Tech Question - U-Joint Problem

Mike,

I replaced the tired old rear springs on my 1959 Ford which raised the rear up a couple of Inches and when I took it out for a test drive there was a vibration. After several attempts at finding the cause we traced it down to the u-joints.

My question is, is this common for the u-joint to go bad when installing new springs or just a coincidence? - Matt

When the vehicle is driven the bearings in the u-joints wear and take a set. As springs age and the vehicle begins to sit lower, the angle of the drive line will change. With prolonged driving with weak springs the u-joint bearings wear in an unnatural position.

When new springs are installed and the vehicle is sitting back at its original ride height bad u-joints can be revealed.

For a complete education on drive shafts and u-joints go visit Inland Empire Drive Shaft at www.iedls.com, they know it all.