I'm putting the final touch on installing a new rear end on my 1969 442 and ran into a snag that you sage mechanics might be able to help me with. The new rear end has a slightly different yoke. The old one is very much typical from my experience. The old one has a machined shoulder on the yoke that prevents the bearing cup from being installed in the wrong position (too far inboard or outboard). The new yoke doesn't have this shoulder so the bearing cup can be clamped pretty much anywhere so centering it is mostly a guess. I really do not want to remove the yoke and replace it with the one that was in the car. Thanks for any input!!!!

 

The new yoke should have a machined shoulder near the inside edge of where the cup fits, so a snap ring on the cup will index it.

 

Does the new yoke use straps or u-bolts?

 

The new yoke uses U bolts just like the old yoke.

 

Back in the day I remember replacing a U-joint required installing clops that essentially indexed the bearing cup placement. I remember it because it was hard to get the first clip out. But this yoke doesn't have a groove for a clip. The inside surface is smooth- no groove or shoulder to index the U-joint.

 

What rear end are you installing ? Picture would help. It sounds like something is wrong if there is nothing to locate the U-joint.

 

The car had a open rear end- maybe a Chevy. I bought and rebuilt an Olds rear end Type O with a Yukon posi and 3:42 gears.

 

You probably need a combo u-joint. One set of caps match the driveshaft, the others match the yoke in the axle. I had to do this when I replaced my O axle with a Chevy 12 Bolt

 

Two O-Type rearends (1968 and 1970) neither have a tab to locate the u-joint. Apparently you need to use the inner C-clip to center the joint in the yoke saddle.

 

Thanks Fun71 for the pix and the suggestion. Both of those yokes could be the same as mine since neither has a shoulder to index the bearing cup. But I don’t see a groove where a clip could be installed. Am I missing something because I’m feeling pretty dumb.

 

There’s no groove for the clip. It is installed on the u-joint cup and rests against the inside of the saddle.

 

Now that little tidbit appears to be my solution. Thanks!

 

Thanks to all of you guys' advice I thought I was close to finishing up this project but I just ran into another snag. To review, when the shop rebuilt my rear end, they changed the pinion yoke. This new yoke is slightly larger and the old bearing caps are a tad loose under the saddle U-bolts. The new saddle measures 1-1/8" (1.125) whereas the old yoke measured 1-1/16" (1.062). Seems like I should be able to find a Spicer U-joint with a set of two 1-1/16" caps for the driveshaft and a set of 1-1/8" caps for the pinion yoke. They do make this product but one set uses outside snap rings and the other uses inside snap rings. I need both sets of caps to use inside snap rings. I don't mind buying two U-Joints but I don't know if the caps are interchangeable. I'm thinking the trunnions may be different diameters but I can;t find the trunnion diameter listed on the Spicer or Dana website. This has to be a fairly common issue but I can't figure it out. Thanks for any help!!!