Man my Jeep ate a U-joint on the trail last Saturday and it wrecked the whole day

Was 4 miles into a rocky section near Moab when I heard that CLUNK and lost drive to the front axle. Took 3 hours to limp it back to the trailer, anyone else have a cheap u-joint let go at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorlewis10d ago

The whole day was wrecked because of a u-joint? Man, that's a bummer but calling a whole trip ruined over a cheap part breaking sounds a little dramatic. U-joints are pretty standard wear items on Jeeps, especially if you're hitting rocky trails near Moab. Three hours to limp back to the trailer isn't that bad either, I've seen guys spend half a day on a single obstacle. Maybe check the rest of your driveline before crying about it, sounds like the joint was giving you warning signs you ignored. Most u-joints don't just explode out of nowhere unless you're wheeling way harder than your parts can handle.

karen41010d ago

So you're saying he probably ignored a clunk or vibration for a while before it let go, right?

the_jordan8d ago

Nah, u-joints on Jeeps can definitely let go without much warning if the retaining clips fail or the caps walk off. Had it happen on a JKU once, zero noise before it, just a loud pop on a mild incline. The rest of the driveline was fine, just a bad clip from the factory. Three hours is actually quick for that fix if you're trailside and don't have a press.