I don't use a torque wrench either, some people just use too much wrench or too long of a ratchet to tighten them. I use a 1/4" drive ratchet with a short socket.
No torque wrench here either. It would be hard to overtorque one of those with an open end wrench. Nobody has suggested the possibility of the added torque of the new engine twisting up the rear axle enough to cause a bind in the u-joint. I don't believe the o/p mentioned the use of any traction aids to eliminate axle wrap (only lowering blocks which worsen axle wrap) but I may have missed it.
A drive shaft shop, once, told me to use new lock washers, and just tighten the nut until the lock washer flattens.
No "traction aids" really. I do have the leafs clamped and I have a rear swaybar, but that's it. Also the joints I've been using are Moog #430. I believe it has two different sized bearing caps but I'm not certain of that. I know the caps fit tightly in the driveshaft though.
They must fit tightly into the yoke too! I remember getting one once that fit the driveshaft, but was loose in the yoke. It was the only one I could get at the time, so I went really easy on the car for a week or so until I could get the right one! I don't remember the number, but it was made by Spicer and it did have two different size caps.
The Moog 430 u joints show that they have 1 1/8" caps on all 4 corners, so if you are using them and the caps are breaking in the drive line yoke then that is probably your problem. Must be pretty hard to get them in the drive line yoke, my guess is you are using a press
Maybe it wasn't the 430 then. I recall using whatever Moog joint Rockauto listed for our cars, and it seemed to fit fine. I finally got under it today though and it turns out the rear joint is fine this time, it's the front! Which could actually be older than me for all I know, so that makes me feel better. I blame the new tires on the back.
driveshaft So...now you've torn up multiple rear u-joints and a frt one too boot. Something else is wrong...this should not be happening. As said before, I'd have that driveshaft double checked, and put a protractor on it to make certian the pinion angle is correct. I believe anything less than 4* down is insufficent? Not a sermon..just a thought
I thought the same thing until I broke the the...rear yoke...off twice... went back to the stock small Dia. shaft...
Ouch. But I never cut off a vindictive gypsy in traffic and had my entire drivetrain cursed like you did...
I went with a stock steel 04 Stang shaft bought new off ebay, it was a "left over" from the 04 production.
