RowdyRebel Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 What is the current record for the length of time since installation for a catastrophic failure of a u-joint? I got 2 months out of this one: Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Shit... 2 Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Driving down the road & heard a "pop"...thought I saw some debris fly up from the catwalk out of the corner of my eye, so I slowed down and was trying to make it to a gravel pull-off a little ways away...still had power, just didn't want to use too much of it until I could see what was going on. Still had oil pressure and I wasn't losing any fluids, but when I poked my head out the back window and looked down, I could see the shaft wasn't turning as smooth as it should have been, so I slowed down even more hoping it would hold together. Came up about a mile short before it grenaded completely. First u-joint on the drive shaft...transmission yolk. Luckily, the carrier bearing caught it so it didn't hit the ground and cause significant collateral damage, but it still took it's toll on the truck. Ruptured the fuel return line (fuel quit leaking when I shut off the truck) and broke an air fitting from the air dryer. It also ripped the electrical wiring from the back of the socket at the back of the cab (where the truck end of the pigtail plugs into), so I get to rewire that. A new carrier bearing, a few new u-joints (going to change the other 2 now as well) and probably a new yolk for the front of that first section of drive shaft. Fun. Set 1/2 in the grass and 1/2 in the road on a 2-lane for about 2 hours waiting on the wrecker to show up...had the truck prepped & ready long before they got there, though. When I'm paying 'em by the hour, I just can't see sitting on my hands for 2 hours waiting for them to arrive and then watch them work for 20-30 minutes doing the things I could have had done before they arrived...securing the broken driveshaft, disconnecting and securing the other end of the shaft in front of the first drive axle, tying up the steering wheel, disconnecting and stowing the blue airline and electric to the trailer, having the adapter they'll need to plug the red line into my air tank, etc... By the time the wrecker shows up, all he should have to do is run his red line to my tractor tank, blue line & electric to the trailer, put the forks under the steer axle, chain it up, and roll. Cost me $877 to get towed back to the house...not exactly what I needed right now. Wife has already been complaining about how expensive the truck is to keep running, but when it IS running, it brings home more in a week than she'll make in a month. She never remembers THAT part, though. Oh well. Anyway, I've NEVER had a u-joint fail this quickly. Usually the start making noise or at least get loose as they wear giving you some warning that they need attention. Heck, I've pushed a worn u-joint quite a ways before without failure. This one was still tight with no play whatsoever (which would be expected seeing as how it was JUST installed in June) last weekend when I last greased it. Oh well...$#!t happens. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKS Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Somebody screwed up big time when they installed that one,that sucks big time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 22, 2014 Author Share Posted August 22, 2014 Went together same as every other u-joint I've ever installed... Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 What we have here is viscosity breakdown...... Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcel67 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 Yup got it 3 weeks ago on one of my trucks pulling a reefer. Fixed it in Virginia on my way to NY. Paid the guy have the driver rolling next day broke again. Guy forgot to tide the bolds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 could it possibly be the yoke failed, thus causing the u-joint to follow?And yes, they have no idea how much it makes, just how much it costs Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 this is what mine looked like.wasn't getting grease to all 4 1 Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullhusk Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 I have had the same thing happen just last month on a new U-Joit about the same size as yours and also about 3 weeks old! The problem I see with mine is that the retainer on the cap was not holding the grease inside the bearing and when it got hot it just ran out and bingo!! I took it back cause it looked to me like the retainer (plastic) melted and failed leaving the grease to run out!!BULLHUSK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umodelnut Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I was driving the U model around the yard one day grabbing gears and Papa walks out and tells me to stop. Goes over and wiggles the driveshaft and hes like I think you got a bad u joint. Took it out and the needles were shavings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer52 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Foreign made parts? Quote Ken PRR Country and Charter member of the "Mack Pack" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead204 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 sometimes spicer is the cheaper u joint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 I have had the same thing happen just last month on a new U-Joit about the same size as yours and also about 3 weeks old! The problem I see with mine is that the retainer on the cap was not holding the grease inside the bearing and when it got hot it just ran out and bingo!! I took it back cause it looked to me like the retainer (plastic) melted and failed leaving the grease to run out!!BULLHUSKmate the grease wont run out centrifical force will see to that it dont matter how hot it gets but I could be wrong when we grease uni's always grease till new grease comes out all 4 cups very rare any thing fails Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 23, 2014 Author Share Posted August 23, 2014 We grease 'em the same way up here... Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtymilkman Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Technically you're supposed to pump grease into both grease zerks till grease comes out of all four caps with no air popping out. Then wipe off excess grease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Well, got my drive shaft back today. Went to put it in and the damn thing is about an inch longer than what it was when I dropped it off...1/2 inch too long for the carrier bearing holes to line up with the slots on the bracket mounted on the cross member. So, looks like this ENTIRE week is shot to hell... Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j hancock Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Beat the guy at the drive shaft shop with it, that will make it shorter.Oooops, I made a promise to be nice today. That didn't work. Quote JimIt doesn't cost anything to pay attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Correction...2" too long. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j hancock Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 1" inch short, 2" inch short, short is short. Measure twice, cut once.Hopefully he doesn't try to sell you a u joint shim pack. Quote JimIt doesn't cost anything to pay attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead204 Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 you just need a JONNY CASH adaptor kit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Not short...2" longer than it should have been. Apparently the tube got dinged and they replaced it...don't know how they measured it or where they took their measurements from...all I know is that the carrier bearing doesn't bolt up and is 2" further to the rear than it used to be. If I were to figure out a way to make it work, the next one might be just as far off...and the last shaft might not go in. Sure, the last one has the slip shaft, but when the airbags are dumped it is compressed. I'd like enough slack so that the shaft can still be installed with the bags down so that it isn't bottoming out every night when the air leaks out or every load when I dump the bags before raising the bed. Just seems like it would be hard on transmission parts if the driveshaft was pressing forward every time the suspension had the air let out. Anyway, I want some answers from the shop prior to my attempting to redneck engineer a fix. Truck has already been down since Friday morning...4th week of work I've missed this summer and that ain't good for the budget. Was HOPING to be back to work tomorrow, but still waiting on an air valve to come in, too...should be here tomorrow morning. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmackpaul Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 and if the shaft is to short they can fall out when going thru big gutters you need to get goldilocs on the job it needs to be just right Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Ditchkus Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Looks like the man cut it twice and its still too short.I hope better service on the new u-joint. Joe D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j hancock Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 Long....Short......It is f.....ing WRONG!!Sorry for the misread. Hope you get back on the road quickly. 1 Quote JimIt doesn't cost anything to pay attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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