U-joint girdles

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fishy68

fishy68

Tyr Fryr's Inc.
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My car still has the original straps that retain the u-joint to the yoke and I tried to find a u-joint girdle to fit it but can't come up with one. Currently my car weighs 3600 with me in it and I believe will run mid 12's with sticky tires. Do you racers think I need to worry about a girdle? If so does anybody know what fits the 7260 u-joint? I've looked all over Summit and Jeg's and can't fine an exact match. I even e-mailed Moroso with my info and they replied and said none of theirs will fit.
 
I got one from Mancini Racing but it was for a 7290 yoke. I think it was made by Moroso. As far as the 7260 goes........?
 
fishy68 said:
My car still has the original straps that retain the u-joint to the yoke and I tried to find a u-joint girdle to fit it but can't come up with one. Currently my car weighs 3600 with me in it and I believe will run mid 12's with sticky tires. Do you racers think I need to worry about a girdle? If so does anybody know what fits the 7260 u-joint? I've looked all over Summit and Jeg's and can't fine an exact match. I even e-mailed Moroso with my info and they replied and said none of theirs will fit.
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You might want to upgrade to the bigger pinion yoke,if your worried about breaking anything,i did this past season after ripping the straps right off the small yoke and destroying it,i bought the bigger billet yoke with the u-bolts from Moser..don't think i'll be breaking this one:thumrigh:
 
340srule said:
You might want to upgrade to the bigger pinion yoke,if your worried about breaking anything,i did this past season after ripping the straps right off the small yoke and destroying it,i bought the bigger billet yoke with the u-bolts from Moser..don't think i'll be breaking this one:thumrigh:
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Yeah I've been thinking about that too. I don't have the cash to do it right now that's why I was looking for a girdle for the 7260 joint. Hopefully this year the money will be there to do it...

Thanks, Tracy
 
Longgone said:
Here you go fishy.......... http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/ujointgirdles.html
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Thanks John. Unfortunately Moroso tells me that even though it's advertised as such it won't work. (I e-mailed Moroso tech line direct). I never looked at it on Mancini's site but I did look at it on Jeg's and Summit and Summit has their info totally wrong on it. They say it fits a 7260 U-joint with cap diameters .780". Jeg's and Moroso tech says it is for a 7260 joint with cap diameter 1.0625. The problem I have is I measured the cap diameter at 1.078 and confirmed that measurement on a Moparts tech article. I have 2 small yokes here and they both measure 1.078 I.D. so I'm sure I'm measuring them right. Plus the tech article on Moparts says that's what it should be.

I'm tempted to order one anyway since it's only .0155 smaller and take it over to a friends that has a lathe and see if we can enlarge it.
 
340srule said:
You might want to upgrade to the bigger pinion yoke,if your worried about breaking anything,i did this past season after ripping the straps right off the small yoke and destroying it,i bought the bigger billet yoke with the u-bolts from Moser..don't think i'll be breaking this one:thumrigh:
Click to expand...


True, thats the best fix.

Sometimes the caps do not go all the way in and tightening the straps does not sink the caps in. You need to press the caps in the york. I use a C-clamp and a strong light to look to see if the caps are both in the york all the way. If you can get your finger nail in between the cap and the york, its not in all the way. Use channel locks, a C-clamp, whatever, to push the caps in---or they will pop out one day.
 
dodge freak said:
True, thats the best fix.

Sometimes the caps do not go all the way in and tightening the straps does not sink the caps in. You need to press the caps in the york. I use a C-clamp and a strong light to look to see if the caps are both in the york all the way. If you can get your finger nail in between the cap and the york, its not in all the way. Use channel locks, a C-clamp, whatever, to push the caps in---or they will pop out one day.
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Yeah I always watch that carefully and make sure they seat in good.

Thanks, Tracy
 
Everyone I know would tell you don't get it including me!We speek from experience.
 
go to the local store in the help! section and see if they have the one for ford rears. measure the center to center and see if its the same. then just drill out the existing yoke.
 
redfastback said:
go to the local store in the help! section and see if they have the one for ford rears. measure the center to center and see if its the same. then just drill out the existing yoke.
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Our local store (Napa) isn't any help with a performance item. I did look at all that are listed on Jeg's and Summit's site and none of the others had the same bolt centers.
 
fishy68 said:
Our local store (Napa) isn't any help with a performance item. I did look at all that are listed on Jeg's and Summit's site and none of the others had the same bolt centers.
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they aren't really a performance item. the red carded help! items carry the straps. just ask for u joint straps for a ford 8" or 9"(might be a size difference) and see what they have.
 
7290 = Large Joints = 1.078
7260 = Small Joints = .780

I was thinking about putting girdles on mine since one of the strap bolt holes is stripped out and I have a nut & bolt in there now.

And it's bothering me... :hmph:
 
FASTBACK340 said:
7290 = Large Joints = 1.078
7260 = Small Joints = .780

I was thinking about putting girdles on mine since one of the strap bolt holes is stripped out and I have a nut & bolt in there now.

And it's bothering me... :hmph:
Click to expand...

Where did you get that info John? I measured again to be sure and I measure the small 7260 joint at 1.078 and the 7290 at 1.126 The following paragraph is copied from a tech arcticle on the Moparts board. Heres the url if you want to read the complete article. It's got alot of info on the 8-3/4.

http://www.moparts.com/Tech/Archive/axle/21.html

quote [The 8-3/4" axle was offered with two size cross & roller style universal joint. These are referred to as the '7260' (2-1/8" yoke ID) and the '7290' (2-5/8" yoke ID). Most Imperials and some C-bodies used a different univer-sal joint. The '1330' type joint was used on Imperials and others with a constant velocity joint. The '1330' uses outside snap rings instead of the inside snap rings used by the '7260' and '7290'. The cap diameter for the '7260' is 1.078". The cap diameter for the '7290' is 1.126". The '1330' style joint cap diameter is 1.063".] end quote
 
redfastback said:
they aren't really a performance item. the red carded help! items carry the straps. just ask for u joint straps for a ford 8" or 9"(might be a size difference) and see what they have.
Click to expand...

Ok I see what you mean. I'd really like to have girdles on there for more strength. The straps I have now are in good shape. Just wanting to upgrade.

Thanks to all who have replied, Tracy
 
Over time, the OEM yokes can actually start to spread! The u-joint and clips start hammering back & forth and just compounds the problem till something lets go. (You can catch it if you periodically check for u-joint play within the yoke.) I had that happen and switched to the small steel billet yokes sold by Mancini, Mopar and probably somebody else. They come with u-bolts which hold Spicer solid 7260 joints. (Sorry, don't have the part # handy.) Haven't had any problems.

My car can weigh over 3,540 lbs or over 3,700 lbs, depending on class, and has been high 1.40's in 60' running mid to high 11,s.

The benefits of larger joints is debatable. There is more leverage further out. But the small combo I have has given me peace of mind.

Yes, the billet yokes are expensive. But I found that it's cheaper in the long run to initially spend more for better parts whenever I can.
 
fishy68 said:
Where did you get that info John? ..... Heres the url if you want to read the complete article. It's got alot of info on the 8-3/4.

http://www.moparts.com/Tech/Archive/axle/21.html
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Hmm... I guess I'm crawling back under the car tomorrow and I'll measure again. That's awefully close... IIRC, mine was just a hair over 1", but then again, that's not good enough. Thanks for the link. I'll look it over when I'm done here. I have a 489 case with a 1 3/4" pinion nut. I also have a bolt hole for one of the cap straps.... the previous owner must have drilled through when the hole got stripped. PLEASE don't tell me I have a grenade!!!!!!!!!!! The last thing I want to hear now is that I have to start rebuilding the center section!!!!!!!! :shock:

%$#@#$%^ car....
 
Locomotion said:
Over time, the OEM yokes can actually start to spread! The u-joint and clips start hammering back & forth and just compounds the problem till something lets go. (You can catch it if you periodically check for u-joint play within the yoke.) I had that happen and switched to the small steel billet yokes sold by Mancini, Mopar and probably somebody else. They come with u-bolts which hold Spicer solid 7260 joints. (Sorry, don't have the part # handy.) Haven't had any problems.

My car can weigh over 3,540 lbs or over 3,700 lbs, depending on class, and has been high 1.40's in 60' running mid to high 11,s.

The benefits of larger joints is debatable. There is more leverage further out. But the small combo I have has given me peace of mind.

Yes, the billet yokes are expensive. But I found that it's cheaper in the long run to initially spend more for better parts whenever I can.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the good info Myron. Spreading apart is something I never thought about. The u-joint fits real tight in the yoke now so for now I'm sure it's ok. What I'm doing now is just to get me through this year and next winter I plan on rebuilding the 3rd member. Untill now I hadn't given a 2nd thought to needing a billet yoke but you've made me rethink things and I'll plan on it now. Cheap insurance as they say.
 
FASTBACK340 said:
Hmm... I guess I'm crawling back under the car tomorrow and I'll measure again. That's awefully close... IIRC, mine was just a hair over 1", but then again, that's not good enough. Thanks for the link. I'll look it over when I'm done here. I have a 489 case with a 1 3/4" pinion nut. I also have a bolt hole for one of the cap straps.... the previous owner must have drilled through when the hole got stripped. PLEASE don't tell me I have a grenade!!!!!!!!!!! The last thing I want to hear now is that I have to start rebuilding the center section!!!!!!!! :shock:

%$#@#$%^ car....
Click to expand...

Let me know if you come up with something different. I have 2 small yokes here and that's what I measured on both of them. I also have a 3rd member with the 7290 yoke and it measured what the article said.

I've seen guys drill through them when they strip out. I wouldn't do it unless it was for a temporary repair and not a racing application. Does it have any vibration from the extra long bolt and nut adding weight? As far as it being a gernade. I doubt that it is any more prone to breaking than the stock bolt would be. Only problem is with the 489 case is if you have to change the yoke you can disturb the crush sleeve easy. I also have a 489 and when I rebuild it I'm going to use one of the solid spacers they now make.
 
I wasn't planning on re-building the center section and I am relieved to know I can limp around with it (read no track time...) until I get it repaired properly. As for a vibration, yeah...we had vibration. But I didn't think that a bolt would do it.

Thanks for the info...:notworth:
 
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