Well Monday I got on the interstate going to walmart. Drove about 2 miles and started up a steep hill and heard a snap started to slow down and heard it slapping my exhaust and gas tank. It snapped the bolts that hold the u-joint onto the yolk at the diff. I Pulled the drive shaft and drove it home in 4WD. I used a chisel to tap the bolts out and got them to unscrew. I got 2 new spicer u-joints with grease fittings put in. Drives good now.

 

There's your problem right there. Your truck is trying to tell you something.

 

damn that sucks,, but in alot of ways your lucky

 

good thing you had 4wd!

 

I've seen some serious damage from that. Mine started to come out once but the ujoint binded up in one of the straps.

 

Do you feel any drive line vibration at high speeds now?
Did the new u-joints fit in there tight?
Does your drive shaft attach to the rear end with the little straps or does it have the yoke that bolts on with four big bolts?

 

That's better than coming apart at the tranny end.
I've seen serious injuries and cars totaled from that.

 

yup me too guess that one of the reasons maintenance and inspections are important....universals that are toast almost always give plenty of warning. not to lecture or assume you ignored the symtoms but I've heard of the whole truck jackknifing and killing or injuring others on the road so its kind of like driving drunk in the fact that your risking other lives besides yours when you do it intentionally.

 

I had just picked up my sister from school and was going to get baking soda for the pool.

I don't have any vibrations that I did not have before. If I go 80 MPH my truck shakes if I go over or under it quites.
Everything went in tight.
It has the straps and little bolts.
The u-joint did not go bad the bolts broke. The only reason I replaced it was because I lost the cap and it got pulled across the road. I check my drive-line quite often.

 

The two bolts that broke and the strap I still have and one of the unbroken bolts


This is where it dented my exhaust


This is where the shaft hit my gas tank guard


Where the shaft broke the guard


And one of the new joints they are spicer with fittings