Any luck with “narrow” grease gun fittings?

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Schurkey

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Do the U-joints without zerks (DANA Spicers in particular) need to be greased prior to install?
I have seen conflicting information on if out of the box they are:
1) Not greased at all.
2) grease just a little bit for corrosion protection.
3) fully greased and ready for install.
Far as I know, they're ready for installation. But I'm willing to learn something.
 

PM18S4

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Well, 7 Youtube videos and 3 hours later I know a whole lot more to universal joints circa 2014.
WeberAuto put together a VERY comprehensive playlist on the subject.

What I came away with:
1) Non-greaseable are better than greaseable. This is not because of crossbar strength, but due to bearing cap design differences.
2) Spicers are probably the ones to go with.
3) Spicers come pre-lubed and ready-to-go.
4) The fiber-reinforced-plastic retainers should preferably be sheared off, but if melted out should be thoroughly cleaned out.
5) The cross need to have ~ .002 [in] of play.
6) Outside-snap-rings are now color-coded by thickness.
7) Bearing cap straps are supposed to be one-time-use.
8) I really want J-9522-3|5 U-Joint Removal Tools.

What I still don't know.
1) Do the inside snap-rings also come in various thicknesses?
2) Proper method to install inside snap-rings?
2) Where to buy a J-9522-3|5 without getting charged an arm and a leg?
 

Caman96

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Well, 7 Youtube videos and 3 hours later I know a whole lot more to universal joints circa 2014.
WeberAuto put together a VERY comprehensive playlist on the subject.

What I came away with:
1) Non-greaseable are better than greaseable. This is not because of crossbar strength, but due to bearing cap design differences.
2) Spicers are probably the ones to go with.
3) Spicers come pre-lubed and ready-to-go.
4) The fiber-reinforced-plastic retainers should preferably be sheared off, but if melted out should be thoroughly cleaned out.
5) The cross need to have ~ .002 [in] of play.
6) Outside-snap-rings are now color-coded by thickness.
7) Bearing cap straps are supposed to be one-time-use.
8) I really want J-9522-3|5 U-Joint Removal Tools.

What I still don't know.
1) Do the inside snap-rings also come in various thicknesses?
2) Proper method to install inside snap-rings?
2) Where to buy a J-9522-3|5 without getting charged an arm and a leg?
I doubt either one of us would ever notice a difference, aside from I’ll grease and you won’t.
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Schurkey

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fd539a9b-ef86-4d27-99eb-b809716ed3f2-jpeg.339549

Rear driveshaft on the left, rear axle pinion yoke on the right? Right-rear tire visible in the photo? Thinking this is correct based on the exhaust pipe going up 'n' over the rear axle.

When driving forward, that grease zerk hole is under tension, not compression. This is not a big deal to me, but it is to some folks, and having the zerk hole under compression is "best practice".

I would not change anything since it's together and working as-is...but when you need a new U-joint back there, install it 90 degrees different from this one. The caps that are in the driveshaft would go to the pinion yoke instead.

Yet another reason to not use greaseable U-joints where the zerk is threaded into the U-joint cross. The joints where the zerk goes into the end of one of the caps don't have this problem. Given a choice, I'll just take the non-greaseable joints to begin with.
 

Supercharged111

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fd539a9b-ef86-4d27-99eb-b809716ed3f2-jpeg.339549

Rear driveshaft on the left, rear axle pinion yoke on the right? Right-rear tire visible in the photo? Thinking this is correct based on the exhaust pipe going up 'n' over the rear axle.

When driving forward, that grease zerk hole is under tension, not compression. This is not a big deal to me, but it is to some folks, and having the zerk hole under compression is "best practice".

I would not change anything since it's together and working as-is...but when you need a new U-joint back there, install it 90 degrees different from this one. The caps that are in the driveshaft would go to the pinion yoke instead.

Yet another reason to not use greaseable U-joints where the zerk is threaded into the U-joint cross. The joints where the zerk goes into the end of one of the caps don't have this problem. Given a choice, I'll just take the non-greaseable joints to begin with.

IIRC those of us with 14 bolts swapped into half tons that didn't come that way are stuck with the crappy, greasable Precision joint aren't we? I already killed one, probably halfway through my second now.
 

Schurkey

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2) Where to buy a J-9522-3|5 without getting charged an arm and a leg?
Set up a search on eBay. I've bought multiple used Kent-Moore "special tools" there at advantageous prices. About $200 new, from these folks.
www.tillmantools.com/searchresults.asp?Search=J-9522-5

Also look to see if there's aftermarket equivalents to those tools. OTC may make them under the Kent-Moore name for GM, but also sell 'em under another name in the aftermarket. Or see if there's knockoffs from a totally-different source.

EXAMPLE: These are the "small" and "medium" units, based on U-joint cap size, there's a large as well.
www.summitracing.com/parts/lil-42890

www.summitracing.com/parts/lil-42900
 
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Schurkey

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IIRC those of us with 14 bolts swapped into half tons that didn't come that way are stuck with the crappy, greasable Precision joint aren't we? I already killed one, probably halfway through my second now.
Given my most-recent experience with "Precision" U-joints, I'm no fan of them.
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However, there's plenty of alternatives for the conversion joint (Precision 447) used in that application.

I won't promise that there's a non-greaseable unit, though. Maybe yes...maybe no.
 

Caman96

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fd539a9b-ef86-4d27-99eb-b809716ed3f2-jpeg.339549

Rear driveshaft on the left, rear axle pinion yoke on the right? Right-rear tire visible in the photo? Thinking this is correct based on the exhaust pipe going up 'n' over the rear axle.

When driving forward, that grease zerk hole is under tension, not compression. This is not a big deal to me, but it is to some folks, and having the zerk hole under compression is "best practice".

I would not change anything since it's together and working as-is...but when you need a new U-joint back there, install it 90 degrees different from this one. The caps that are in the driveshaft would go to the pinion yoke instead.

Yet another reason to not use greaseable U-joints where the zerk is threaded into the U-joint cross. The joints where the zerk goes into the end of one of the caps don't have this problem. Given a choice, I'll just take the non-greaseable joints to begin with.
So, I did that to keep it oriented the way it was. Probably didn’t need to be concerned with that though having just been balanced. I did however just order the Lock’n’Lube needle greaser. I have one, but this one looks much better.
 
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