{"id":5026,"date":"2017-06-10T04:02:29","date_gmt":"2017-06-10T10:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/blog\/causes-u-joint-failure\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T07:17:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T11:17:04","slug":"causes-u-joint-failure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/blog\/causes-u-joint-failure\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Most Common Causes of U-Joint Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While any rear wheel drive vehicle can have a universal joint (u-joint), they&#8217;re typically found on pickups and SUVs. U-joints connect the driveshaft to the transmission and rear differential, and they allow for a change in the angle of the driveline. This way, the vehicle&#8217;s rear axle can move up and down without breaking the driveshaft.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The 3 Most Common Causes of U-Joint Failure\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8LK4vDhHejE?feature=oembed&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When a u-joint begins to fail, it&#8217;s normal to notice clunking during gear shifts, grinding during a turn, or even vibrations at higher speeds. When a vehicle requires a replacement u-joint, it&#8217;s often helpful if a service advisor or technician can explain the various possible causes of failure.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the three most common causes of u-joint failures:<\/p>\n<h2>1. Normal Wear and Tear<\/h2>\n<p>Just about everything on a working automobile will fail over time, and the u-joints are no exception. U-joints experience quite a bit of wear and tear, especially on vehicles that go off-road or that tow frequently.<\/p>\n<p>Proper lubrication can greatly extend the lifespan of your vehicle&#8217;s u-joints, and u-joints that can be lubricated will have recommended maintenance intervals. However, some u-joints are &#8220;closed&#8221; or sealed designs that do not allow added lube.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Misalignment<\/h2>\n<p>Misalignment of the driveshaft can happen when modifications are made to the rear differential or the transmission&#8217;s mounting. Misalignment will create excess vibration that can literally &#8220;shake&#8221; the u-joint apart, damage seals that reduce lubrication, and ultimately cause the u-joint to fail.<\/p>\n<p>Adding a lift kit or a set of oversized tires can shorten the lifespan of a u-joint. If a vehicle is altered in this way, it&#8217;s a good idea to inspect the u-joints and make sure the angles are still within spec.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Loose Connections<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1418\" src=\"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/u-joint-group.jpg\" alt=\"U Joint Group\" width=\"600\" height=\"401\" \/><br \/>\nSometimes, the bolts holding the u-joints in place &#8211; either to the driveshaft or to the transmission or differential &#8211; can come loose or fall out completely. This usually happens because of corrosion, excessive jolting or vibration, or because the bolts were not properly torqued into place. A worn or cracking transmission or differential housing can also cause this.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, u-joint failure isn&#8217;t limited to these three causes. Over-torquing can cause damage, as can extreme duty (racing, towing more than the recommended payload, aggressive off-roading, etc.). Vehicles with heavily modified engines can also cause u-joint failures.<\/p>\n<h2>Knowing the Cause of Failure Is Key To Correct Replacement<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Signs That Your U-Joints Need Replacement\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iUInIiCay78?feature=oembed&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When it&#8217;s time to replace a u-joint, it&#8217;s essential to know the cause of the existing u-joints failure. If, for example, a vehicle&#8217;s engine or suspension has been modified, replacing the OE u-joint with another OE-spec unit is not going to fix the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, if the vehicle owner isn&#8217;t aware of the importance of u-joint lubrication, they may end up needing another set of u-joints much sooner than expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While any rear wheel drive vehicle can have a universal joint (u-joint), they&#8217;re typically found on pickups and SUVs. U-joints connect the driveshaft to the transmission and rear differential, and they allow for a change in the angle of the driveline. This way, the vehicle&#8217;s rear axle can move up and down without breaking the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[47,90045,48],"class_list":["post-5026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maintenance-tips","tag-u-joints","tag-universal-joint","tag-universal-joints"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43651,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5026\/revisions\/43651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmb.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}