Ujoint swap?

[westsidek20]

Hey guys,
With bigger tires, gears and more torque/hp is it necessary to swap the ujoints that go from the shaft to the transfer for bigger ones?

[zieg85]

No you will break other things before a u-joint goes.  From my younger days, axles break first.

[westsidek20]

Did you did this?
So the ujoints are the "designed" weak link as protection?

[zieg85]

No my buddy put a serious motor in his 65 Chevelle.  He found all kinds of wink links as he started breaking things.  It was a really fun car to ride in.  Never broke a u-joint all the time he had the car. 

[westsidek20]

Ok, thanks.

[thirsty]

Just use a high quality u-joint like spicer if you need to replace one. Avoid the cheap ones.

[Irish_Alley]

i would much rather have the u-joints brake than a axle shaft

[bake74]

Just use a high quality u-joint like spicer if you need to replace one. Avoid the cheap ones.

i would much rather have the u-joints brake than a axle shaft

     Depends on how you are going to use your truck.  I have in the past made the u-joints the weak link in my trail rigs because it is easier to replace one on the trail then the axle shaft.
     Like I said, it depends on how you use your truck, if you plan on using that power on the street you might want to upgrade your axle shafts and use stock u-joints and check them more often and change them before they break.
     

[westsidek20]

Looks like everybody is at the same page with this.
I will just get a good brand ujoint in regular size.

 

[bobcooter]

You can't change the size, only the quality.

[westsidek20]

I know I know old thread, but,
I was trying to make the best decision for the ujoints, is the 1350 style the ones I need for the back of the transfer and the back axel?
78 K20

[Captkaos]

You have to have the yoke for it on either end.  Factory on a half ton was a 1320

[westsidek20]

Well, I read somewhere that 1350 was the size for the 3/4 ton. I ordered them and try them,I wil post this info once it's done, maybe it's usefull info for someone else.

Ps. Thanks for the whether strips, haven't installed yet, will also post once I get to it.

[westsidek20]

Here's a little info.
The ujoint that goes in the back Axel (14bolt FF on a K20) is a 1350, now in my truck I had a 203 transfer and it had the half ton ujoint on the back of it (1320).
I switched the transfer to a 205 that had a 1350 yoke on the back end so I ended up placing a bigger ujoint on the back of the transfer after all, now that wasn't the size I had in mind at the beginning I was thinking of 1410's.
Well after I did the swap I got invited to hit some trails at the mountains, and another guy asked me if I could tow his rock crawler, let me tell you the truck handled it good. I will post some pics.
The front ujoints are all 1320's (10 bolt front Axel)