Baystate Jeepers

I need to replace the u joints in my front drive shaft. Seems like the general suggestion in the web forums is to use spicer 785x's. which are sealed non-lubeable units. I don't put a lot of miles on the jeep as is not my DD. I have mixed feelings on which ones to go with. lube-able vs non-lubeable. Are spicers a must? Just curious what the experts in the club recommend.

I have 5-760X Spicers which are non-greasable. So far so good, no issues. My Jeep is not my Daily Driver either. I put about 1-2,000 miles a year on it.

I like the ones you can grease, but I wheel my rig and it gets wet. A lot. I lube everything a couple times a year - ball joints, u-joints, control arms, driveshafts, ..............

As a personal preference, I like the greasable kind

Spicer is not a must, but it's a solid brand with an excellent name. Do yourself a favor and get a name brand part and DON'T waste your money at Auto Zone

Carl McFly wrote:I like the ones you can grease, but I wheel my rig and it gets wet. :

This is exactly why I was thinking lube-able. I did use the 760's on the front axles.

I wouldn't use the cheapies. Just wondering if the good ones from Precision or Neapco hold up. They are much more readily available in my area. I can always get spicers on line.

My rig started squeaking up front after a very wet ride a few weeks ago. I pulled the front shaft and it seems to be quiet now. To be honest the joints don't seem to be that bad and i think the centering ball is in good condition except for the dust cover. It has deteriorated. Is it possible to get a replacement one? Since I have it apart I may as well rebuild it. All seems original with 121k miles.

you may also want to think about replacing the wheel bearings if you haven't yet with that mileage. I have almost the exact mileage on mine and its on my list of things "to do" since mine are the originals.

asauer17 wrote:you may also want to think about replacing the wheel bearings if you haven't yet with that mileage. I have almost the exact mileage on mine and its on my list of things "to do" since mine are the originals.

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked them when I did the front axle u joints and brakes. They seem ok. No play yet. They are on the watch list though.

Scott

I run Spicers. I have exploded Alloy USA X-joints in the front, where Spicer 760's have been better (that's turning 300 lbs of tire/wheel).

I prefer non-greasables for their added rigidity. In a daily driven driveshaft application, I think servicable units would be fine though.

I am going to go with the spicer sealed units and see what happens

ZAEDOCK wrote:I run Spicers. I have exploded Alloy USA X-joints in the front,....

Same here