U JOINT QUESTIONS

[64longroof]

HI, are the front and rear u joints for a 64 Dart/slantsix/904 auto the same size? World Pac catalogue shows only a rear joint, suggesting a difference.
Also, the front joint on mine does not have a grooves for c clip retainers. Does not seem safe to me.
Also, for a slant six/1 bbl, is a grease fitting-type joint not at risk of breaking? Thanks, all, peace

 

[chewy]

Front on a stock driveline is a ball and trunion. When I had my driveline made to replace the trunion, they put same ujoint on the front bolt on slip shaft, as on the back of the driveline.

 

[Professor Fate]

HI, are the front and rear u joints for a 64 Dart/slantsix/904 auto the same size? World Pac catalogue shows only a rear joint, suggesting a difference.
Also, the front joint on mine does not have a grooves for c clip retainers. Does not seem safe to me.
Also, for a slant six/1 bbl, is a grease fitting-type joint not at risk of breaking? Thanks, all, peace

If you have a front U-joint, then it is not stock- as said, '65s had a ball and trunnion on the tailshaft of the trans.- so if you have a custom shaft to eliminate the B&T or a later-model transmission swap, it could have almost any style of U-joint in the front spot.
Just because you don't see c-clips on your front joint doesn't mean there aren't any, since it could use inner or outer c-clips.
Outer c-clips fit into a groove on the yoke located at the outside end of the bearing cap.

Inner c-clips snap into a groove on the bearing cap and seat against the inside of the yoke, and are not as readily visible.

Since you are not sure of what you need, I'd just remove the two u-joints and take them down to NAPA (or wherever) and see if they can size them up for you.
And no, you're not in danger of snapping a greaseable u-joint.

 

[chewy]

There is a pic of how the trunion joint should look on this page. If yours is missing the boot, you'd have to find a boot to add. If it's loose and needs to be rebuilt, there used to be kits available. Haven't searched recently but they were hard to find 15 years ago when I had my driveline built. This page also has the parts list to give to a driveline shop if you opt to replace it.

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If you have a ujoint up front, sometimes those are pressed In on the front, rather than clipped in. A vise and couple sockets are what I used in cases where they don't come out or go in easy. Haven't done this for many years.