U-Joint question
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Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 8
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U-Joint question
Ok so I am strictly an O'reillys person here because the only alternative we have is Advance. Well I need a U-joint for my truck and I went to town last night to pick one up. I got to O'reillys ten minutes before closing time and they had already locked the doors. So that made me mad and I went to advance. I told the guy what I needed and after about 20 minutes of searching he told me that "For some reason Ford made so many different driveshafts for your truck, I'd have to know the exact driveshaft before I could sell you a U-joint." Is this guy full of crap? I have never heard of anything like that, but I'm new to trucks so I guess its possible. I know the guy is a dumbass because here is what happened the last two times I had to resort to Advance.....
Last time: I needed an exhaust band clamp for my Mustang. After 5 minutes of telling the guy what an exhaust band clamp was (no its not what HVAC people use) he tells me they don't stock those. While I'm walking out the door he pulls one out and says oh is this what you need? I said yes but I need a different size. He said well I've never even seen this thing and I don't know how it got here so I'm gunna say no. I left.
Time before that: I needed some oil for my Powerstroke. I can't even remember the exact weight that I wanted, but long story short, the guy told me there was no difference in oil weights and that it seemed to him like I was just trying to sell oil and was checking the competition. I left.
Last time: I needed an exhaust band clamp for my Mustang. After 5 minutes of telling the guy what an exhaust band clamp was (no its not what HVAC people use) he tells me they don't stock those. While I'm walking out the door he pulls one out and says oh is this what you need? I said yes but I need a different size. He said well I've never even seen this thing and I don't know how it got here so I'm gunna say no. I left.
Time before that: I needed some oil for my Powerstroke. I can't even remember the exact weight that I wanted, but long story short, the guy told me there was no difference in oil weights and that it seemed to him like I was just trying to sell oil and was checking the competition. I left.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 186
Likes: 0
From: Carroll County, MD
I had the same problem when I went to get lower ball joints. Advance told me they needed my vin to look up what the exact ones I needed was. So I left and went to CarQuest, which is more a "local parts place" and the fella just needed to know year, engine, and 4wd or 2wd. How do you know you need a U joint? Does it vibrate and shake bad at highway speeds? Because thats what mine does now and I have 35's. I also think my driveshaft might be out of balance, just from what Ive read from other on here.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 3,380
Likes: 503
From: Tonopah. AZ.
Ford used two different U joints in the F150 one is the type that is staked into the drive shaft and does not have snap rings to hold it together. they do sell a replacement with snap rings but you have to remove the stakes rom the drive shaft and that requires a special tool do it right. the other is just a standard joint held in by snap rings. Sorry im not sure of the size but a competent parts man should know.