scemracing

I couldn't get a needle fitting to work I had to use a needlenose fitting it has a taper on the end and it doesn't look like a syringe needle.

jesse0920

Well I just got off the phone with JE Reel to discuss my issue of no zerks on the CV of my front 1310. I was told that on some of their shafts they installed a serviceless CV joint. This is indicated by a rubber boot on the center ball seat and lack of zerks. The only question I forgot to ask was the approximate service life of the shaft with this type of joint. I know the service life of the one that failed on my fire engine was 50k miles and we were beyond that. If anyone has any other info they can share feel free to chime in.

Reel Driveline

Hi Jesse,

That depends a lot on several factors, including the operating angle of the driveshaft, how hard the vehicle is used, gearing, the environment (mud, sand, water, etc), the list goes on. At 6 degrees, they might go 80k-100k; at 10 degrees, they might go only 50-60k. Again, there's really no way of knowing because there are so many things that can increase or degrade the life of a CV. It has been our experience that even the serviceable CVs rarely if ever get serviced simply because they are such a pain to get to and not many people have the needle-style grease fitting at home, while oil change places will hardly ever take the time to access the center ball zerk because it's a PITA to get to and it's often not there anyway. So with all that said, it's great that you're taking the time to properly service your driveshafts (few customers do), but at the end of the day you're likely to get the same life out of a serviceable CV as opposed to a non-serviceable. Clear as mud? The best advice is to pay attention to any vibrations that develop as soon as they start; don't wait until your fillings are shaking out before your start investigating the cause! Hope this helps.

kflash

I have JE Reels front and back. Been great. However, just now learning about the flat zerks for the center ball and joint closes to the xfer case. I bought a 4 inch needle nose for the grease gun. Couldn't get the right angle on the flat zerk with them installed. Had to remove the bolts at the xfer case and drop the shaft onto the skid. Was able to give everything a nice shot at that point. Sitting in the driveway, it was only possible with the wife in the JEEP constantly letting the JEEP roll to get at the bolts. Being on a lift, this would be a piece of cake.

Question for JE Reel - I want to have a spare 1310 U joint on hand. What should I be asking for at the autoparts place. If I simply say 1310 U joint, sorry for the silly question.

Reel Driveline

Of course, we'd be happy to sell you individual U-joints in addition to driveshafts! But we understand needing to source one locally from time to time. Have them cross Spicer part number 5-1310X (non-greasable) or 5-153X (greasable). If they can't get that to come up, then ask them for a front driveshaft U-joint at the differential for a '78 Chevy 1/2-ton 4x4. Remember to stick with reputable brands, though; there is a lot of junk out there.

jesse0920

Thanks for the information. As I mentioned Ive experienced a front driveline failure on my 4x4 international fire engine and its not fun. Unfortunately there were no vibrations until about 10 seconds before it let go. After that I'm making it a point service them regularly on my jeep especially the center ball as that is what seized on the shaft that failed. The non serviceable front CV will just get inspected regularly and probably replaced at 50k. I figure $600 is a small price to pay to keep things from having to make major repairs if it fails while driving.

Reel Driveline

Oh I completely understand not wanting to experience a repeat performance, but understand that the failure you experienced with practically no warning is pretty unusual; typically there's quite a bit of vibration and noise for awhile before a big failure like that occurs. You can always send the shaft in to us for service and a replacement CV won't cost what a new driveshaft costs; assuming the rest of the driveshaft is OK, we can just replace the CV or even rebuild it if the CV is in good shape. You can also inspect it yourself periodically for extra piece of mind. When you disconnect the CV from the t-case, you can actuate the CV by hand. There should be light resistance but things should move freely and in sync; if there are any hard spots, play, or clicking, it's time for a rebuild.

kflash

Recognize this?

Reel Driveline

Nice! And looks like very nice driveline angles as well!