[armondoalfa]

there are a coupler of videos on you tube that show the proper procedure. It is very important to clean the Yoke holes with 150 or so emery cloth before pushing in the new caps. I just replaced mine (1977 spider) with units from centerline and with polishing the yoke and some Kroil they pressed right in. By the way it is very important to use new bolts or at least new nylock nuts. on my car they were 9mm and were $65 dollars for four from centerline. could not find them anywhere in the tampa aria

 

[180OUT]

I recall a Shankle catalogue that had an article explaining the U-Joint differences. There were two dimensions as noted. On my '67 GTV, my very first U-joint replacement---which, typical for a first time effort, was as much low comedy as car fixin'---used Beck-Arnley U50 (U150 now?) u-joints. They, too, were a bit long but my friend Burl who was a really good wrench told me to grind the edges of the circlips to a knife edge so they would fit in the driveshaft grooves. That solution worked perfectly. The circlips then fit the inside groves, u-joints fit perfectly and lasted for the life of the car. Sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good . . .

 

[alfaparticle]

By the way it is very important to use new bolts or at least new nylock nuts

They can be re-used indefinitely unless they are damaged. If the nylock feels loose then tap the metal surround with a hammer.

 

[Jim G]

The u joints should be a slight press fit. I always had to put them together using a vise and a socket to push the caps in. About half the time I would have to grind one or two of the c clips thinner to loosen the u joint up. I then use a lead hammer (like the one you would use to take off knock off rims) to whack the flange to loosen the u joint up so it would rotate freely. I have done hundreds of them this way.

The best u joints used to be made by Spica. They had a rubber seal that went around the cup. The oem u joints the cap just ran against a piece of cork. Unfortunately theSpica ones haven't been available for decades.

The 1750 and earlier cars originally had u joints with a grease fitting. My 69 Spider still has the original u joints in it.