Spartan GT U-Joint Replacement

[quikduk]

I also changed out my u-joints this past Saturday (see my thread about the serpentine belts for other recent maintenance).

This was something that had been nagging at me for the past several weeks. We had driveline vibration all the way back from Texas where we purchased the rig in August. This was due to the air leveling valves leaking.

I replaced these valves and got the ride height as close as possible to the factory specs for my chassis (which is different from the K2 or MM) right away and the vibration was gone. This made me think about what it might have done to the u-joints.

The u-joints were the original Spicers but since Spicer wanted over $114 per u-joint I decided to go with Neapco which were about $43 each and are still very HD and are made in the good ole US of A.

What follows are a few progress photos.

[quikduk]

I also changed out my u-joints this past Saturday (see my thread about the serpentine belts for other recent maintenance).

This was something that had been nagging at me for the past several weeks. We had driveline vibration all the way back from Texas where we purchased the rig in August. This was due to the air leveling valves leaking.

I replaced these valves and got the ride height as close as possible to the factory specs for my chassis (which is different from the K2 or MM) right away and the vibration was gone. This made me think about what it might have done to the u-joints.

The u-joints were the original Spicers but since Spicer wanted over $114 per u-joint I decided to go with Neapco which were about $43 each and are still very HD and are made in the good ole US of A.

What follows are a few progress photos.

[quikduk]

I first had to park the rig on ramps/blocks and open the right side compartment doors by the rear axle to help me roll under the chassis on my creeper.



Then I pulled out the driveshaft. This unit, while being fairly short, is about 55#-65# give or take a bit. It is very heavy when you are taking it off over your chest with your arms held vertically so be carefull not to drop it on yourself.

You need to make sure you "index" the driveshaft before taking it off so that you don't get any off-balance vibrations. I marked the shaft with a line from yoke to yoke and noted the locations of the balance weights, decals and the slip spline grease fitting (which goes towards the transmission) so that I could put it back on correctly.



I had previously pumped about a full tube of grease into this shaft and when I greased the u-joints, dirt/dust blew out so I figured they might be toast...or at least powder...

[quikduk]

I also cleaned up the yokes on the axle housing and the transmission, as well as the "hoop" in the frame where excess grease tends to "fling". The yokes don't look too clean here but they are.



Here is a shot of the cleaned driveshaft with the first u-joint installed.



The new u-joints come with all new hardware so I made sure to clean and chase out all of the holes on the yokes and driveshaft with a tap and brake-cleaner so the new bolts would torque properly.

Here is the final installed shot.



I haven't driven it yet so I'll see if everything is o.k. and report back.

Oh, I opted to place the u-joints with their dual grease fittings facing both the rear axle and the transmission respectively to aid in greasing.

Don't forget to grease them once installed since the grease they are packed with is only for assembly. They took about 15-20 pumps each (split between the two fittings on each u-joint) before I heard them come out of the four seals.

[GaryKD]

Hi Ken,
Good story and great pics, thanks. In the last photo, the shock seems to have moisture on the front. Any problem with the shock?

[rebelsbeach]

Nice post Ken....for those that may not notice, Ken has actually posted the "thumbnail" pics.
By clicking on each picture you are able to see the picture at full size.
Simply close the picture to return to the thread.

THANKS AGAIN KEN!

[quikduk]

Gary & Bob:

Thanks for the compliments.

Gary, great catch. I didn't mention it because it was off-topic but yes, I think the shock seal(s) are weeping a bit. My personal "seat of the pants" impression (I think someone else called it a butt-o-meter... ) tells me that the shocks are gonners. The coach has a little over 80K now and they are the O.E. units.

[quikduk]

OAN, the second to last photo shows a penetrating oil called Kroil. This is a product I have used for years and is made by a company called Kano Labs. They have a variety of other types of lubricants as well.

http://www.kanolabs.com/

This particular product is for ferrous metals ONLY. Do not use it on aluminum for lubrication as it tends to cause stiffening or binding. On steel/iron etc, it is fantastic.

The flanged cups on these HD u-joints tend to build up rust between the outer wall of the cup and the inner machined wall of the yoke. I sprayed one side of the driveshaft with this around the flanged cups and sprayed the other side with WD-40, which is kerosene based.

The Kroil sprayed side came apart with a few gentle taps of a punch and mallet (the only way to get the flanged cups out so you can remove the u-joint). The WD-40 side proved to be substantially more stubborn and I in fact ended up spraying it with the Kroil before I could remove the cup. It apparently disolves the rust and it's hold on the parent material.

I cleaned and wet sanded (400 grit) all bearing/cup mating surfaces and then sprayed them with this oil before assembly to prevent future corrosion.

Other than that, it went together well and hopefully will give us years of service.

[quikduk]

I just corrected all of my "yolks" to "yokes" so please, no egg humour.

Apparently, I am hungry...

[eofats]

Looks like you do a lot of your own work. I just bought a 94 Vista cruiser that needs a few things. Where do you buy your parts ? I'm in AZ, but out in the sticks,so I do a lot of internet business. Any suggestions on parts ?
eofats

[quikduk]

I have to since I am supporting the family. I have always done most if not all of my own maintenance and modifications and have built my share of cars, trucks, jeeps, motorcycles and motorhomes.

I get most of my HD parts from a local truck supplier called Colton Truck Supply

http://www.coltontrucksupply.com

Their number is (800) 426-4644 or (909) 888-8300 and they are open M-F 7:30-5:30 and Sat 8:00-12:00 noon.

They don't have everything and if they can't reference it or find it, I sometimes have to get a different cross reference number. I also go to the main Diesel RV prep shop for all of the local dealers in the Inland Empire. They are called Colton Truck Terminal Garage.

http://www.coltontruckterminalgarage.com

Their number is (909) 825-4080

You might have to leave a message or hold as they are always very busy BUT they are good.

Good Luck.