Half Shafts rebuild and regreasing slip yoke

[Indy]

Write-up: Rebuilding half-shafts on Gen2 Viper

I’m on a two week vacation…time to work on all those projects First up, rebuilding both half shafts with new u-joints, straps and regreasing the slip yokes. Here’s a short write up of the process and which parts can be used to replace the stock ones.
U-joints: the following can be used to replace the oem units. They are all non-greasable u-joints, made in the USA. These are the heavy duty versions (make sure to get these, and not the regular strength units). They all got very good reviews and feedback, so either one will probably be a good replacement.
The original Spicer 5-799X has been discontinued, and is replaced by the Spicer 5-1350X. I still found that some shops sell the originals.

So here is the list for u-joints:

Spicer 5-799X (discontinued)
Spicer 5-1350X
Moog Super U-Joint MOG-231
Brute Force U-Joint 2-0053BF

For the strap kits, there is only one I found that contains metric bolts (which are used by the Viper). The others will fit, but come with imperial bolts. I bought a strap kit with imperial bolts, but reused my original metric bolts, making sure to clean them well before installation. Don’t use the imperial bolts that come with most kits. Even though they will probably go in easy enough, the thread pattern is different and might cause damage to the threads in the yoke.

Strap kits:

Neapco strap kit 1-0019 (imperial bolts)
Moog strap kit 331-10 (imperial bolts)
Spicer 3-70-28X (imperial bolts)
Spicer 3-70-48X (metric bolts which will fit the Viper)

I probably didn’t find all possible parts, so feel free to add to the list.


So here we go. Jack up the car high enough so that you can work underneath, as you will be spending a bit of time down there : ) Make sure to support the vehicle well, I used two jacks, some jack stands and blocks of wood, just to be safe. Before starting on this project, mark all half shaft positions in relation to the attachment points to the diff and wheel, since you want to install them in the same position later on. Use a size 5/16th or 8mm socket to remove the bolts on the straps.



They should come out fairly easily. I had to rotate the half shafts to get to all the bolts, but they are all accessible. There are 4 bolts per u-joint, so 16 overall. Once you’ve got the bolts removed, use a small wedge between the yoke and the u-joint to break the bond.



The half shafts should now be ready to be removed from the car. You do not have to remove any other parts to remove the shafts, as they will slide through the shock fork. The only tricky part is to rotate the shafts so that they go through. It’s not difficult, but it will be much easier if you have a helper for this part, as you will have to compress the shafts and rotate them to get them through the fork. So that’s the first part of the rebuild complete .


Now we get to the removal of the u-joints. Hammer (using a metal cylinder on the cap) or press out the old u-joints.



Clean the holes thoroughly, so that the new caps will go in smoothly. Grease all caps properly before installation, making sure not to lose any of the metal needles. You will have to remove one or both caps (depending on which end of the half shaft) in order to install the new u-joints. If you’ve never replaced a u-joint, it might be a good idea to read up on some of the finer points, but it’s fairly straight forward. Gently knock the removed cap into place, so that it can now be pressed into the socket.



A vise will be perfect for this. I used a socket that was about the same size as the cap to get an even pressure application. The cap should go in smoothly.



Push it in just to the point so that you can insert the clip.



Repeat on the other side of the u-joint. Once both clips are in place, you will have to release the tension, as the u-joint will likely not move freely. Again, you can use the vise for this. Place the two free caps over the vise opening and gently tap the yoke until the u-joints move freely. It’s all much simpler than it sounds.

Repeat above steps for all four u-joints.


Next up is regreasing the slip yoke (note: I actually completed the slip yokes before replacing the u-joints, as you will notice in the pics). Make sure to mark the two ends with a marker. Half shafts are balanced, and you don’t want to put them back together in a different orientation.



It’s enough to remove one of the metal clamps (one closer to the splines in the yoke). Pull apart half shaft, and inspect for damage. Check quantity of grease remaining.



Remember not to completely fill the cavity with grease, as this will cause hydrolock when the halfshafts compress. Just enough to cover all the splines and have a reservoir of grease. It’s a good idea to measure maximum compression to figure out how much to put in. I noticed that mine where quite low on grease and definitely needed some extra.



Carefully reinstall both end of the shaft, paying careful attention to the markings made earlier. Fasten rubber boot with zip tie, making sure it is well sealed.



Now we’re almost done
Reinstalling half shafts is the exact opposite of the removal process. It might be a good idea to secure the caps when sliding them through the shock fork, to prevent them from coming off (just tape them on).
I used new straps (even if the old ones look ok, they might be slightly warped), but reused the original metric bolts. Use locktite on the bolts. The bolts are torqued to 36 Nm. Again, you will have to rotate the shafts in order to get to all of them. I used some socket extensions for a few of them, as space around the u-joints can be tight. Also, I had to put the handbrake on when tightening the bolts, otherwise the shafts will rotate and not allow proper torqueing.
And that’s pretty much it. Let the locktite dry overnight. Do not retorque the bolts, as this will break the locktite. Overall, this is an easy and inexpensive rebuild. Cost is around $100 for all parts, time is about 3-4 hours for the entire procedure.



I take no responsibility for the steps in this write up. Attempt at your own risk, and feel free to modify and change any of the above points.
Cheers, Indy

[Fatboy 18]

5 Stars for taking the time to write things up Great info

[A2008]

What is a normal time frame or mileage that one should contemplate on doing this? Did you use regular grease or synthetic grease? Or does it make a difference?

[Thawk97]

I'm not sure when, but I'm sure I'll need to do this someday - fantastic write up - thanks!

[Indy]

The grease I used is wheel bearing grease - any decend brand should do. As to when one should do this, depends, but I have around 16k miles and after inspecting the old u-joints, they seem to be in great condition - the bearings don't seem worn and there was a good deal of grease left. But then again, it is hard to tell just by looking if there is play in the joints or not. But the slip-yoke definitely needed new grease, as there was not much of the original grease on the splines left. So just for that it's worth it and you'll have peace of mind that the u-joints are also new

[My98RT10]

Very nice write-up!

One more thing worth to mention in this context: when replacing u-joints of the DRIVESHAFT! you need to get the u-joint version specifically made for aluminum driveshafts. These are more expensive and come with special caps to avoid galvanic corrosion.