Thread: U joints...

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Last night around 10 O' Clock, I launched my car from 2500 rpm. It was standard protocol as far as launches go, rev it up and dump the clutch. When I dumped the clutch and quickly had to shift to second, my car started shaking like crazy. I quickly put the clutch in, stuck her in neutral, and coasted to the nearest parking lot. I got out of the car, and inspected the tires and the motor as best as I could. Finding nothing, I put her back in gear and backed out of the parking spot. When I put her in first, the car started shaking and making the noise like I had a flat. I parked her on the side of the road and my buddy immediately called his dad, who knows way more about cars than us teenagers. He came down, checked the car out, and announced that it was a (now I can't remember exactly what he said but I'll try) "U" joint and I should get the car told, because there's no telling how long the car is going to be able to run, even at low speeds, before my driveshaft falls out. I'm sure hoping it's not my driveshaft, what am I going to need to do to get my car runnin smooth again?

A new set of U joints and some basic tools. Someone who knows what they are doing can get those joints changed in about an hour. Cost of both joints should be about $30 (labor not included) for good ones.

Abe

Bot to really get the best "Life Experience" here you need to change them on the side fo the road where there is plenty of sand, and the caps have to come loose and roller bearings have to fall out of the new joint at least twice while your are trying to fix it!

Seriously changing the U-Joints is not too difficult. You'll need a couple open or box end wrenches, a vice and some sockets to use to push push the caps out and back in. You'll also need needle nose pliers or a screwdriver to remove nad replace retaining clips. Once you have the new U-joints in the drive shaft, whack the drive shaft collars a couple times with a hammer. This should let it spring back into ists natural position. Some times pressing the U-joints in will put it in a bind, the hammer blows will usually pop it out of the bind.

This will be good experience for a young hot rodder!

Happy Thanksgiving

Pat

They will not let me do it myself or with the assistance of a friend, it's sitting in front of the shop as we speak, hopefully they don't rip me a new a-- hole for labor.

Not even that, I could go over to my friend's house who was with me last night, they're currently building a 302 and 5-speed tranny out of a 94' mustang to swap into a ford falcon. I could go over to their house. My parents don't think I could do it, and they also want it to be covered in case someone does screw it up.

Car repair is one of the essential things a man learns as he grows up. Learning to fix things yourself will save you literally tens of thousands of dollars throughout your entire life. I think your dad (who I bet $10 can't change his alternator) needs to step back and look at the financial aspect of this and let you learn what a REAL man should learn. Not a year goes my that I don't at some point call my Dad and thank him for making me good with my hands.

Abe

nobodys ragging on you for being a teen, but you should have a talk with yo' pops about it, especially if your into hotrodding. btw stu cool that's funny, as i was reading it brought back oh so painfull memories lol!

Thanks for the advice you guys, I think they're actually planning on buying me some tools for christmas (fingers crossed)!

Hopefully once they get me some tools I can show them that I can do it. And believe me, my dad doesn't know how to change a tire, literally. My mom can't even operate the VCR.

i wanted to offer one more piece of advice, when you get the chance to help friends out with thier car...help them. its experience! i learned how by surrounding myself with people who knew alot more than me and asked question and offered to help. and dont jump into trying to build and engine the first time out start small. good luck.

I agree, help and read all you can on cars, subscribe to a magazine, get a job at autozone, then next time you beat the sac off your car YOU can fix it.

The things everyone said here are very good bits of advice, hope you listen to it. I have numerous kids who "hang out" in the shop from time to time just to help out a bit. By the time I was 14, I was almost a permanent fixture in a coulple different garages around town, sweeping floors, washing parts, and soaking up the knowledge. I had to earn their trust and learn from them, eventually I got to do some of the "real" work and the learning really started. Hang out with the car guys, and don't hesitate to throw in some time in exchange for the learning experience.

Maybe you should spend more time "learning" than "launching".....You really don;t know what a U-joint is.??.... .....

When I was a teenager, I worked on my own car out of nessesity. I couldn't aford to take it to a mechanic. 35 yrs. later and I'm building another one. Still learning and enjoying every minute of it.

Well First off, Nobody, U are Somebody!
Im sad to here that you're parents wont let U get you're hands dirty. When I was younger I would go with my Father to work and help him fix the scaners at the grocey stores. I usually ended up in the candy isle eatin them out of butter,cups

Well anyways, At the shop that I work at we have a young man that works for us through the school, I think its a work study program. He comes in at 2 or so and works till 5, we let him do the Oil changes and tires. When he has nothing to do I teach him on some more Technical stuff. He is a Junior and wants to be an enginere some day. Trust me I shure do like to show him the bad ideas some of these componys call Automobils. I shure hope he is paying attention, so mabe u should check in with that at you're school.

Good Luck and God-Speed SomeBody!
P.S There is no such things as, Blinker Fluid and Muffler Belts

Really? I just picked up some halogen fluid for my headlights

Yeah I'm going into computer science at the moment, and I might do some mechanics classses over summer, I'm still undecided at the moment.