ANyone running the spicer "forged" dana 60 1480 front u-joint.Part numbers SPL-55 3x and/SLP-55 4x(one is greasable and the other is not).Just curious if they are any stronger than the regular 5-332x joint.Thanx. :D

wouldn't all spicer ujoints be forged?

Originally posted by camo
wouldn't all spicer ujoints be forged?


nope ;)

cast :D

new 5-760 = forged and the spl-55 series are forged, should be 15-20% in the claims...

I have some on the shelf I will put in my axle shafts when the 5-332x's blow.

The guy I bought them from had access to a Rockwell hardness tester and the 2 of each he had on hand tested to be 6-9 Rockwell hardness points higher.

Now, do I know what that will mean in the real world? Not a friggin chance......

Ed

Abba got some for his front end. I got the pleasure of putting them in ;)

Anyway, it's strange but they feel different in hand. I can't really explain it, but they just felt stronger while holding them. Also, they went in easier and fit better than any U-Joints I've ever installed. He didn't break one of them at TTC even when he was fully on it with just front wheel drive in low-low with his huge 454. But, that's about all I know about them ;)

I always thought forged was the way to go. I am betting they are stronger than the cast ones ;)

the 332 were forged as well.
I just put spl55-4x in my 60.
but i never broke a 332, just died from not being greasable
the spl's are the new LIFE series stuff from spicer.
newer better looking workmanship.
I have bunch of images but a search will show what they are.
side by side with a 332 they look cleaner etc

yep, I have seen the pictures of them.I am just wondering about if they are actually stronger..I busted my third 5-332x last weekend(it took out the inner and outer as usual) and I am curious about these newer "forged" units....and before anyone says CTM....I know ;but, as I have mentioned in a previous post on other threads Jacks joints are not practical unless someone is producing chrome molly 60 front axles ...but, less than camo's custom units .:eek: ..thanx for the input and if anyone else has any info on them fell free to post.:D

well I guess you are the official P4x4 spl55 tester then.
they are the same $$ as the 332 so tell us how they work out.

I put them in mine when I did the 35 spline outers, no problems with them but I never broke the old ones either. They do look a lot nicer though, as was said above. I used the non-greaseables.

Pete

I ran them at Top Truck in my 60. No problems.

Well thanx for the input guys...I am getting kinda scared of them though..I can buy the non-greasable SLP-55 for $27.35 and the gresable for 32 even....The standard spicer 5-332x costs me 40 bucks...kinda worried about "getting what you pay for"..which vehicle was abba's?

Abba has the scout on 44s


Drew

Originally posted by Pavement Pounder83
Abba has the scout on 44s


Drew
Thanx. That is what I thought.

here's a quote from spicers website. judging from it go with life series not time.

*Spicer Time-Tempered universal joint kits should NOT be used in high-performance vehicles, motorsport applications or vehicles frequently used in severe off-road conditions.

As far as I know (around here anyways) most auto parts stores carry the time series.

can you get the oem units? I think they might be a little better.

Originally posted by Aggro
here's a quote from spicers website. judging from it go with life series not time.



As far as I know (around here anyways) most auto parts stores carry the time series.

can you get the oem units? I think they might be a little better.

as for can I get it..if it has spicer on it and it is not discontinued I can get it..I have been running the standard 5-332x from spicer..What exactly do you mean"OEM unit"? I am assuming that the 5-332x is the OEm unit since it is what is listed in the spicer catalog.Is that wrong?

I don't know for sure which ones are for oem use, but I have noticed they usually appear to be different. They look the same as the spl 55-3x's I got yesterday, but I was under the impression that the forged units were new, and my 95 and my 01 trucks have the ?same? joints in them, appearance wise.

Edit: by oem I mean the joint that actually left the factory in the truck.


I got the -3's when I really wanted the -4's. Anybody want to trade? If you run the non-greasable, do you ever have a contamination problem? I don't think I'll have a problem breaking the joints, so I am concerned about service life- seems as though all the places around here get at least $45/joint. So my question to you is this: are the seals good enough to run for a few years in water crossings without re-lubing them? Will they die of lack of lube?

The time series always have a blue seal, fwiw.

I got the -3's when I really wanted the -4's. Anybody want to trade?

The older OEM units were the 5-332x..While newer models have the "forged" OEm..I have a question. How big is the hole in the end of the trunion in the non -greasable SPL-3x?The hole in the end on the greasable is super small..like and 1/8 inch(possibly slightly smaller)..The hole in the end of a 5-332x non-greasable is much bigger..say 3/8 (possibly a tad bigger)...The smaller hole in the end of the trunion could make it stronger to.?:D

Will they die of lack of lube?

seems like a silly question.
no lube= death of moving parts.

I'm sure that they would last long enough;) The only time the caps are actually getting wear is when your hubs are locked. They move a little whenever you turn the steering wheel but they aren't under a load. Just go for it and by the time they are worn out shame on you if you haven't saved up for some CTMs:flipoff2:

in mine the rollers rusted solid in only 10years.
other then that I would still be running them.
small driveline u joints ensure the dif doesnt see breakage

Originally posted by desertCJ
Just go for it and by the time they are worn out shame on you if you haven't saved up for some CTMs:flipoff2: [/B]

Yes the CTM"S are the real deal....to bad the ears on the spicer axleshafts won't handle the CTM joints....would somebody finally start making chromemoly axleshafts for 60 front..

my cusin has broken about 30 297s in the last 2 years.

he has run 760s for the last few months in 2 comps and 4 or 5 weedend runs and has broken only spicer shafts no 760s. they seem to be much stronger. But their testing will be short lived because the CTMs and Warns are going in :D

Originally posted by mj


seems like a silly question.
no lube= death of moving parts.

looks like we have a rocket scientist here..MJ...

They come pre lubed, with instructions to NOT lube them. My question put more clearly, How long can I run them before they get contaminated and die because of it. At $100/pair, they better last longer than a year or so, or it will be cheaper to run a 44 and break the joint once a month.

edit: the lube cavity in the spl non greasable is .375"id.

yes, the question was very 'rocket scientist' :flipoff2:
and the lube in the lube cavity stays there and is nice and clean 10 years later.
meanwhile the rollers where the lube should be are destroyed.
obviously they are engineered to outlast a warrantee period.
greaseable is better

Originally posted by Aggro
[B

edit: the lube cavity in the spl non greasable is .375"id. [/B]
Aggro,
The hole in the trunion it is way bigger than the hole with the greasable...I looked a greasable SPL-55-4x (also known as the 5-733x)yesterday and the hole in the greasable is probably no more than .125 i.d....the extra thickness just might add some strength to the trunion..Very interesting.Thanx.:D