U-Joints - Aluminum Driveshafts

[The Car Whisperer]

I have the factory aluminum driveshaft and halfshafts in my 1986. I need to replace the U-Joints. I see that there are optional anti-galvanic U-joints available for this application. Has anybody had experience with these, are they absolutely necessary.

 

[TedC]

From other posts I've read the answer is no. When I replaced them on my 1988 they did have the special coating, synthetic grease, and no grease fittings. Cost me around $18 each at AZ for the "gold". The hardest part of the job was getting the old joints out of the shafts.

 

[toptechx6]

I have the factory aluminum driveshaft and halfshafts in my 1986. I need to replace the U-Joints. I see that there are optional anti-galvanic U-joints available for this application. Has anybody had experience with these, are they absolutely necessary.

While not absolutely necessary there are several choices available that do have the correct coating, copied below is some information that should help locate some.

C4 Corvette U-Joint Information​

The C4 u-joints are 1310 series for the driveshaft (2 required) and 1350 series
for the half-shafts (4 required).

Within the 1310 and 1350 series there are u-joints intended for use with steel
yokes and others intended for use with aluminum yokes. The Corvette requires
u-joints intended for aluminum yokes. These are specially coated to help prevent
or delay galvanic corrosion which occurs between dissimilar metals like the steel
u-joint and the aluminum yokes.

The preferred Spicer u-joints are the

5-786X for aluminum driveshaft (1310 series)
5-800X for aluminum half shafts (1350 series)

However, these parts seem increasingly difficult to source. The numbers appear
listed as 'Unknown' on the Dana/Spicer website compared to other numbers that
display as either 'Active' or 'Discontinued'. I wrote to Dana/Spicer to ask about
the status of these parts but I have yet to receive a reply.

It appears that Spicer vendors are telling buyers to accept u-joints intended for
steel drive and half-shafts (apparently without explaining the differences
or possible consequences)

5-785X for steel driveshaft (1310 series)
5-799X for steel half shafts (1350 series)

As an alternative to Spicer u-joints, there are the following

ACDelco

ACDELCO Part # 45U0405 {#89049306}
JOINT KIT,PROP SHF FRT/RR UNIVERSAL -; OPTIONAL ANTI-GALVANIC U-JOINT FOR USE IN
ALUMINUM YOKES; PREMIUM; DIAGRAM I, POSITION 1 & 2 - REFERENCED IN PAPER CATALOG

ACDELCO Part # 45U0400 {#89049301}
JOINT,RR WHL DRV SHF INR/OTR UNIVERSAL -; LEFT/RIGHT HAND; OPTIONAL ANTI-GALVANIC
U-JOINT FOR USE IN ALUMINUM YOKES; PREMIUM; DIAGRAM I, POSITIONS 3 to 6 - REFERENCED
IN PAPER CATALOG



Neapco[FONT=&quot]

NEAPCO ("Brute Force with AlumiGuard")

Corrosion-Resistant High-Performance U-Joints for Aluminum Driveshafts
Neapco # (Premium) Description
1-0626BF: 1310 Aluminum U-Joint (Driveshaft)
2-0617BF: 1350 Aluminum U-Joint (Half-shaft)

Neapco also offers standard performance u-joints for aluminum shafts
1-0153BF: 1310 Aluminum U-Joint (Driveshaft)
2-0053BF: 1350 Aluminum U-Joint (Half-shaft)

Rockford Driveline is a third source

Rockford Driveline

There appears to be two versions of the coated driveshaft and
half-shaft u-joints. I have no information beyond part numbers.

Rockford # Description
K153A & K467A: 1310 Aluminum U-Joint (Driveshaft)
K178A & K447A: 1350 Aluminum U-Joint (Half-shaft)[/FONT]

 

[TedC]

Used the standard performance Neapco for AL shafts. Part number is different than the one listed above (maybe just a revision).

Part Number: 2-0053DG
Weight: 1.65 lbs
Warranty: LLT
Application: Half shaft
Journal Cross: Solid-forged & Dura-coated
Bearing Cup Finish: Anti-corrosive Coating Applied
Snap Ring Finish: Anti-corrosive Coating Applied
Nitrile Rubber Seal: Yes
Seal Color: Yellow
Maintenance-Free Type: Yes
Includes: Snap Ring, 4 pcs/set

Features & Benefits:
Never Needs Greasing - factory-filled with synthetic lithium grease. Solid-forged cross body to increase joint strength for rigorous loads. Precision ground needle bearings for higher load carrying capacity. Nitrile rubber seal engineered to reduce seal surface friction. AlumiShield applied to bearing caps and hardware to prevent damage to aluminum driveshafts.

 

[The Car Whisperer]

This is why this forum is so valuable to me! Thanks for the incredible response. I should be able to find a local source for these parts now that you have supplied me with the part numbers I need.