Ever since the 351w swap, my car's been hell on u-joints. I keep busting the bearing caps. Stock rearend, C4, stock driveshaft, engine mounts are the same as I had on my 302. It's smooth as can be, there are no driveline vibrations... I am using 1" lowering blocks but they've been on the car for years. I don't think there's anything wrong with the pinion angle. I drive the car all the time, and yes I have a lead foot. Is this just part of the deal when you put a lot of torque to a stock driveline, or is something likely to be wrong? I'll just keep putting u-joints in every few months if I have to, but that doesn't seem right. I don't want to ignore a problem if I have one, but I also don't want to be chasing down some non-existent issue either.
Are you breaking the diff yoke end or the trans yoke end? Could wheel hop be snapping your u-joints? When you installed the last new ones, were they free to rotate and not binding?
It's been the rear u-joint so far. I'm hearing that telltale clank again and I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure it's the rear one going out on me again. When I installed it last, it was moving smoothly and I greased it up good. I'm not having any wheel hop.
And as far as you can tell, the pinion yoke, u-bolts and driveshaft ends all look OK? How do you replace your u-joints? Do you use a press or a one of these: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WESTWARD-Service-Tool-Kit-1MZN8?gclid=CPeIrL7NjbMCFYuZ4Aod138A6A&cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLA-_-Fleet%20and%20Vehicle%20Maintenance-_-Automotive%20Mechanical-_-1MZN8&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1MZN8&ef_id=UHtooAAAVvw@Ri6M:20121019172915:s
Are they ones with the large needle bearings or the small needle bearings? The ones with large needle bearings are garbage! Try to get some that have the small needles and you should be good to go!
when you put in your u jioints are you making sure theyre in between the little tabs? Ive done that a few times changing mine. in a rush or cant see or just plain dont to be fixing on anything and not paying attention that will give you trouble. but maybe your rear end has just a little play in it where it slams the ujoint every time you step on the car a little
I had the same issue and I thought it was pinion angle so I went to hell and back trying to get it just right. I finally got frustrated enough to take the driveshaft to a local driveshaft repair shop. He spun it up on the machine and it was shaped more like a banana than a precision driveline component. He was able to straighten it and rebalance it. So far so good. I had this driveshaft shortened by a different facility and I had returned there when I had the first rear joint failure and they told me it was fine. The cap u-bolt torque and using the correct rear joint is critical. The u-bolt caps are thicker and some parts databases show both joints to be the same. I assure you, they are different, just in case you didn't already know.
I bet we have a winner right there. I've had the driveshaft out a few times changing the trans, or the engine, plus the times I've pulled it to change the u-joint, and I have not once put those straps on with a torque wrench. I've very likely overtightened them.
I'd bet you have the wrong diameter caps for the pinion yoke. I've run into this before. Make sure the caps fit snugly into the yoke saddles, if they're loose, pick a joint with a slightly larger diamter cap. Might also try a better quality joint too. I've never used a torque wrench to tighten U bolts on a joint and never busted the caps.
Torque wrench not needed, just dont cram them down till there way tight went through this in my teen years
Every time I have got a u joint from the parts houses they give me a 1310 because they say thats what the book calls for but in actuality you need what is called a 1310 special which is a hybrid you joint, it has a 1310 has the caps all the same size at 1 1/16" the correct one for a Maverick needs to have 1 1/16" for the driveline yoke and 1 1/8" for the third member yoke. This subject has been brought up before and Summit carries the correct u joint but I dont remember the number. I just buy 2 u joints and put the caps off of the 1 1/8" joint on the 1310. Been working for several years with a lot of racing action.