Spicer half shafts

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with OEM halfshafts. Spicer halfshafts were created solely because factory u-joints are an odd size and were priced (for a while) at over $70 each- $500 for all 4. OEMs were also prone to breaking without warning, freeing the halfshaft to flail around like a 20-lb war-club. Normally, the ZF case cracked open like a walnut, or you lost your inner fender panel and rear brake hose.... Nowadays, good aftermarket replacement u-joints have been found for OEM halfshafts, at reasonable prices, that solves all the original problems. FYI, Spicers take F-500 Ford truck u-joints and OEMs are sized even larger.

Jack, have you acually seen a broken shaft?
I have seen a few cars with damage from broken shafts. Also a lot "newer greesed" U-joints on its way to collaps. Arent the brakeing problems related to bad maintaince?

The way I have treated both original and spicer shafts I cant understand how regular driving could ever damage a well greased shaft.
Goran Malmberg

No, Goran- I've never seen an actual a broken half-shaft either OEM or Spicer, just broken u-joints. I have one OEM halfshaft in my garage (not off my car) that has twisted splines from what I suspect is from high-rpm drag-race starts with gumball tires, so the two halves will no longer slide in & out freely, but it isn't exactly broken . I suppose if an inner u-joint broke at very high road speed and the driver was paralyzed by the noise for a few seconds before he gets the car stopped, the innumerable impacts against the ZF & other parts could break or severely damage a halfshaft, but thats only my speculation. Frequent inspections of the u-joint caps for a shiny circle under the snap-rings is a sure sign of the cap rotating due to siezure of the needle bearings. Red rust at the seal area of the cross is another sure sign. U-joint breakage soon follows. Greasing such a u-joint does nothing to prevent disasterous breakage, as there's flat-spotted or missing needles inside the cap & grease won't replace missing metal.

u mean kinda like this??
http://www.jacobsracing.com/ujoint_failure.html



Crash Test Dumba$$ in action!

What application replaces the original half shaft U Joint?

Jack,

When I push up and down on the rear of my car I can hear a clicking noise. I'm not sure but it sounds like it might be coming from one of the half-shafts or U-joints. Any ideas?

Alan

quote:

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Frequent inspections of the u-joint caps for a shiny circle under the snap-rings is a sure sign of the cap rotating due to siezure of the needle bearings. Red rust at the seal area of the cross is another sure sign. U-joint breakage soon follows. Greasing such a u-joint does nothing to prevent disasterous breakage, as there's flat-spotted or missing needles inside the cap & grease won't replace missing metal.[/B]

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Originally posted by Alan B:


Jack,

When I push up and down on the rear of my car I can hear a clicking noise. I'm not sure but it sounds like it might be coming from one of the half-shafts or U-joints. Any ideas?

Alan

Not Jack, but I will suggest getting under the car and grabing the shaft (hee, hee...he said "shaft"), and shaking it up & down and see if it moves. Mine appeared not to be worn as Jack mentions (no shiny surface), but when shaking the shaft, there was a good deal of movement of at least 1/4 inch or so...thus rebuild was due.

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Dunno what cross-references Pantera U-joints to stock half-shafts, but the vendors do. They did their homework, found something that fits and deserve a little profit from their labors. I buy mine from them.
Diagnosing a sound by long-distance is almost impossible. A 'clicking noise' could come from 3 or 4 places back there, First, look closely at the end-caps of the u-joints- the easy ones inboard and the ones inside the wheelwells where you may need to pull the rear wheels. If theres a shiny polished area underneath the snap-ring that holds the joints together, that joint needs very rapid replacement. Red dust around the cross is also a sure sign of failure.
Second, stock outer stub-axles were undersized from the factory such that the very hard wheel bearing races fret and wear the softer axle surfaces- I've seen grooves 1/4" deep worn in axles.... and they're hollow! This can easily be checked by having a friend throw his haunch into the rear fender while you look closely at the half-shaft. If the halfshaft bows upward, the axle or wheel bearings (or both!) are bad. If not, the shaft will telescope a little.
Third, the lowerr pivot of the axle carrier has a long shft that forms the connection for the lower a-arm. Inside the ca\rrier are two small, thin bushings that likely have NEVER been greased. If one/both are worn, the lower shaft can move around, somtimes making a sound.
Finally, the rubber lower shock bushings often collapse from the wt of the car & age. This allows the bottom of the shock body to touch the triangular welded mount under load, sometimes making a sound.
Other things look for the exhaust touching anything else under load. Or, the sound may not even be coming from the rear- sound travels long distances under a car. Good luck.

Thanks. Lots of stuff to check out this weekend.

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