Front Axle Shaft U-Joints

[mstaley]

I'm currently doing a the re-gear upgrade on my axles. My question is regarding the u-joints in the front axle shafts. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with them. I'm currently in the cleaning phase of the axle housing and related parts. The u-joints are packed full of dirty old grease. The easiest way I see to clean them is disassembly. What kind of bad things could happen by doing this? I'm assuming I could just press them out like a driveshaft u-joint. Will this damage any thing? Can they be reused? In the parts manual I don't see a separate listing for just the u-joints. If I do muck it up can replacements even be obtained? Everyone on here has always been very helpful. Thank you in advance.

[Don Cavey]

I'm currently doing a the re-gear upgrade on my axles. My question is regarding the u-joints in the front axle shafts. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with them. I'm currently in the cleaning phase of the axle housing and related parts. The u-joints are packed full of dirty old grease. The easiest way I see to clean them is disassembly. What kind of bad things could happen by doing this? I'm assuming I could just press them out like a driveshaft u-joint. Will this damage any thing? Can they be reused? In the parts manual I don't see a separate listing for just the u-joints. If I do muck it up can replacements even be obtained? Everyone on here has always been very helpful. Thank you in advance.

You can reuse them. But... new ones made in the USA are available from NAPA for about $10.00 each. So, the question is, "Is it worth the trouble?" And you will still have an old joint when you are finished.

So now, decisions, decisions...

[jeepdan]

Sorry Don, I must have been typing along with you.

I'm interested in what the other experienced Zoners have to say about this.
What I have done with restoring my other old jeeps, has been this.
If you don't find any water contamination, and the u-joints feel fine.
Just leave them alone. The older u-joint just might be better quality than what you can find to replace it with.
Wipe them clean with a clean rag and do the same with the ball cavity, using several clean rags.
Then refill with the proper lubricant.

What is the proper lubricant?

[jeepdan]

This not having anything to do with u-joints, but the other day I bought some brake hardware.
On the package it said, "Made in one of the following countries, USA, CHINA, KOREA"

[Barrman]

I knew this thread was going to end up with "knuckle pudding" as soon as I saw the title.

U-Joint wise the advice in the post above is good. If the old ones can be serviced, go for it and drive on. I have installed new ones on both of my M1009's. I only broke a single stub shaft out of the four. Those parts are easy to find. M715 stub shafts aren't as common.

However, if you don't have lock out hubs. Those u-joints are spinning every time you move the truck. They also have to bend every time you turn lock out hubs or not.

Then there is what lubricant to put in the knuckle. The manual says gear oil. Many people pour it in and it runs right out because the felt seals are bad or the little plastic rings that go in there are no longer smooth. So, they add grease with a little bit of gear oil. If it doesn't leak out, they add more oil. Once the u-joint starts spinning, it mixes it all up so it looks like a pudding. Hence the name Knuckle Pudding.

If you want to make people mad, go to G503 and ask about knuckle pudding. Then once they start to answer and they have some people over there who are very opinionated about it. Tell them they are wrong and the other way is best. The fireworks will fly.

I pack the cavity with grease before I put the axle shaft in, put everything together and then use the access plug to fill it full of gear oil. No leaks, good ujoints and no worn king pin bushings so far.

We had a member years ago who drilled out the stock knuckle fill plug, threaded them and put grease zerks in them. He would then pump and pump and pump grease in. He said it worked great. He lost a wheel getting home from the 2004 FE, bought CUCV axles and swapped them in. I bought his old axles. When I pulled them apart there was grease in the center chunk and all along the axle tubes. A little bit of over kill.

Basically, do as you wish as long as the u-joints move easily, won't bind up while turning corners and have some kind of lube in there.

[Duane]

"If you want to make people mad, go to G503 and ask about knuckle pudding. Then once they start to answer and they have some people over there who are very opinionated about it. Tell them they are wrong and the other way is best. The fireworks will fly."


I have been a follower of the G503 zone for years, and yes axle knuckle grease has been a very talked about topic, when I redid the front axle on my 63 cj5, I had the old style (rezeppa?) style joints on the axle, and decided to use cv joint grease in it, witch is a lot like corn head grease that I use in my pto winches. and have had very good luck with it.

on the ujoint topic, I would grease your originals and reuse them. a new one really is no better than a used one that there is nothing wrong with.

Duane