This is a coppy of what I posted in performance.
Grease, grease and more grease. Just doesn't seem to help. Chev 4X4, Dana 60 Axle universals. I get one good season, and over time 2 or 3 caps get all the grease and one doesn't. I'm using Valvoline Durablend. I don't think it's the grease but I'm stumped. :confused:
I need to replace both of them before winter, your thoughts are appreciated.
thanks!!!

Please note this is a 4x4 frount AXLE universal. They get rusty and lock up just after 2 years:mad: Anyone find a cure for this, and what kind of grease do you use?
Thanks!!!

Given the relative cheapness of good new u-joints and the relative ease of installing them I would just bite the bullet and replace them once a year.

Of all of the different vehicles on the road its my opinion that 4x4 vehicles are the worst for wearing out u-joints. I suspect that it has to do with front pinion angle but never havinbg owned one I am no expert.

Posted by Charbilly2001
and the relative ease of installing them I would just bite the bullet and replace them once a year.

It's not that easy, but I guess it's easer than operating a nuclear power plant:D

I assume you are packing the caps before installation by hand and not just by the grease fitting. Once it's packed well, it should be good for a while. BTW - I'm born again, too.

I've even cleaned out the factory grease, packed the caps, assemble and grease some more. I'm using Precision universals, I think their good (HECHO EN U.S.A.!!!) Think I'll use some different grease, but, which one...

Tedixon good to hear. Meet you in the clouds!!!

Mr.blue I can remove my drive shaft from my car and have both ujoints replaced using a hammer a socket and a pair of pliers to remove the clips. All in about 20 - 30 minutes.


Remove the clips first. Then I set the socket on my concrete floor and the driveshaft u-joint on the socket ( The socket being slightly smaller than the hole in the driveshaft yoke ).

I take my hammer and strike the driveshaft yoke slightly behind the u-joint area which drives the driveshaft down giving me access to the upper cap. I remove that cap and turn the driveshaft over and do the same thing to the other cap. That takes about a minute or less to remove the old u-joint.

Next I take a cap off of the new u-joint and hand lube it with u-joint grease. Then I insert the new u-joint cap into the driveshaft finger tight. I then carefully insert the u-joint yoke pinion into the u-joint cap such that I do not displace any of the needles in the cap.

I then use my hammer and socket to drive the cap and yoke into the driveshaft far enough to be able to reinstall a new clip.

Once I get the clip installed behind the new cap I again invert the driveshaft and hand insert the other cap sufficiently such that I can raise the yoke between the two caps such that the needles in both caps are being held in place by the u-joint pinions.

I then place the new cap on the socket on the floor and hammer the cap into the driveshaft far enough to install its clip. Typically when I do this the u-joint will feel too tight. The fix for that is to strike the driveshaft sharply with a hammer just behind the cap area on the driveshaft yoke. This centers the pinions in the driveshaft , forces the caps against the clips and loosens the new u-joint significantly.

There is little need to be gentle here and VERY little need to worry about smacking the driveshaft yokes. Those puppies are forged steel and it takes more than a few whacks with a bfh to hurt them. Consider how much horse power you can transmit through the average driveshaft and you'll understand how tough they are.


Once again. I'd replace my u-joints once a year with out batting an eyelash if I lived in your part of the country. I know what winter conditions are like where you live and the weather is hard on u-joints. Frankly I am betting you can get the driveshafts out of your truck easier than I can out of my Chevelle based on what I assume is way more ground clearance on your truck than I have on my Chevelle. :)

Yes its WAY easier than operating a nuclear power plant. :)

I believe thar Mr. blue is referring to the universal joints in the halfshafts of a Dana 60 front end, and not the actual driveline. I know what you are experiencing. I had to dance that dance with my K30. As far as u-joints are concerned, you are money and time ahead to get the heavy duty spicer units. Spicer also makes a super heavy duty non-greasable joint, but I like knowing that I can add grease if needed. I upgraded about two years ago from inferior overseas joints. I believe they were about $60 for the pair. Once the new joints are installed, rotate the shaft(out of vehicle) and strike u-joint with a dead blow hammer several times. This will center the joint in the caps. Test this theory by compairing the stiffness of the u-joint before and after you strike it. I also noticed less vibration when I was engaged in 4WD. As for grease, I use Conoco Dynalube grease(red).

Hi charbilly 2001 good procedure on changing DRIVESHAFT universals. I hope it didn't take long to type, because it would me (one key at a time). I could change all the universals on both DRIVESHAFTS in the time it would take me to type what you did. Oh by the way did you see this?Please note this is a 4x4 frount AXLE universalTheirs a lot more involved in changing an AXLE universal. I hope were on the same page now. I'm not trying to be a smart "donky". I feel bad you misunderstood.
Anyway, what kind of grease do you use?

I stand corrected. Indeed what you are talking about is a far different project. My bad. Missed the AXLE entirely. Sorry.

Do you off-road? If you off-road do you go through water? If you go through water, do you regrease after each time?

i had something similar happen to me a couple years ago on a front dana 44 (not a 60, but close enough), i had cheapo joints and had one go bad. i decided to just swap both. when i took the shafts out to remove the joints i realized that both were pretty dried up and a bear to remove, the caps didnt want to hardly budge and there was some rust build up on the needle bearings!, this wasn't from abuse or negligance (sp?) either, the joints mighta been 5-6 months old and had a couple trail rides on them.. i upgraded to spicers and havent had a problem yet (going on almost 2 years)

It's cool Charbilly 2001!
I dont off road this truck thats what the CJ was for. But even a trip to the car wash after a good blast, I grease all the frount end joints. And I also use the dead blow hammer trick. Precision don't seem to work so Spicer looks like the fix. Thanks every one for the info!!!