Hot Rods Drive shaft u-joint with welded tabs?

Hi guys, I've just gone to change out the leaking rear end drive shaft seal, gone to remove the prop and found this, I'm not in the US and have not come across this system with no bolts holding on the u-joint before.

1) is this how it is designed to be?

2) to service is the design to cut off the tabs, remove bearings caps, remove shaft and re***emble with welded tabs?

Fitted to early 50's mopar

Thanks in advance.

 

That does not seem right at all! After getting it apart, I would look for snap ring grooves and get some measurements to look for a more conventional retention system.

 

Done that myself one time. Loose cap had worn shaft holes oval. Drilled and reamed for oversize joint. Looked like that with joint flush with outside of shaft

 

No, that is not a normal way to do things...at all....good luck!

 

Shade tree for sure. I've seen it done on log and pulpwood trucks years ago because the owners couldn't afford or couldn't fix it properly. I did the PTO shaft on my old bush hog like that because the shaft yoke was so worn out joints wouldn't stay in it. You'll probably end up getting a new yoke for that one.

 

One interesting thing is that there is no normal way of removing the U joint from the pinion yoke. ..I've never seen a pinion yoke that did not have U bolts or straps or some other way to disconnect the joint easily.

 

http://p15-d24.com/forum/4-p15-d24-forum/

these boys may be able to help

 

The heat from welding on the tabs destroyed the seal, not to mention an out of balance condition.

 

Thanks all, yes it's not just the welded tabs that have got me confused but that there's no u-bolts etc to actually remove it from the yolk. If it had had c clips originally, didn't they have bolts too?

 

Yes, they normally did. You got a strange one.

 

Definitely not right. I echo the voice of squirrel, there should be some sort of retainer.

 

Bizarre thing is it's a survivor car, 99% original and correct in overall very good condition so it really has me thrown...

Will try Scotty's thread but if be interested to hear from anyone that has a similar yoke set up.

Even without the welded tabs, I've never seen one with out retaining bolts of some kind...

The tabs are ****on tight no play at all.
Shame as the seal is only slightly leaking.

 

Since they welded both the driveshaft and the yoke, I'm guessing that they got the wrong U joint and didn't have time or money to get the right one. After watching some of those cars from Cuba shows, I bet they did things like this out of necessity.

 

That's a Hillbilly repair done by someone that couldn't find the right parts - or didn't Care.

 

Those booger welds say a lot.. Deffinately not factory..

 

While it isn't very common, I've seen vehicles and power take off shafts with press in yokes at both ends. Factories generally didn't do it because it's slower to ***emble. There are a few possibilities for the welded retainers. The original joint could have been rusted in and somebody used a torch on the yokes and stretched them so the caps didn't fit or they got a joint that was too long to use the snap rings on the ends or they didn't have the c clips for the inside.

 

I agree this not a factory Mopar setup. Like others here, I have never seen an automotive driveshaft that did uncouple from the rear axle at the u-joint by one of several common types.

You didn't specify the make, model, year of your car, but I think I would be searching for a new 'stock' pinion shaft yoke and driveshaft for your car.

By the way, I don't think the leaking pinion shaft seal has anything to do with the weld heat. Too much m*** there to be adversely affected by a few booger welds. Greater risk to boiling out the grease in the u-joints that pinion seal damage, in my opinion.

Ray

 

Didn't 50s MOPARs use ball and trunnion joints?

 

yeah, that's probably why it was changed in the first place.