U-Joint question

Used to grease them 2x a week in dusty conditions lol.

 

The SPL units I think are really meant to be sealed units. Usually on greaseable joints they have a looser tolerance seal that allows the grease to purge out the caps easier. The SPL caps have a seal that looks more like it is meant to not let anything in or out. Plus the sealed ones are solid with no hollowed out grease passageway through the trundle so they are slightly less likely to fail catastrophically under any accidental ham-fisted buffoonery behind the wheel.

 

Your correct 98/99. And at 350k the scams froze up and caused brake fires. The ujoints normally lasted 500k. But the slip shafts never did. They should have a zero added. They freeze and you can't pull shaft to tow. Or stop slipping and take out diff bearing or trans rear bearing.

 

Always a fun day when you have to beat an interaxle shaft apart with a 20 lb sledge because it's become one piece lol.

 

A problem with them possibly being stronger is that the u joints and clutch can be considered a shear pin for the driveline . It’s like a fuse for wiring so it’s cheaper to replace a fuse than destroy the driveline..

 

Especially out on the side of a highway with 80mph traffic. I prefer to have greasable parts and you can keep your warranty. It's on me if it fails.

 

Well when you eventually have to replace them get the ones with the grease fittings they are a little more pricey but better quality in my book