Finding the right Spicer U-Joints

Finding the right Spicer U-Joints

Dirty Forged Wheels: The 5 Ws - How We Roll Reading Finding the right Spicer U-Joints 5 minutes
By Joshua Baumgartner
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Been looking to replace your worn out clunky universal joints with some quality replacements? There are a bunch of options out there and many of them struggle with premature failure and a short service life. Here at the shop we only use Spicer u-joints. For most, the biggest hurdle to finding replacement u-joints is the variations within each truck and the variety of options available. This is exactly the reason why we will go over types of u-joints and how they are sized so you can make sure you get the right u-joints for your application.

TYPES OF U-JOINTS AND SIZING 

There are many different u-joints for a variety of applications, the main ones we are concerned about for most truck applications are inside and outside locking clips.

Outside locking clips are installed from the outside face of the u-joint into a groove in the yolk. The inside locking clips are installed on the u-joint itself along the inside edge of the yolk. When referring to measurements, the length of the u-joint  “B” will be the measurement between where the snap rings are located, not necessarily the overall length of the u-joint. Measurement “A” is the outside diameter of the u-joint cap.

Now lets go over some of the most common u-joints across the big three light duty diesel pickup trucks. Keep in mind there are many drivetrain configurations and it is very important to measure your existing u-joints to confirm fitment.

U-Joint

Dimension A

Dimension B

SPL55X

1.375 -1 3/8

4.188

SPL70X

1.375 -1 3/8

4.964

SPL55-3X

1.375 -1 3/8

3

SPL70-4X

1.375 -1 3/8

3.78

5-795X

1.125 - 1 1/8

2.556

5-1330X

1.062 - 1 1/16

3.625

5-1350X

1.188 - 1 3/16

3.625

5-3206X

1.375 -1 3/8

4.178

5-3207X

1.188 - 1 3/16

4.178

5-3208X

1.188 - 1 3/16

3.612

5-3212X

1.375 -1 3/8

3.73

5-1410X

1.188 - 1 3/16

4.188

5006813

1.375 -1 3/8

2.92

FORD - F250-F350

Year

Location

U-Joint

1999-2014

Front Axle Joints

SPL55-3X

2015-2019

Front Axle Joints

SPL70-4X

1999-2016

Front Drive Shaft

5-1350X

2017-2019

Front Drive Shaft

5-1410X

2008-2010

Rear Drive Shaft 

Manual Transmission

SPL55X

1999-2019

Rear Drive Shaft

5-1350X/5-1410X
 
Axle joints
Ford changed the F-250/350 to the larger F450 u-joints because of failures in 2015. However some earlier year trucks that had failures may have been converted to the 2015+ axles and require the updated u-joints.
 
Front Drive shaft
Generally speaking most of the trucks up to about 2016 had 5-1350X u-joints in the front shaft but was possible to have the 5-1410X depending on the configuration of the truck. 2017 plus trucks mostly had 5-1410X u-joints but again it was possible to have the smaller 5-1350X u-joints. 17 plus trucks also came with a CV joint at the T-case instead of the traditional dual cardan joint.
 
Rear drive shaft 
Most commonly you will find a 5-1410X u-joint used in the rear driveshaft however some earlier years and configurations do have a mix of 5-1350X and 5-1410X joints. The Manual Transmission 08-10 trucks also came with a larger SPL55X u-joint.
 

Chevrolet/GMC - 2500HD/3500HD

Year

Location

U-Joint

2001-2016

Front Drive Shaft

5-795X

2001-2007.5

Rear Aluminum Drive Shaft

5-1410X

2001-2007.5

Rear Steel Drive Shaft

5-3207X

2007.5-2016

Rear Aluminum Drive Shaft

SPL55X

07.5-16

Rear Steel Drive Shaft

5-3206X

 

Front Drive Shaft
The front drive shaft for the duramax is pretty consistent with u-joint sizing however is it still important to confirm your u-joint size before ordering to ensure the correct fit. 
 
Rear Drive Shaft
The rear drive shaft has a bit more variety, between the steel and aluminum drive shafts the joints are very close to the same size however the steel drive shaft u-joints are .010” narrower. When moving to the 07.5+ truck they also upgraded the size of the u-joint caps. Like with all trucks there are many configurations and u-joints so it is important to confirm what u-joints you have before ordering.
 

Dodge/Ram - 2500/3500

Year

Location

U-Joint

2003-2009

Front Axle Joints

5006813

2010-2018

Front Axle Joints

5-3212X

2003-2007.5

Front Driveshaft at Axle

5-795X

2003-2004

Front Driveshaft at T-case

5-1330X

2005-2006

Front Driveshaft at T-case

5-3208X

2007-2013

Front Driveshaft All Joints

Inside Locking Clips

5-795X

Outside Locking Clips 5-1350X

2013-2018

Front Driveshaft at Axle

5-1410X

2003-2008

Rear Driveshaft 

Automatic Transmission

5-3207X

Standard Transmission

5-3206X

2009-2010

Rear Drive Shaft 

Spicer Driveshaft

5-1410X

AAM 1485 Drive Shaft

5-3206X

Aluminum Drive Shaft

SPL55X 

2011-2012

Rear Drive Shaft

Steel

5-3206X

Aluminum

SPL55X

2013-2018

Rear Drive Shaft 

SPL70X
 
All U-Joints
Dodge/Ram seems to have the largest variety in u-joints throughout the years as they changed engine power ratings and platforms. There are a variety of ways to confirm what drive shaft is in your truck. Using a vernier caliper will give you a definitive measurement and can confirm what u-joint your truck requires.
You can also check for stickers on the drive shaft (if your truck happens to still have them attached) along with stampings on the drive shafts and yokes. While some of these joints are much more common than others it is particularly important to confirm what u-joint/drive shafts are in your truck before ordering.

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Dirty Forged Wheels: The 5 Ws - How We Roll

Dirty Forged Wheels: The 5 Ws - How We Roll