Well, it sure sounds like the front axle ujoints need replacing. I hear the soft, rotational squeak when I turn the wheels. At first I didn't want to accept it. I told myself it could be the crickets of summer. I told myself it could be the exhaust making noises. But that rhythmic, rotational squeak when turning the wheels can only be the ujoints.

I hate doing ujoints. Did I mention that?

Also, I just replaced the damn things in 2015, 40K miles ago. I thought they would have lasted longer.

 

I got about that much out of a rebuild of my Ford van's front end. Ball joints, tie rod ends, the whole enchilada. Couldn't pass inspection just a year later. Chinese junk.

 

They are Federal Mogul from Napa. I guess I should not complain too much. 40K is not bad. I just hate doing ujoints. I would order spicer, but I always order the wrong ones and end up taking the old ones to Napa and let them match them up.

 

if you wheel it, 40k is pretty darn good. but i second the spicer joints. good quality for the cost. i wheel pretty hard, with 36 inch bias on beadlocks, so i air down a lot. i'm lucky to get 5k out of a set, mostly trail miles as it's not my daily. i get best mileage out of non greasable spicer joints. my next choice is moog.

 

U joints aren't bad at all, be thankful you don't have to replace a heater core or evaporator.

 

Don't jinx me, mine are still originals.

 

Wow, 5k out of a set. You must be pretty good at changing them by now.

 

Were is @fb97xj1 when you need him? He loves doing u-joints and will tell you all about them haha.

 

yep. lol. i picked up a ball joint press which works quite well on u-joints. hardest part is making sure no needles fall when pressing the cups back in. i just take my time and be very cautious of that. i've wrecked a few that way.
i have a hoard of new u-joints on the shelf. lol. mostly axle joints, but have a stash of driveshaft joints also. these things are such a wearable item, plus i live so far away from civilization, if i don't keep a store of my own, i have to wait a few days for shipping if the city 2 hours away don't have them.

 

Finally got around to doing them last weekend. I started to hear some knocking when moving and turning, but it was not rotational at first. I poked around a few times looking for the noise and nothing. Then last week the knocking became rotational when turning and moving. Had to be the ujoints, I said.

Took everything apart. Having done them a few years back and using copious amounts of anti-seize made it easy.


The short side always leaks once in a while. You can see it in the picture below. Somehow the gear oil level is never low.


This was the offending ujoint on the passenger side. These are the good caps that still turned. The opposite caps did not move, where frozen in rust. I had to grind them off. PITA


So I had the Spicer brands that I bought last year preparing for this job. I was excited to get them thinking it would be an upgrade in quality. I got the passenger side installed. The joint was really tight but movable. I went to do the driver side joint and it fought me all the way. Lining up the caps to get the joint to slide up and down was hard, like the bearings were getting in the way. I took off the caps multiple times to make sure no bearing had fallen over. Finally I was on the last cap, pressing it in just enough to be able to snap the retaining ring when I head a crack. It was a busted cap from a fallen roller bearing. !@$$%%^. I was so mad, I had to walk away for the day. Next day I go to Advance Auto to get a replacement. They have 2 Moogs. I buy them both just in case I break another.


To my surprise the Moogs installed really easy compared to the Spicer. Even the design of the caps and cover make it less likely the bearings will fall over. Somehow the Moog plastic covers hold the bearings in place and make it much harder for them to fall over. And instead of having to press the caps in the with ball joint press, I could just tap them in with a hammer (gentle taps). On the left side is the Moog cap and the right is the Spicer (picture below). The Spicer was machined way too tight in my opinion. Even getting the caps on and off from the body felt tight. Once done with the driver side joint, I went back and took apart the passenger side Spicer joint I had done the day before, thinking I had a fallen bearing (why else would it be so tight). But when I took it apart all the bearings were in place. It was just a tight joint. I ended up redoing it with the other Moog ujoint I had at hand. Same process, really quick, and the joint is not as tight as with the Spicer joint.


Now the Jeep turns really smooth and quick. And I think it drives faster too. Like 5mph faster then before.

 

all you had to do was smack the ears open with a hammer, if the new joint goes in tight. it's usually not the joint, it's the ears putting pressure on the joint. but you don't want it too loose, the joint should be quite snug once clipped in. move-able, but snug.

i only use my press to remove a joint, never to install. i use a vise to get both caps going in evenly, while holding the joint centered, to keep the shaft in the cap enough on both sides, so no needles can fall. then tap them in a bit more, using an old cap to fit the clips. you can use a socket that is the same outside diameter of the cap. you don't want to use a ball end of a hammer, so you don't punch through the center of the cap.

 

That's some really good advice, Caged. Thank you.