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Sealed vs Grease-able U-joints - the Low Down

AK-RWC

Legacy Registered User
Gold Member
City
south central
State
AK
He oversimplified this. You can get the 5-1310-1X that is the SPL hardened cross-shaft, greaseable, with the thrust-washer in the cap and the high-quality caps, with the zerk placed in one of the caps. Yeah, it has the greasable-style seal, but there's something to be said about being able to push out all the ugly grease and contaminants. The reality is, the "lifetime" warranty joints still have seals that fail.
 

MomoJeep

Basic User
Silver Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
He oversimplified this. You can get the 5-1310-1X that is the SPL hardened cross-shaft, greaseable, with the thrust-washer in the cap and the high-quality caps, with the zerk placed in one of the caps. Yeah, it has the greasable-style seal, but there's something to be said about being able to push out all the ugly grease and contaminants. The reality is, the "lifetime" warranty joints still have seals that fail.

Thanks for the upgraded information. The 1310 doesn't fit my dana30 Front Knuckles though. Only the 5-260x (non-grease-able) seems to fit. Is there are high quality grease-able version of the 5-260x? I can't seem to find one made my Spicer... (?)
 

AK-RWC

Legacy Registered User
Gold Member
City
south central
State
AK
The u-joints shown in the video are driveshaft joints, not axle shaft.

I'm not aware of a Spicer product that is a greaseable 5-760X (a/k/a 1310WJ a/k/a 5-260). On my wife's ZJ, I run the non-greaseable 5-760X, but on the Scrambler, I run the Alloy USA version, which not only uses a hardened cross shaft, but each cap has a fitting. Yes, it's a PIA to pull the shaft because not only does the shaft fit VERY tightly through the knuckle, all four zerks have to be removed to slide it through.

http://www.alloyusa.com/alloy-usa-11500.html
 

MomoJeep

Basic User
Silver Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
My understanding is that the 5-760x is not the same as the 5-260 X, it has different dimensions, right?
 

MomoJeep

Basic User
Silver Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
Oh, I see that the 760x is for 1984 or later.. I have an ‘83. That’s explains it I guess!?
 

AK-RWC

Legacy Registered User
Gold Member
City
south central
State
AK
Oh, I see that the 760x is for 1984 or later.. I have an ‘83. That’s explains it I guess!?
I have to admit my confusion; it's been so long since I've worked on a stock CJ axle shaft, I thought Scout axle used the same size u-joint as my CJs do/did. (It is definitely the same as my wife's ZJ, which is the 760X.) CJs used the 260, which is still a 1310WJ joint, with smaller caps.

Either way, I'm still not aware greasable 5-260X, and for that matter, I couldn't even find that Spicer makes a hardened version of this joint. I did come across this interesting gem from O'Reilly's though, it's a MasterPro 378:
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...iversal-joint/378/4507199/1985/jeep/cj7?pos=2
Which looks like the Spicer hardened-style cross, with one zerk in an end-cap. This is the smaller diameter cap that is the p/n interchange for the 5-260X.
 

Dave The Sparky

Rebuilding my CJ8 very,very slowly...
Member
City
Halifax
State
UK
The reality is, the "lifetime" warranty joints still have seals that fail.

I agree with this comment, sealed UJs are okay if you never see water or dont own a grease gun, same goes for the ball joints.

Maintenance free is great if you are a dealer and servicing vehicles i mean who wants to spend 10 minutes pumping grease in to everything when you could be on the next customers car.!
 

Dave The Sparky

Rebuilding my CJ8 very,very slowly...
Member
City
Halifax
State
UK
If Spicer do not make greaseable UJS for the front axles other manufacturers do as i have some fitted, think they were Moog or AC Delco? grease fitting is in the end of one of the caps.
 

MomoJeep

Basic User
Silver Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
Thanks for finding that gem at O’Reilly’s.

So, I just talk to a guy at East Coast gear about this. He pointed out that in order to be Greasesble, the centers of the cross have to be drilled out, And this weakens the joint..

Supposedly the advantage of the sealed up joints is that the seals are stronger and better because they don’t let Grease out. And therefore less likely to let water in ... The grease-able joints would have to have seals that let the grease out.

I keep going back-and-forth on which one I want to use
 

Dave The Sparky

Rebuilding my CJ8 very,very slowly...
Member
City
Halifax
State
UK
I think its probably down to personal choice, why not just buy one of each and see how you get on :LOL:
 

AK-RWC

Legacy Registered User
Gold Member
City
south central
State
AK
Thanks for finding that gem at O’Reilly’s.

So, I just talk to a guy at East Coast gear about this. He pointed out that in order to be Greasesble, the centers of the cross have to be drilled out, And this weakens the joint..
From a force analysis standpoint, the tiny holes drilled in the center of the cross-shaft are in locations where they impact the integrity the least. Yes, they have some impact, but it's minimal. You also need to consider the benefits to having fresh grease to the needles.

The Alloy USA joints that I have in my Scout 44 axle use a zerk at each cap, so I'm reasonably certain that it isn't even drilled. I think I have a spare that I need to look at when I'm in the garage next.
 

MomoJeep

Basic User
Silver Member
City
Seattle
State
WA
From a force analysis standpoint, the tiny holes drilled in the center of the cross-shaft are in locations where they impact the integrity the least. Yes, they have some impact, but it's minimal. You also need to consider the benefits to having fresh grease to the needles.

The Alloy USA joints that I have in my Scout 44 axle use a zerk at each cap, so I'm reasonably certain that it isn't even drilled. I think I have a spare that I need to look at when I'm in the garage next.

Yes, I'd be curious about using these, if they have ones that replace the Spicer 5-1260X (in a CJ Dana 30)
 
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