Well today I was driving to go to dinner when I went up a slight incline, about 13%, and my truck started shaking as the cruise control accelerated to keep speed. This has never happened before. I kept driving and as I came to stops or accelerated the truck would shake, especially while I accelerate. It doesn't happen when I accelerate quickly but just when I accelerate normal. There is usually a tiny vibration at highway speeds but it was nothing like this. This is more of a jerking motion while accelerating. Tranny isn't slipping, shifts into ever gear fine, the 4x4 engages fine and there is no noise involved while accelerating. Just trying to confirm that it's the U-Joint before I start taking stuff apart.

 

i would say yes, my truck started having vibrations and started shaking and what do you know, my U joint snaps and my driveshaft falls out while i'm driving, i would replace that

 

Awesome. Yeah I figured if it snapped while I was driving I would just throw it in the back of my truck and turn the 4x4 on and have front wheel drive.... I'm sure that would have messed something up though.

 

well idk about that lol but you could just throw it in neutral and have someone tow you. but i would replace both U joints before it snaps off while your on the highway going 70.

 

I'm going to get it replaced at Sears today. They quoted me at 180$ for both. Is that a reasonable price? A local 4x4 place wants 220$. I don't have time to mess around with it myself.

 

im in the wrong business 180 seems more reasonable than 220 but thats still alot for a half hours worth of work and maybe at most 40 bucks worth of parts

 

Well I just went to Sears and they said they couldn't fit me in tonight, even though I called several times today and 30 minutes prior to my arrival to make sure they could fit me in, being as I would arrive at 5pm. I get there they tell me to come back Monday and I'm looking at around 300$, 22$ for each U-Joint and the rest in labor.... I think I might get the part and tackle this one myself.....

 

When you buy u-joints, I recommend you get ones with grease fittings.

 

that does seem like alot my friend had his U joints replaced on his jeep and it was about $120 for everything

 

that sounds like a good idea the money youll save doin it yourself can go to other mods

not necessarily what i do is get the brute force from advanced or somewhere like that there pre greased no grease zerts and they have a lifetime warranty if they ever go out just take em back and youll get a new one

 

Any suggestions before I start this project? I'm pretty mechanically inclined, I'm just wondering if there's anything I should watch out for while doing it or if anyone has advice for me.

 

just beat it out and beat it in or if you have a press makes life way easier

 

I guess we'll see what happens. The only ones Advance had at the time were Neapco..... I'll take plenty of pictures and stuff if this doesn't fix my problem.

 

I suggest you check the u-joints and make sure that is the problem before you start buying parts. From your description is sounds like the symptoms I had when a rear u-joint needed replacing on my 94 F1504x4 but I would make sure before spending after tax cash.

As far as the joints with grease fittings, that probably is a good idea. But, the guys who build hot cars don't use that type because drilling the holes in the joint makes it weaker.

 

How would I 'check' the u-joints per-say? There's no noise just a jerking motion, like you're going up a roller coaster, while I accelerate.

Also it pushes sorta while I stop and leave it in drive.