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drive shaft u-joint help

gsimpson9981

Active member
Joined
Jul 19, 2003
Messages
28
Location
Wichita, KS
Corvette
1981 white shark
in process of changing drive shaft and half-shaft u-joints on my 81 automatic. removed joints and went to oreillys to purchase. they looked up the joints for my car...said all 6 were the same number. the half shafts were that number. but, the drive shaft is smaller. half shaft measures 1 1/16" cap and 3 5/8" cross shaft. drive shaft measures 1 1/16" cap and 3 1/4" cross shaft. Asked them to look up drive shaft joints for a 4-speed, and they are the right size. I thought oriellys parts look-up had bad data, but I've checked other parts suppliers, and they show the same thing. I may be wrong, but it looks like I have a 4 speed drive shaft in my car. Doesn't make sense...I have the build sheet...it shows MX3 Auto Trans. I does have Gymkhana suspension, not sure if that makes a difference. Any ideas?
 
This is not the first time I have heard about this happening. The drive shaft U-joints were different on my 82 too, so I ended up swapping new caps and bearings on my old cross parts. The needle bearings and the caps are what wear mostly, and I fixed it to the point that the clunk was gone.
 
Hi Gary,

I tried the acdelco parts page and saw several different ones but could not determine which you need. I also checked Mid America, I think they give CAC a discount. They show different part numbers for the drive shaft and the half shafts.

http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=4.303.1439

You want 602-914 for the drive shaft and 602-920 for the half shafts.
 
WhiteKnight said:
Hi Gary,

I tried the acdelco parts page and saw several different ones but could not determine which you need. I also checked Mid America, I think they give CAC a discount. They show different part numbers for the drive shaft and the half shafts.

http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=4.303.1439

You want 602-914 for the drive shaft and 602-920 for the half shafts.
the ACDelco parts page shows:
part # 45U0106, joint kit, propshaft at trans, A/T
part # 45U0106, joint kit, propshaft at rear axle, A/T
part # 45U0106, joint kit, rear axle shaft, inner, A/T
part # 45U0106, joint kit, rear axle shaft, outer, A/T

this says to me that all the joints are the same....like oreillys said. problem is, the driveshaft joints are physically different in size...could be someone changed driveshafts, but they would have had to change trans yoke and rear yoke. The front yoke bolts to the joint like the rear, using straps.
 
WhiteKnight said:
Hi Gary,

I tried the acdelco parts page and saw several different ones but could not determine which you need. I also checked Mid America, I think they give CAC a discount. They show different part numbers for the drive shaft and the half shafts.

http://www.madvet.com/shop?frame=4.303.1439

You want 602-914 for the drive shaft and 602-920 for the half shafts.

Yep, you are right on!
 
I looked up the receipt from when I had my '81 automatic, and the driveshaft u-joints were indeed different than the halfshaft u-joints. It had the original driveshaft in it, for sure.

Rich
 
MidShark said:
I looked up the receipt from when I had my '81 automatic, and the driveshaft u-joints were indeed different than the halfshaft u-joints. It had the original driveshaft in it, for sure.

Rich

Odd...mine were all the sme...:confused
 
Gary........ with dual production in 1981 both at St. Louis and BG it was not uncommon for parts that were needed at Bowling Green were taken from cars still on the line at St.L. Often what happened as with my '81 is (I too have an automatic), but I have all 4-speed U-joints on my St. Louis '81 both half shafts and the drive shaft. This is certainly not a bad thing; but definitely confusing the first time you go about changing the joints. Consider yourself one of the lucky one's with the stronger U-joints.

Another example is my build sheet indicated a Gymkana (FE7) option but the car never had the kit installed.

nut
 

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