I’ve got a bused Ujoint situation

[Bronco]

I’ve got a little situation on my hands here. I live in California and I am up visiting my brother in Idaho. Last night we were out messing around and I snapped the Left U joint on my D30. My truck is an 87.We were out on the trail so we just pulled the stub out of the wheel and tied the shaft into the axle and limped it back to his house, so I’m am looking for advise on what to do.

Option one: I could drive it home like this. I have another set of the stock non-297’s at home. Is there any technical reason not to do this? The back of the baring will be exposed to the elements (salty wet roads). Am I likely to ruin my wheel baring?

Option two: I could try to find a cheep replacement while I’m here. I figure I should get the 297 joint if not the Warn. The down side here is that I’m a bit strapped for cash right at the moment. How much would I expect to pay for one if I could find one here. Anyone know of a good bone yard near Boise that might yield such a treasure?

Any other ideas are welcomed.

 

[GSequoia]

If just the U-Joint is bad you can get one for $15 from AutoZone (or whatever they have here). They're not too bad to change out, you'll say a few choice words in the process though...

Have you done a wheel U-Joint before?

 

[bbaker80]

The first thing you need to do is put that stub shaft back in. That's the only thing holding the bearing together, and without it you're guarnteed to have a more than slightly unplesant parting of vehicle and wheel. For the ride home, unless you need 4wd, just put the stub shaft back in, and put a rag in or cap the axle tube somehow to keep it from getting too dirty (anything will probably work as well if not better than the little plastic wiper). hth, Bryan

 

[Joey Nelson]

I thought that the hub bearing was pressed in?

 

[XJ_MAC]

It not really pressed in, but is such a tight fit that it seams like it. It's pulled in and held by three bolts from the rear.

The stub shaft does help keep the plate the lug studs are pressed into attached to the bearing pack by the looks of the FSM diagrams.

You may or may not get away with not having the stub shaft in there. I'd personally prefer to have it in. Instead remove the inner shaft and plug the tube to keep diff fluid in and dirt out as the previous respondent said.

 

[Bronco]

Thanks everyone for the help. That would have been very good information, as we thought the bearings would be OK (although we were suspicious of them and that is why we created this thread )
I ended up getting a brand spankin new inner and outer shaft (w/ the 297) for the side we broke and installed them this morning, so I'll be driving home with the thing completed...thanks anyway....now we know for the future.....when the other side blows

 

[Ramsey]

i'm in a similar situation where i literally cant afford a damn u-joint i have the stub in of course, but have been wondering what i can plug the tube with. any suggestions?

 

[Ramsey]

gotta drive soon anybody :dunno:

 

[jeepless]

We busted one on the trail and just stuffed rags in the tube. I do not know if this was the right thing to do , but it worked.

 

[langer1]

gotta drive soon anybody :dunno:

Personaly if your going to drive more the a couple of 100 miles I would pull the other side also.
The ring gear will not be spinning and only your diff will spin with one axle in, without the ring spinning you will not be getting oil on all moving parts.

 

[WB9YZU]

Personaly if your going to drive more the a couple of 100 miles I would pull the other side also.
The ring gear will not be spinning and only your diff will spin with one axle in, without the ring spinning you will not be getting oil on all moving parts.

Why?
Thats exactly what goes on when you are in 2wd with an older D30 with a disconnect. Never heard of any failures because of it..

 

[85xjwoody]

Why?
Thats exactly what goes on when you are in 2wd with an older D30 with a disconnect. Never heard of any failures because of it..

X2.

Kim.

 

[langer1]

Why?
Thats exactly what goes on when you are in 2wd with an older D30 with a disconnect. Never heard of any failures because of it..

Never thought of that.

 

[Bronco]

Way to use that search Ramsey! Man that was along time ago.

 

[Ramsey]

i cant gripe at everyone else if i dont do it well the rag seems to have worked. just hope it'll be ok for a week or so. It sucks being in college

 

[Ramsey]

well i have it plugged with a rag but there seems to be a good bit of oil coming through it, is this normal? i had spit a cap on the trail but didnt realize it until i got home. was about a hour drive. could i have messed up a seal, or will it just come out since the inner is not in

 

[afd516]

If you drove it with a busted u-joint cap and the inner shaft in place that would cause abnormal vibration on the inner seal if driven like that and would cause the seal to go bad. Also, if the inner shaft is out of one side but not the other and the shaft that is still in is still spinning when you drive it is turning the ring and pinion which would infact slosh gear oil around and through the seal that is empty. If you havent already the shaft that is still in needs to be taken out, disassemled and the stub shaft needs to be put back in. This way you will only have 2wd with nothing in front turning as long as the T/C is in 2wd.

 

[Ramsey]

didnt think about pulling the other side. i think i'm just gonna take a u jiont from my other sides spare and put it in and see how it goes.

 

[afd516]

If you have a spare and you are going to take something apart it might as well be the spare that is what it is there for. Instead of the other side to give you 2wd. It will get your 4wd back.