U joint cap spinning

tonybolton · Nov 27, 2016

Never experienced this before. Has anyone had this issue before?

I think my problem is the straps when I really need u-bolts.

rpf500 · Nov 27, 2016

you can likely change joints and it'll stop. I'd put new straps on as well. spicer says to change straps/u-bolts AND nuts/bolts each and everytime. Most dont do that, myself included. That said, even with u bolts you could see this happen. Sure, you can overtighten them at that point to stop it but that just kills the joint.

tonybolton · Nov 27, 2016

Re:

Awesome....I was gonna try that. That joints been in there for over a year.....and I ride alota.

It's just doing it on the one side.

sledneck · Nov 27, 2016

Take a good look and make sure the yoke doesn't have a small hairline crack. I had this happen before, cost me 2 joints before I figured it out.

tonybolton · Nov 27, 2016

Re: Re: U joint cap spinning

sledneck said:
Take a good look and make sure the yoke doesn't have a small hairline crack. I had this happen before, cost me 2 joints before I figured it out.

Thanks....I'll kill it with brake cleaner when apart.

irondalefj80 · Nov 27, 2016

Also doesn't hurt to lubricate them. Have had a few do that and not have any grease inside the joint

jeeppoor · Nov 28, 2016

I have had that happen when the straps were stretched. You really couldn't tell they were stretched until you compared them (old to new). Now I carry new straps and a yoke on my trailer.
And A yoke is usually on set up to use either straps or u bolts. You would have to replace the yoke to run u bolts.

pholmann · Nov 28, 2016

Go to a u-bolt style cap.

truckbroke · Nov 28, 2016

I had 2 K30s that did this before. Change the straps and the joint. If you wait to long it WILL wear the yoke to the point even the new joint cap will spin. One of the ones I had do this, went to the point that the driveshaft had bad vibration at driving speeds cause it had wore the lil U-joint tab on the yoke almost off. I had to replace the yoke and made that one a trail spare.

kkoepper · Nov 28, 2016

Another thing you can do is use a thin piece of flexible metal, metal packing banding works well, under the strap to make up for the stretched strap. I've done this before with no problems. At the least, this will show if a stretched strap is the issue.