A friend of mine has a 04 3500 dually and the rear u-joint @ the pinion started acting up and needs replaced. I switched over to the 3rd gen. and did some reading and found out these u-joints are junk!!! The question is, we have already picked up a rear u-joint greaseable from napa, but do the other u-joints have the same problem and need replaced also? I figured if they had the same problem and were soon to fail, might as well replace them too. Any info would be appreciated. You would think a new vehicle with 37,000 miles would not have these problems. Thanks, John

 

I'm planing on replacing mine in the near future with a greasable type.

Whomever decided put a non greasable u joints on these things should be fired!

 

They must have changed the design or are using different u joints as the ones in the 2nd generation were rarely a problem under normal use.

My 95 still had the originals in the rear drive shaft with 300 000 miles on them.



Jason

 

this is from another post a couple of weeks ago that i posted

had the same problem tuesday morning went to go to work and i noticed a sqeak i thought it was ladders on the racks so i unloaded at work and still had the sqeak. So i took it in and by the time i got off the interstate it was jumping got there dropped the shaft rear u joints were locked up tight so we replaced all of them.theservice manager is a friend of mine and he told me these u joints are going out between 20,000 and 25,000 miles my truck has 22000.I got them to do them all instead of doing them one at a time when they go out and your loaded.They also told me it is the same u joints that in the duramax they went to these in the 04's.I guess the cummins is to much.

 

The MEMO that hit the dealers a while back indicated there was NO GREASE in them.Vendor problem.Memo stated that all replacements under warranty to pull the caps and add LUBE.

 

Just had mine replaced at a driveline shop near my house at 78,000 miles - was going to put in the Spicer greaseable but, found out Spicer makes a sealed unit and decided to try them, heck, if they last another 80,000 miles I'll be happy - When I told the guy I wasnt happy with how short the stock ones lasted he said that is what you get for putting so much power to the ground, I smiled and said, well I guess youre right, !@#$ Cummins
Anyway, total cost was less than $80 including labor, a small price to pay IMHO

 

Noticed you are also in VA. Where is the driveline shop you used?

 

In the old "muscle cars" the greasable U-joints were thought to be weaker and more likely to break during drag racing. That is because the holes drilled for the grease passages weaken the U-joint. I wonder if this might be true for our trucks too? They all come with non-greasable joints and they never seem to break (until they wear out from lack of grease!)

 

RC51,

Standard Parts Corp Commerce Rd Richmond, VA
Those guys know what they are doing - if you need yours replaced you may want to give them a call because although they stock a gillion u joints they had to get a couple shipped in for my truck because they are a bigger u joint than they usually change on trucks and smaller that a dump truck or rig
PS - just looked at my bill to get the name of shop and bill was $90 not $80 like I thought - still a good deal

 

These u- joints are my only real complaint about my truck . Been slinging grease all over underneath since new and have waited to bomb her till they are replaced . I too am amazed at lack of zerks on these things but it's DC's dime not mine !! Last time I took her in for them the truck sat from 7:30 am till 6:30 at night after I scheduled a week in advance and they didn't even touch her !!! Better believe that service writer got an earful from me since I think for one these trucks should get priority since they are **** near the most expensive vehicles they sell and also they are WORK trucks making 0 $ sitting idle !!! I absolutely love this truck and without a doubt is the best vehicle I have ever owned but the Ford dealers ALWAYS bent over backwards for me and other dually owners ( maybe DC should take note ) !!!

 

I do agree with lack of service from dealers, thats why whenever possible I take mine elsewhere, just like most guys I cant afford to have too much down time and I usually cant afford or schedule to "leave it here for a couple of days" - I have too often done what you said MixerMan - inconvenienced myself for the dealer just so they dont even touch the thing for a whole day (a day I could have still been working) just p's me off - thats why I took my truck to driveline shop (they actually know what they are doing) and the ujoints cost less than the deductable at the dealer and I was in and out in about an hour with (hopefully) a better ujoint under my truck

 

The 05 ctd has a grease fitting on the front drive shaft and a warning label under the hood to grease it every oil change. My 05 had the front u-joint changed on the rear drive-shaft,it had some play in it,but the service magr. said it would fail soon,that they had replaced several of them.

 

I have run OX greasable u-joints on my Jeeps for years after a near catastrophic failure on my 77 CJ 5.

I've had no time to research whether they have them for 2005 CTD's does anybody have any infromation on them?

 

I've heard you guys mention jobber availability. Here in Canada I have not been able to find anything aftermarket. Not Napa, Bumper to Bumper, etc. Not even at custom driveline shops. Has anybody up here found anything?