1/2 shaft rebuild

There are two similar looking halfshaft assemblies commonly found on Panteras: stock and Spicer. Neither are labelled but if you have Spicers, they take industry #1350 u-joints, also used in F-500 Ford trucks; the u-joints may be labelled 'Spicer'. If you have stock halfshafts, they use #1410s. You're far better off calling your favorite vendor, as things can go wrong really fast shopping these off the internet. Retaining c-clips differ a few thousandths in thickness and some combinations simply will not fit together in your axle parts; some brands of u-joints come with two thicknesses of c-clips, but internet shippers may not include both sets. One rapidly eats up a $3 savings/assembly chasing ill-fitting parts.

NOS Pantera u-joints back in the '70s seemed to be hardened all the way through, making them a bit brittle, as are some current far-east assemblies meant for low-torque 4 cylinder vehicles. Then there's the question of using a grease gun into zerk fittings (that may or may not be included) vs hand-greasing brand new joints without zerks or their drillings. U-joints often come NOT pre-greased, but only have a thin layer of storage presevative. Running on preservative alone guarantees trouble at an early date. And in my experience zerk fittings and their drillings do NOT 'weaken' u-joints. Quite a few 600 bhp Panteras run around open tracks with them, trouble-free.

Below is a sizing table if you have a precision caliper or micrometer available and are still gonna try saving a few bucks-
Series Dimensions Cap OD
1310 3.219" 1.062"
1330 3.625" 1.062"
1350 3.625" 1.188"
1410 4.188" 1.188"
1450 4.188" 1.375"
* 1350 Series Spicer Greaseable Universal Joint
measurements:
Dimension= 3.625" wide in both directions with caps on. All 4 bearing caps are 1.1875" diameter. All 4 use Outside type snap-rings.

Note that swapping caps around as the above table seems to indicate, does not guarantee that your assemblies will fit, either. Finally, the needed press-fit seems to vary in 40-year-old Pantera forged-steel companion flanges, and some stock flanges are now plain worn out. There is no known fix for a loose-fitting flange beyond replacement. No one currently makes them; I've made a few from 7075 aerospace aluminum and it's a real chore to get them sized right.

Sorry for being so long-winded but this subject comes up every few years re Panteras, and there's an enormous amount of non-info floating around the Web. Trying to control 300+ bhp with cut-rate u-joints will definitely give you problem$$$. IMHO there are better places to save money than in your supercar's driveline, brakes or steering. PM me if you have further questions.

Honestly this is one of the reasons I went with CV joints.

Dana/Spicer sells several models of u-joint with the 1410 part number. Of particular interest, #5-1410X u-joints are packaged with 3 sets of snap rings (3 differing thicknesses) color coded gold, black and purple.

The 5-1410X is permanently sealed with a high tech seal that prevents the loss of grease and prevents dirt or water getting past the seal too. The grease itself is supposed to be a high tech synthetic designed for high loads and high temperatures. I have always preferred u-joints equipped with zerk fittings, but I'd be willing to give these a try.

I don't know where they are manufactured, but the off-road guys swear by the durability of Dana/Spicer u-joints to this day, so they are still a quality part.

http://www2.dana.com/pdf/JOI-TEC-060.pdf

http://spicerparts.com/sites/d...rary/joi-tec-057.pdf


-G

I learned on the Goose....don't over grease! A shot or two is fine....any more than that, the grease in the internal channels works to get out via centripetal force....and the old rubber seals don't hold poo....

But I like that permanent looking X joint!!! That's just sexy...as seals go.....says the walrus.....!

Ciao!
Steve

I am getting set up to rebuild mine soon. Check my blog for updates.

I bought a set of U-joints from a vendor. The vendor price wasn't that much more than anywhere else and I took Jack's advice on this.

Corey

FWIW- to rebuild halfshafts by Jack's method:
First, take the halfshafts apart at the splined joint and check the sliding fit. I've seen several in which the splines were twisted and sticky- probably from shock loads either drag-racing or not getting out of the throttle when airborne. There is no fix for this and since halfshaft halves wear together, you probably aren't lucky enough to find a half of a junk halfshaft and have it fit together with another piece. If they're worn out, there's no sense continuing the rebuild; find another halfshaft.
There's a felt ring in the threaded connector holding the sliding splines together that could do with a spot of grease, as well as the spline zerk itself. When reassembling, be SURE to have the u-joint crosses index parallel or the car will shake like a wet dog at speed if you're off even one spline.
Then, replace the u-joints with your press, being sure they are greased beforehand if there are no zerks. The protective grease they're shipped with is not sufficient to drive on. If you don't need a press to push the old ones loose, the u-joint holder is probably worn out- also not repairable; see earlier post.
Finally, by using reduced-hex jet-nuts or 12-point nuts (available from Summit & others) on all 12 bolts, and arranging the bolts such that all 12 point toward the middle of the halfshafts, you can actually get a torque wrench on halfshaft nuts rather than guessing at the tightness with open-end wrenches like we always did before. If even one of the 12 bolts & nuts are even slightly loose, the car may shudder on hard acceleration. I do not use lock-washers on halfshaft bolts & nuts; I use small diameter hardened aircraft washers which do not crack.