Dana 35 u joint help

[just truckn]

Hey guys I am rebuilding my 90 ranger I am changing my Dana 28 for the 35 and so on my issue is I got new u joints the Spicer 5-760x for both axles I did the left side had no problems I go to do the right side and the joints don't fit the cross is to wide I mean I can get 3 caps in and retainers locked in but the last one won't go all the way in and it does this on both right axles they measure all the same size but for some reason I can't get the one cap to seat all the way and yes the needle bearings r in and good I even took them to my mechanic and he can't get them either I went to the auto parts store with the axles they could not match up anything this is driving me nuts that the left side went together with no issues but the right isn't has anyone ever had this issue with the Dana 35 right side axles any help is apt thanks

 

[Josh B]

Are you certain the axles and the frames from your truck and the donor's are both identical? Maybe not your best response but till now it's the best I can do

 

[Uncle Gump]

My first thought would be you dropped a needle bearing in a cap.

Second thought is that when you removed the old joint the yoke got distorted. I would measure across the yoke on one that the joint installed properly... and compare it to the measurement on the one that won't. If you used heat and a hammer to remove the old joint... it is a possibility.

 

[Shran]

What Gump said.

Can you see the groove in the cap, is it just barely not fitting? Sometimes I have to hammer the cap too far in, install the snap ring and then drive it back using the cap on the opposite side.

Also, you can try this, sometimes the yoke ears get bent in a little... give each side a nice sharp tap or two with a hammer in the spot I circled. I don't know exactly what this does, seems like it spreads the ears or something but it makes the u-joint move smoothly after installation.

 

[just truckn]

Hey guys thanks for getting back but Josh b as far as I know everything is a 91 ranger I bought the truck from some guy cause I wanted the cab it had 4.0 motor which was shot auto trans dana35 8.8 rear but can was rotted out so I cut it up and junked it but keep the frame and axles trans and the transfer case .and gump the needle bearing were good the issue is the cross is too wide for some reason I even went and bought different joints the do the same thing as I said before I took to a mechanic and he is baffled too I even put heat to them nothing worked I even tried to spread the ears with a porter power no good this is driving me crazy I got the driver side done with no issues but both right side one won't go together so i guess I'm just gonna have to buy the right side axles

 

[just truckn]

Oh when I match up the old one with the new ones they r the same size except for the ears some reason the new ones r bigger I even ground them down and that won't work either

 

[Uncle Gump]

How did you take the old U joints out?

 

[Dirtman]

I've seen this in jeeps... ugh jeeps... ears get bent on removal if you use a press, or the groove for the clip gets a ring of rust that literally forms into solid material and a new clip never goes back in. Pics would help.

 

[Josh B]

Where did you buy your parts? I'd also suggest double/triple check the numbers with originals

 

[just truckn]

I took the old ones out with a press but they all measure the same size in not good with these computers or I would get pics to show what I'm dealing with but I have no idea how to do it but I did try to put a porter power between the ears and they didn't move a bit but I didn't put heat to it so I'm going to get some more u joints and try again cause the ones I have now r the same size so we will c 2morrow

 

[Josh B]

There's a lot of people that do a lot of modifications to those front axles. I'm hoping you're not stuck with trying to resolve that type of a mess.
Pictures sometimes are worth a thousand words.
Did you take note of Shran's suggestion of setting one side in , and then driving it back home before setting the other side in?
If a possibility does exist of it being a pin I have in times past pushed excess grease in there to help hold them going in

 

[Uncle Gump]

It only take a couple thousandths of an inch to give you problems. If you try another set of joints and it still won't go... that yoke is most likely distorted.

 

[B-Train]

Ur ears are bent, mine were the same way, it got to the point where 3 clips would go in and the 4th I just had to tack the cap to the ear, just light tacks with welder turned down low so u don’t destroy the needle bearings, not the best fix, but it worked. You could go to a junk yard and spend a day trying to find some but the ears are probably bent on them too

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My first thought would be you dropped a needle bearing in a cap.

Second thought is that when you removed the old joint the yoke got distorted. I would measure across the yoke on one that the joint installed properly... and compare it to the measurement on the one that won't. If you used heat and a hammer to remove the old joint... it is a possibility.

I had a needle shift on one of mine... and now I have a spare cross minus one roller...

I haven't done a ton of u-joints but I have done a truck's worth of them, I haven't distorted an ear yet.

 

[just truckn]

Ok I went and got another set of joints and they do the same thing the other 3 sets do they r too wide so I'm done messing with them I'm just going to hit the junk yards and buy the completely side axle assembly cause there is something going on with these axles that nobody can figure out the ears r not bent they all measure to the same diameter that's what blows my mind the left side went together problem the right they don't fit and to just say it again the bearing were all in with no problems so it wasn't that I might just try to heat them cherry red and try to spread the ears just a touch but they r thick in that area so I don't know but I'm still going to hit the yards cause I don't have time playing around with this my James duff suspension is coming today my rears r rebuilt with 456 gears so I have to get it done but I will let u guys know how I make out thanks for all ur suggestions