Does this u-joint look normal?

[michigan2500hd]

I removed my side steps recently to see how I liked it without and because I've been driving my truck more lately working far from home ( I didn't think my beater Ford expedition would be reliable) the shake had been driving me nuts.

I was checking the truck over, wiggling and looking for something that could be causing it and I looked at my u-joints. The rear looked normal for 20,000 miles but the front looks like it's spun some grease out of it. I was wondering if maybe it's bad or maybe whatever is making it shake it's wearing things premature. The bottom pic is the one I question. You can see the grease line where it's spun out.

 

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[Chev-mekanik]

I removed my side steps recently to see how I liked it without and because I've been driving my truck more lately working far from home ( I didn't think my beater Ford expedition would be reliable) the shake had been driving me nuts.

I was checking the truck over, wiggling and looking for something that could be causing it and I looked at my u-joints. The rear looked normal for 20,000 miles but the front looks like it's spun some grease out of it. I was wondering if maybe it's bad or maybe whatever is making it shake it's wearing things premature. The bottom pic is the one I question. You can see the grease line where it's spun out.

 

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Normal

 

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[muddkatt]

^ X 2

[Heavy 5.7]

Can't tell by looking. Remove the drive shaft from the truck, then bend em & shake em, if any joint has slop it's trash.

[powerhaulic]

Actually there is a better chance of the joint being too tight than loose.

 

Tight meaning internally dry, with a catch in the bearing where the needle has worn into the cap. loose comes later................lol

[michigan2500hd]

Thanks guys. I've been thinking this through and driving myself nuts on this shaking. I like the truck a lot and want to figure this out. I was wondering if the shaking/ vibration could be making things wear premature. I know that happens when a spinning assembly isn't balanced. Hopefully getting it road force balanced today.

 

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[Thomcat]

.02 Never tried it, saw it listed in Popular Mechanix about 50 years ago, but sounds like a quick and dirty, non-destructive method of checking driveshaft balance without removal from the vehicle or use of any test equipment.

 

Take a large hose clamp the diameter of the drive shaft. Mark the diameter in quadrants. Secure a small weight under the clamp at one of the marks (which will unbalance the shaft) and test ride, then relocate the weight and repeat at each of the marked points.

 

If the shaft is balanced, the unbalanced vibration experienced introduced by the weight will be the same at all points around the shaft. If the vibration is not the same at all points, or if the original vibration is reduced, or gets much worse at a particular point........it's a good indicator that the shaft needs to be balanced.

[Dnt]

It is a good idea to check everything while under there. Talking about having the shakes, this PIC is of a new 2500 chevy PU just in from the dealership

[michigan2500hd]

I was under my truck yesterday noticed these pen marks on my driveshaft. What in the world is this about?

 

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[Gofas]

On 6/13/2017 at 4:42 AM, michigan2500hd said:

Thanks guys. I've been thinking this through and driving myself nuts on this shaking. I like the truck a lot and want to figure this out. I was wondering if the shaking/ vibration could be making things wear premature. I know that happens when a spinning assembly isn't balanced. Hopefully getting it road force balanced today.

 

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I complained of shaking truck for years. I was getting my driveshaft balanced and found out I joints were seizing.  Replaced them and now feel like I have a new truck!

[STurner15]

On 7/5/2017 at 10:54 AM, michigan2500hd said:

I was under my truck yesterday noticed these pen marks on my driveshaft. What in the world is this about?

 

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Alignment marks.