This weekend i replaced both u joints on the tailshaft. Everything went fine except for the rear joint.

It has a very small side to side play only in the cups that are inside the yoke ears, it may be a 1 mm play.

I have tried pressing the cups which eliminates it but after driving the truck around the block, the play comes back.

I feel that the clips that hold the cups are way too thin so they allow the cup to move a bit.

Would i be ok if i leave the joint this way? Or should i do something to fix it?

 

if i remember right you should be fine as long as everything is together right a little bit of play should be fine

 

Whenever I've seen clips lately, they give you about 53 for each side. I dont know why, as half are the same thickness.
Anyway, 2 things;
Are they serviceable/greasable? If so, pump full of grease.
Second, if the cups are pressed together, and the face is inside the seat for the clip, but the clips dont take up the whole width of that seat, that isn't right. They should hold the cups together as you expect. Check out a set from the store and see if they had thicker clips. Someone may have taken the right ones out of your pack, or they may have fallen out. That excess play may cause premature wear. There really should be no play.
http://loqu.com/u-joint-replacement-...rsekeeper-6706 -not to insult your ability, but just a quick thing i saw...

 

They are gresable, i pump greas until i got some pouing out of the caps, will try to pump more then.

The clips do go on the inside part, they are C clips and go in a small channels on the cups, but yes, the clips do not take the whole widht of this channel (or seat). The joints only came with the 4 clips required, no extra ones and i bought two joints (brand is precision) and both came with the same type of clips.

and no offense taken, this is actually my first u joint replacement ever. Thanks for the link.

Maybe i need thicker clips. Is this something they sell at the parts store? (autozone, advance, etc.)?

 

I just did my buddys Nissan, and it came with literally, 12 sets per joint. So wierd since it was a dealer part. Anyway, they should come with a few, but they might have em at the zone or wherever.

 

When I replaced mine 6 months ago I got geniune MOPAR parts and they only came with enough clips to do the job. tight fit, no slack. Having the U-joint press helps ALOT...

 

Im in the process of R/R my joints also they are not bad just old 12 years of use and not greasable means they are probably close to dry.

The parts you got are cheap aftermarket junk always buy OEM parts if you can my Dakota needs the spicer models at $25 or $20 a piece but they are the correct parts.

Links spicer parts these are my original Dakota parts for a 1998 base truck 2.5 L engine 2 wheel drive

http://www.northerndrivetrain.com/pr...PI-5-811X.html
or
http://www.northerndrivetrain.com/pr...I-5-1309X.html

 

I took the u joints that had play out again and went to autozone. Asked them for a regular replacement u joints (duralast) just to test and guess what, nice and thight fit, no play at all.

I know duralast may be cheap stuff but at least they fitted quite better than the precison brand that had play on them