How to check u-joints?

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:29 pm

Just wondering how to check the rear driveshaft u-joint. Besides it possibly getting hot to the touch, any other indicators of it going bad?

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:35 pm

squeak, squeak, squeak when going through a parking lot,
sometimes they will get very loose to the touch as well have seen them where you could turn them 1/4 of a turn almost, ( totally gone) thats when the bearings/ caps are ready to fall out when you're driving.
You can remove the driveshaft as well and try moving them if it s very hard then most likely they are toast

USPLibby · **Joined:** Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:29 am **Posts:** 377

I saw a video, maybe on this website, showing how to check your U-joints. You crawl underneath your Jeep and push up on U-joint. It shouldn't move that much. A bad U-Joint will move up and down a lot = 1/2" to a couple inches.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:11 pm

USPLibby wrote:

I saw a video, maybe on this website, showing how to check your U-joints. You crawl underneath your Jeep and push up on U-joint. It shouldn't move that much. A bad U-Joint will move up and down a lot = 1/2" to a couple inches.

not always true, mine were so rusted up they were almost solid, no move at all
true sometimes but not always

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:17 pm

Mine were the same way...zero play, but they caused a lot of driveline vibration

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:23 pm

cool beans...thanks

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 16, 2009 6:24 pm

if you have cool beans you need to check and make sure your 12v crockpot is plugged in and getting power

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:15 am

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

if you have cool beans you need to check and make sure your 12v crockpot is plugged in and getting power

That's a crackpot. :mrgreen:

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:08 pm

Does anyone know where to get some greasable u-joints?
I had this information some where and lost it. Now that I need of replacing the rear diff pinion seal it’s a good time to upgrade to a greasble u-joint.

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:09 pm

Got mine from Parts Plus...retail was like 22 bucks each

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:11 pm

Maximum Carnage wrote:

Does anyone know where to get some greasable u-joints?
I had this information some where and lost it. Now that I need of replacing the rear diff pinion seal it’s a good time to upgrade to a greasable u-joint.

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:47 pm

ThunderbirdJunkie wrote:

Got mine from Parts Plus...retail was like 22 bucks each

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:52 pm

Parts Plus, NAPA, Tom Woods any of them, Tom Woods are nice and well built have two extras laying here :wink:

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:10 pm

Tom! You're as bad about having 'extra' laying around as I am! I could probably build 3 or 4 cars out of my 'extra' they'ed probably resemble some sort of rat fink mobile though

amerpwr · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:13 pm

Maximum Carnage wrote:

Does anyone know where to get some greasable u-joints?
I had this information some where and lost it. Now that I need of replacing the rear diff pinion seal it’s a good time to upgrade to a greasble u-joint.

Yea you pull out the old one and take the new one and slap a bunch o' grease on it and put it in. Then after awhile take it out clean it off then slap a bunch more grease on it. :lol:

So its already greasable you just have to put a lil work to get it all nice and lubed up lol jk

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:13 pm

Any 1310 u-joint will work on the KJ's rear driveshaft.

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:54 am

What I’m looking for is one with a zerk on it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:58 am

Just walk into say NAPA ( or any good parts store) and tell them that you need U joints for your 20_ _ Liberty and you want a greaseable one( one with a grease zerk) , they can fix you right up

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:05 am

tommudd wrote:

Just walk into say NAPA ( or any good parts store) and tell them that you need U joints for your 20_ _ Liberty and you want a greaseable one( one with a grease zerk) , they can fix you right up

Wow it's as simple as that? Off to Napa I wil go. Thanks

TAHOE · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:50 pm

I've had Ujoints get a lot of slack in them, loud "clunk" when putting in gear. I've also had them freeze up and squeak, and also vibration, but then all those have bee covered already. I've also had a end cap almost come through the floor of my K5 @ 45 mph when it let lose, guess that clip came out :oops:

I was wondering what that vibration was from

How to check u-joints?

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