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I think I might have a bad U-joint,
how can I be sure?
When universal joints begin to fail
they often exhibit one or more of these symptoms:
Driveline vibration at highway speeds - particularly at the “float”
position (between acceleration and deceleration at highway speed)
Excessive “clunking” noise
when shifting into gears, particularly into reverse and drive
Squeaking noise when slowly
accelerating
Steady squeaking almost whining noise at 25-40 mph
The best way to check universal
joints is to get under the vehicle and inspect the universal joint
itself. It's easy, follow these instructions to inspect each universal
joint:
1. Push and
pull
With vehicle on level ground, apply parking brake, block wheels
and put vehicle in “neutral”. Crawl under vehicle. Begin by inspecting
the rear driveshaft’s rear U-joint since they seem to fail the most
frequently. If you look at the U-joint you will notice that it basically
has a cross configuration. Grab the back of the driveshaft with
both hands and with considerable force push/pull back and fourth
along each axis of the U-joint’s “cross”. Look closely for play
at the inside edge of the U-joint.
2. Twist
Grab the driveshaft near the joint you are inspecting with both
hands and twist it back/fourth. Again, look closely for play at
the inside edges of the U-joint. Any
play in any direction whatsoever indicates a worn U-joint that needs
to be replaced.
Repeat the procedure
for each universal joint
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