the Shop Manual describes the adjustment procedure)?

What would happen if a person were to drill a hole in the end of the caps?

John, I don't see how that U-joint is going to cause a problem,
a needle U-joint has been the standard for many, many decades.
The lubricant called for in the old service manuals was gear
oil not chassis grease. If there are no seals in the bearing
caps the transmissioin lubricant should get to the needles just
fine. Not everything made in China is junk. Made in Japan had
that stigma when I was a kid growing up in the 50's but look at
where they are now, they're building our cars, our electronics,
our machine tools and on and on.
I think that needle bearing U-joint is a vast improvement over
the steel bushing one that was originally in the trucks. I'm
suprised we haven't seen them offered by JC, Chevs of the 40,
Filling Station, LMC or the Truck & Car Store.
As Tim pointed out, just make sure that you keep the
transmission topped off to the fill hole because the ball is
going to soak some up till it levels off.
I only wish they would start making one for the 3600 series trucks.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Wow, Great point Denny... My mind went to the junk-negative place immediately. After reading your thoughtful comments I can see I was wrong. I never looked at it as an improvement. Thanks Denny for setting me straight. I will use it and check the level after each ride. The caps do not have seals on them so the oil should flow in and out. Now I feel embarrassed I wasn't a little more open minded. I guess we all learn something everyday. I can see how the needle bearings could be a vast improvement. My mind went to people being locked in a building and not allowed to leave with barbed wire around the windows and roof to keep them there. That was my thought. Thanks for getting me over that thinking hump to an education side.

Yes Tim, I was aware of the adjustment since I had to do some detective work to see what caused the original failure. I already have that printed out in the garage and will have it handy this time when "I" put it back together. That was a waste of a lot of money and then a lot more to pay someone else to do it for me. Thanks for that suggestion for sure.

Thanks Denny and Tim for the suggestions. I will put it in and report back if I have a failure so we all know.

PS to Tim. Grew up in Monroe New York just off the Harriman exit. Every time I see your profile on here it makes me home sick when I see your town. Wish I was there, except in the winter!

On the VCCA site in a discussion a while ago, it was stated that the 1940 and 41 Chev sedan had a needle bearing u-joint in the torque tube. This was stated by a very good source.

Enjoy! everything is made in china now. All your bandages etc etc.