Blew a ujoint cap, very strange

[Elsifer]

OK, so filling up the jeep last night with the preciously expensive go-juice.
Attempt to drive away, and the jeep doesn't want to move, then a sproing, and she rolls freely. I take a look below thinking a d/s u-joint locked up and then blew. But no.

A u-joint cap on the drivers front shaft blew it's cap off. It was full of grease, all the bearings were there, and there wasn't much for grind marks on the top of the cap. Wheels were straight too.

All I can think of, a c-clip was lost, and the cap was working it's way out due to rotational force. I'm gonna do more investigation tonight and this weekend, but I suspect the cap was working it's way out, and for some reason, bound up against the lower inner-C and then tore off. The cap was badly mangled at the race for the c-clip.

I've seen ujoints themselves go, or a trunnion break off the cross, or a cap explode because of rusty bearings, but never a random cap just pop off.

 

[Bnine]

Stock shafts still chris? Suprised it didn't happen sooner. It's really common with stock rubi shafts. The ears stretch and they lose the ops and the blows the caps.

If you are going to run stock shafts you should light tack the caps in.

[Dingleberry]

If you are going to run stock shafts you should light tack the caps in.

+1
Easy way to help prevent the caps from walking out.

[Elsifer]

Whaaaaat?

I've never hear of this. Shouldn't the c-clip hold in the cap??

But, I guess a slight tack-weld will be done this weekend.

Cheers
Chris

[Dingleberry]

Shouldn't the c-clip hold in the cap??

Yes but they do sometimes fail. Also, another solution is to use a full circle snap ring instead of a c-clip, this requires grinding down some of the metal from the inside of the ear on the shaft to make it fit, but almost eliminates the possibility of the cap to walk out.

Details here:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f140/u-joint-axle-shaft-overhaul-w-upgrade-416890/

[Spinalguy]

Whaaaaat?

I've never hear of this. Shouldn't the c-clip hold in the cap??

But, I guess a slight tack-weld will be done this weekend.

Cheers
Chris

wow, i too am surprised you got lucky this long. i  went with CTM's after blowing the stock shafts and Superior shafts.

[Jrama]

Yes but they do sometimes fail. Also, another solution is to use a full circle snap ring instead of a c-clip, this requires grinding down some of the metal from the inside of the ear on the shaft to make it fit, but almost eliminates the possibility of the cap to walk out.

Details here:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f140/u-joint-axle-shaft-overhaul-w-upgrade-416890/

Even Chromo shafts come with full circle clips, I agree with the above, My vote is to keep the stockers and just circle clip'em. If you need to change the joint for whatever reason it will be easier.

I upgraded shafts after loosing caps constantly on the highway. If the ears on my stockers weren't so fubar'd from driving on a de-capped u-joint I would still be running them. (with full circle clips of course)

Greggs will have some full circle clips that you can use, I'd say it is a worth while upgrade , very cheap. Almost alloy performance.

[Spinalguy]

after this with chromolly, i went to ctm's

[Vinman]

after this with chromolly, i went to ctm's

Is/was that a Superior shaft Tom?

[Spinalguy]

yeah Vince. Fully warrantied by David at Northridge. He sent me a new one within days of me phoning and emailing the pic. That is why i went to CTM's and never had a problem again. As far as i know they guy that bought my jeep never had a problem either and he competed at various events with it. He did blow the rear rubicon locker and upgraded to a Detroit though.

[Vinman]

yeah Vince. Fully warrantied by David at Northridge. He sent me a new one within days of me phoning and emailing the pic. That is why i went to CTM's and never had a problem again. As far as i know they guy that bought my jeep never had a problem either and he competed at various events with it. He did blow the rear rubicon locker and upgraded to a Detroit though.

I'd like to see the sequence of that failure. U-joint then shaft or the shaft then the u-joint.

[Spinalguy]

tuff to say but you can see that greasable sleeve was crushed as well.

[Bnine]

Even with stock shaft it's extremely rare for the shaft to before the joint. You can be pretty certain that toms was most likely the joint.

Yeah chris, this problem is really common. The ears stretch and which takes pressure off the c clips which allows them to come off. Then the cap works it's way out.

If your joints are out you could to full circle clips but seriously, that's a lot of work just to put some lipstick on a pig.