Today I...

[70RAIV455]

I had a guy Try & cut me off today on my drive to work today.
Had to give the 1999 Honda CRV back to the wife. Kids are back in school from Christmas Break.
Took the 1963 Grand Prix to work.
About 1/2 half hour driving & another 1/2 to go I was cruising 75 on Route 80.
A Black Ford whipped into the RH Lane.
Cars and trucks up front & behind close by both lanes.
Boxed in .
He was trying to pass me & whip out front with just 10 feet of Room.
If I hit the brakes I would have been rear ended.

The Truck in the Left hand Lane moved into the RH slow lane up front.
I eased into to 90 mph.
Then jumped on it hard to 120 mph.
Left that Black Ford truck long behind.

Big Blocks are Awesome.
So are Chevy TPI 350 & Chevy 350 LT-1.

Use the Torque & HP.
Jackass got his dick handed to him by me.
360 HP & 470 ft/lbs of Olds Super Rocket V8 425 ci under the hood of the G.P.

[Casey]

Like I just don't get it, really in that much of a hurry you had to break the law?  It was more the way they did it, had they done it slowly I'd just have rolled my eyes and moved on with life but they FLEW up and very easily could've hit me as close as they were and as fast as they did it trying to beat me as I was waiting for traffic to clear.  People are beyond stupid, and clearly choosing a minivan as your mode of transportation you have no business driving.  I swear I run across more idiots in minivans more than any other vehicle.

Our license test is a joke, should be more like Finland's.

[70RAIV455]

Like I just don't get it, really in that much of a hurry you had to break the law?  It was more the way they did it, had they done it slowly I'd just have rolled my eyes and moved on with life but they FLEW up and very easily could've hit me as close as they were and as fast as they did it trying to beat me as I was waiting for traffic to clear.  People are beyond stupid, and clearly choosing a minivan as your mode of transportation you have no business driving.  I swear I run across more idiots in minivans more than any other vehicle.

Our license test is a joke, should be more like Finland's.

Decaff is crazy like me.

I don't know Box.

[Casey]

Meh, that's ok...  Stupid people will do stupid things.  I need to get some truck horns(the really loud borderline illegal kind), because I honked the horn and they just looked back with a stupid look on their face shrugging their shoulders...  Now if I had truck horns they would've crapped their pants.

[Casey]

Nah, should just go all out and use an illegal train horn.  Seriously though need to buy a pair of something like this at the very least: https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-003399801-Supertone-High-Bracket/dp/B000CRZXPI

[70RAIV455]

Nah, should just go all out and use an illegal train horn.  Seriously though need to buy a pair of something like this at the very least: https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-003399801-Supertone-High-Bracket/dp/B000CRZXPI

They Look Nice.

The Air Horns off a Peterbuilt, Kenworth, Or MACK tuck are REALLY LOUD.

[Casey]

Plenty of room in the Firebird's nose for some air horns.

[70RAIV455]

Plenty of room in the Firebird's nose for some air horns.

Might as well Box.
JC Whittney used to sell Air Horns. Likely still do.
They are not to far away from me.
Have not stopped in a while .  Sometimes have grab deals for $5- 50 bucks on Sundays on the store shelves.

[Casey]

Everything I can find that'd be decent requires a compressor tank and is way expensive, I did come across this though: https://www.amazon.com/Stebel-11690019-Nautilus-Compact-Black/dp/B00CMX20H4/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1515621594&sr=1-1&keywords=stebel+horn

[Casey]

Payment finally went through on the sanding block and should be here Friday, though it's supposed to be back into the 30's after Friday.

That's ok the timing wheel from 5XRacing finally arrived after being on back order forever, so will probably help with the timing job and radiator for the Miata this weekend. Then that leaves the shifter rebuild and changing the trans and diff fluid, then everything will be 100% caught up.

[70RAIV455]

[70RAIV455]

Look on Ebay Box.
They are Hot Sellers Air Horns.

They also have real air horns off of trains & Huge Cruise Ships.

Blast them with a huge loud horn & they will vear into a ditch a 90 mph & hit a 140 KV Power Pole.

[70RAIV455]

Somewhere on Ebay I seen 225 Decibal Air Horns.

Louder than a Jet Engine unless its US Military & the Afterburners Kick on for Super Thrust.

[Casey]

I was looking for actual branded stuff, China parts bin via eBay can be really hit and miss.  At least the Stebel is an Italian company with the products made in the "European Economic Community" or Italy.  Which I think it's the same company but there's also this from Marco: https://www.amazon.com/Super-148DB-Marco-Extreme-Premium/dp/B071NJB8HH/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515634799&sr=8-2&keywords=marco+car+horn

Which at least it's still self contained and doesn't need a compressor tank.  Then I also found these from PIAA: https://www.amazon.com/PIAA-85115-Superior-Bass-Horn/dp/B0060ZB43G/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1515634926&sr=1-1&keywords=piaa+horn

Will probably go with the Hella, PIAA, or Stebel.  That or maybe a combination, would be nice to have 4+ frequencies going on at once, would really catch attention.  Which the one thing I hate about all these horns is there's no set standard to rate them, some measure as close as 4 inches, some 1 meter, and some 2 meters.

[DeCaff2007]

I'm starting to like the direction this thread is going  

A55h@t drivers that need to get off the road are what I deal with every day.  Airhorns are a big plus.  My boss @ AZ has a decent set mounted in his truck and they are powered by an air compressor.  The first time I heard them, they actually made me jump.

He said you should hear them in the Lincoln Tunnel  

Box and 70RAIV455, you guys are friggen funny!

[Casey]

I saw where some people just use a giant air compressor and actual train horns, but that seems like overkill and a good way to get a ticket.  I just want something that actually gets attention but doesn't give me a migraine in the process.

[DeCaff2007]

I saw where some people just use a giant air compressor and actual train horns, but that seems like overkill and a good way to get a ticket.  I just want something that actually gets attention but doesn't give me a migraine in the process.

Box man, I couldn't tell you how many times I have to exaggerate a point to make it understood.

An air horn rigged to a compressor is just another example of that fact.  I wouldn't be putting that on my Firebird, though.  I'd save that for Growlz.

Speaking of Growlz,  Yesterday I... had promised the woman a ride to the airport.  We had decided to go to breakfast first, then a quick stop to the grocery store.

On the way to the grocery store, I could feel a shimmy.  I thought it was just ice stuck to a tire.  No big dea.  On the way HOME from the grocery store, the shimmy got progressively worse, followed by a click, click, click, BANG!

Then, it sounded as if someone had slammed the transmission into park while going forward at about 25 MPH.  You all know it, that sound like a noisemaker on New Years Eve.

I almost instantly knew what happened.  My brand new Moog u-joint had failed.  The caps flew out of the drive shaft and the drive shaft itself smacked the underside of the bed a few times before hitting the street.

Well, that was too much of a pinion angle for the front u-joint so it locked up.  That was like putting it in park @ speed. 

So there we were, in the middle of an intersection at a dead stop. 

Quick thinking got me back on the road here.  I pulled the slip yoke out of the transmission tail, threw the drive shaft in the bed, engaged the 4WD, and limped it home.

At least the differential is still rock solid. 

[70RAIV455]

I saw where some people just use a giant air compressor and actual train horns, but that seems like overkill and a good way to get a ticket.  I just want something that actually gets attention but doesn't give me a migraine in the process.

Box man, I couldn't tell you how many times I have to exaggerate a point to make it understood.

An air horn rigged to a compressor is just another example of that fact.  I wouldn't be putting that on my Firebird, though.  I'd save that for Growlz.

Speaking of Growlz,  Yesterday I... had promised the woman a ride to the airport.  We had decided to go to breakfast first, then a quick stop to the grocery store.

On the way to the grocery store, I could feel a shimmy.  I thought it was just ice stuck to a tire.  No big dea.  On the way HOME from the grocery store, the shimmy got progressively worse, followed by a click, click, click, BANG!

Then, it sounded as if someone had slammed the transmission into park while going forward at about 25 MPH.  You all know it, that sound like a noisemaker on New Years Eve.

I almost instantly knew what happened.  My brand new Moog u-joint had failed.  The caps flew out of the drive shaft and the drive shaft itself smacked the underside of the bed a few times before hitting the street.

Well, that was too much of a pinion angle for the front u-joint so it locked up.  That was like putting it in park @ speed. 

So there we were, in the middle of an intersection at a dead stop. 

Quick thinking got me back on the road here.  I pulled the slip yoke out of the transmission tail, threw the drive shaft in the bed, engaged the 4WD, and limped it home.

At least the differential is still rock solid.

I read .
Very usual Decaff.
Unless the U-joint was destroyed when the pinion bearings in the Rear End was bad.
Buy The Super Duty U-joints.
They have the Grease Zerk in one of U-joint bearing cap ends..

[roadking77]

Years ago we had a concrete pour first thing on a Saturday morning. When we got to the job there was a car parked right in the way. There was a bar nearby and from what we surmised the guy was passed out from the night before. We waited until the concrete truck showed up, he pulled right up to the front of the car and laid on his air horn. Guy in the car shot up and I'm sure he p!$$3d himself. He was "gone in 60 seconds" LOL.

[DeCaff2007]

I saw where some people just use a giant air compressor and actual train horns, but that seems like overkill and a good way to get a ticket.  I just want something that actually gets attention but doesn't give me a migraine in the process.

Box man, I couldn't tell you how many times I have to exaggerate a point to make it understood.

An air horn rigged to a compressor is just another example of that fact.  I wouldn't be putting that on my Firebird, though.  I'd save that for Growlz.

Speaking of Growlz,  Yesterday I... had promised the woman a ride to the airport.  We had decided to go to breakfast first, then a quick stop to the grocery store.

On the way to the grocery store, I could feel a shimmy.  I thought it was just ice stuck to a tire.  No big dea.  On the way HOME from the grocery store, the shimmy got progressively worse, followed by a click, click, click, BANG!

Then, it sounded as if someone had slammed the transmission into park while going forward at about 25 MPH.  You all know it, that sound like a noisemaker on New Years Eve.

I almost instantly knew what happened.  My brand new Moog u-joint had failed.  The caps flew out of the drive shaft and the drive shaft itself smacked the underside of the bed a few times before hitting the street.

Well, that was too much of a pinion angle for the front u-joint so it locked up.  That was like putting it in park @ speed. 

So there we were, in the middle of an intersection at a dead stop. 

Quick thinking got me back on the road here.  I pulled the slip yoke out of the transmission tail, threw the drive shaft in the bed, engaged the 4WD, and limped it home.

At least the differential is still rock solid.

I read .
Very usual Decaff.
Unless the U-joint was destroyed when the pinion bearings in the Rear End was bad.
Buy The Super Duty U-joints.
They have the Grease Zerk in one of U-joint bearing cap ends..

It's a brand new U-joint.  Bad install?

[Casey]

Maybe it had been sitting on the shelf for a long time and was already dry rotted.

[79GoldnTan]

I'd say something was amiss,....,... I don't think u joints dry rot ?

[70RAIV455]

I saw where some people just use a giant air compressor and actual train horns, but that seems like overkill and a good way to get a ticket.  I just want something that actually gets attention but doesn't give me a migraine in the process.

Box man, I couldn't tell you how many times I have to exaggerate a point to make it understood.

An air horn rigged to a compressor is just another example of that fact.  I wouldn't be putting that on my Firebird, though.  I'd save that for Growlz.

Speaking of Growlz,  Yesterday I... had promised the woman a ride to the airport.  We had decided to go to breakfast first, then a quick stop to the grocery store.

On the way to the grocery store, I could feel a shimmy.  I thought it was just ice stuck to a tire.  No big dea.  On the way HOME from the grocery store, the shimmy got progressively worse, followed by a click, click, click, BANG!

Then, it sounded as if someone had slammed the transmission into park while going forward at about 25 MPH.  You all know it, that sound like a noisemaker on New Years Eve.

I almost instantly knew what happened.  My brand new Moog u-joint had failed.  The caps flew out of the drive shaft and the drive shaft itself smacked the underside of the bed a few times before hitting the street.

Well, that was too much of a pinion angle for the front u-joint so it locked up.  That was like putting it in park @ speed. 

So there we were, in the middle of an intersection at a dead stop. 

Quick thinking got me back on the road here.  I pulled the slip yoke out of the transmission tail, threw the drive shaft in the bed, engaged the 4WD, and limped it home.

At least the differential is still rock solid.

I read .
Very usual Decaff.
Unless the U-joint was destroyed when the pinion bearings in the Rear End was bad.
Buy The Super Duty U-joints.
They have the Grease Zerk in one of U-joint bearing cap ends..

It's a brand new U-joint.  Bad install?

I don't think it was a bad install by You.
The Pinion Bearings were bad in the rearend.
Possible that Vibrations made it to the front driveshaft U-joint.
Or The U-joints were out of phase because of the Flopping Pinion gear on the defective bearings.

The last American made U-joints left are Dana Spicer I think now.
All otheres are Made in Mexico or China.
Look at Autozone for Neapco brand U-joints. All the Racers were using Neapcos' for a while. I have not seen them listed.
On the 63 Pontiac I needed U-joints if you recall a few months back on Box's thread here.
I found a NOS Set of 3R Mechanics U-Joints/ S44 made by Precision Company ( Made in the USA) & boxed up in NAPA store boxes.
Ebay Find for around $9 bucks each.

I looked around & MOOG is what most are offering.
They used to make top notch parts here in the USA.
Its in Mexico or offshore china.
MOOG had high standards. I hope the quality is still there. Time will tell Decaff.
Your call if Moog to blame on the U-joint failing or not.
Have to press it out & see how it failed. Show us a photo.

[70RAIV455]

Problem with Dana Spicer U-joints is the parts stores do not list them. So not available local.

Summit Racing does.

I have not seen them with Grease Zerks.
No grease provision for later date after installed.
Pretty Pricey also..$$.

[Casey]

I'd say something was amiss,....,... I don't think u joints dry rot ?

Ahhg, brain blank.  I meant dried out, though I think most you're supposed to grease the bearings yourself before installing anyway.  I'm going to guess at 90% he didn't grease it before installing it.

[70RAIV455]

I'd say something was amiss,....,... I don't think u joints dry rot ?

Ahhg, brain blank.  I meant dried out, though I think most you're supposed to grease the bearings yourself before installing anyway.  I'm going to guess at 90% he didn't grease it before installing it.

Decaff is actually pretty handy.

[Casey]

Well yeah I'm not doubting that, but it's one of those things easily overlooked when it's below freezing and you just want to get the thing done.

[70RAIV455]

Well yeah I'm not doubting that, but it's one of those things easily overlooked when it's below freezing and you just want to get the thing done.

That is true Box.

He does get mad too.

[DeCaff2007]

I'd say something was amiss,....,... I don't think u joints dry rot ?

Ahhg, brain blank.  I meant dried out, though I think most you're supposed to grease the bearings yourself before installing anyway.  I'm going to guess at 90% he didn't grease it before installing it.

Decaff is actually pretty handy.

I appreciate the compliment.  Box, Moog U-joints come pre-greased.  No need to add more unless you really screw something up.

I got home from work ready to tear right into the new U-joint install.  I fetched the driveshaft out of the truck bed and took a better look at the end of the driveshaft that had the failed U-joint.

Uhhmm......



Which failed first, the U-joint or the drive shaft?

Either way, the other end doesn't look too great after being slapped around at its mechanical limit.  Against my wishes, it's junkyard time tomorrow.

I love the fact that RockAuto.com lists all the different vehicles that a part will fit.  So helpful! 

Wish me luck.  Even though it's supposed to be above freezing tomorrow, it's supposed to rain all day. 

[Casey]

I'm going to guess the U-joint since it's fubared, looks like the driveshaft damage is from smacking pavement and the truck.

If they're pre-greased then I'd be raising Hell with Moog, you're lucky it failed around town and not doing 70 down the interstate...  Being stock height I don't see where pinion angle being slightly off would cause that, just look at all the people in lifted trucks with jacked up pinion angles.

[70RAIV455]

I bought the Precision U-joints in the Super Duty Version.
The Grease Zerk fitting is in one of the U-joint caps.
Not the Cross part.
How You identify them apart.

[79merlin]

Wish me luck.  Even though it's supposed to be above freezing tomorrow, it's supposed to rain all day. 

I guess the good news is you will be out of the rain... under a truck... fetching a driveshaft... haha

Good luck Decaff.

[FormTA]

Where's the like button?

[DeCaff2007]

I did not find one single usable drive shaft.  There are many, many early model steel driveshafts available.  Very, very few late model aluminum drive shafts available.

In the three junkyards I went to, there were exactly TWO that I could have used.  Both were all bent to Hell.  Probably because of the asshat forklift drivers that don't watch how they are moving vehicles.

Everything else was either missing or the incorrect length (which would have been a 2WD vehicle).

I did, however, find another trunk actuator for the Firebird.  Maybe this one will actually work.  I also found the rubber insert for the console cup holders in the womans Jeep.  Now that's a find in itself! 

As for my drive shaft, Rock Auto wants $473.49.... NO!!  That's FRIKKEN RIDICULOUS!  But, in their defense, that comes with both U-joints and the slip yoke already installed. 

No matter.  I couldn't come up with that right now if I had to.  Frikken post holiday brokeness.

Another place around town called "Hazle Auto Parts" wants $175.  That MIGHT be a viable option...  IF it comes with the slip yoke!  Problem is that they get that from another junkyard and they won't tell me which one.  Crackheads....

I'm in disbelief that this is happening right now.  Everything hits me an once.  Always. 

Meh.  Time to head off to work soon.

[scarebird]

IIRC these guys made an aluminum version for the TA, 3.5" Ø for under $400.

[Casey]

That bites DeCaff, might try looking on eBay and Craigslist.  That and see if any forums for your truck are out there, should have parts section.

Sanding block got here and it's not as long as I wanted, according to the listing it was 7 inches long but it's more like 5.5 inches long.  Must be a man's 7 inches and not a woman's...  Anyhow...

So there's that gap at the bottom, can't use as much as my foot as I'd have otherwise liked but seems to work ok.  Which after testing just sitting in the car my leg is slightly numb, but today is a bad day with the storm front coming in.  Might try flipping it over to where the flat side is facing up and the curved side is down to see if that helps more with distributing pressure.

[79merlin]

in a pinch you could buy one of the bent ones and have a local shop weld the end onto your driveshaft. Or weld it yourself but make darn sure you get it straight or it will shake down the road. I can't see that costing more than 200 bucks to have a shop do...

[70RAIV455]

I did not find one single usable drive shaft.  There are many, many early model steel driveshafts available.  Very, very few late model aluminum drive shafts available.

In the three junkyards I went to, there were exactly TWO that I could have used.  Both were all bent to Hell.  Probably because of the asshat forklift drivers that don't watch how they are moving vehicles.

Everything else was either missing or the incorrect length (which would have been a 2WD vehicle).

I did, however, find another trunk actuator for the Firebird.  Maybe this one will actually work.  I also found the rubber insert for the console cup holders in the womans Jeep.  Now that's a find in itself! 

As for my drive shaft, Rock Auto wants $473.49.... NO!!  That's FRIKKEN RIDICULOUS!  But, in their defense, that comes with both U-joints and the slip yoke already installed. 

No matter.  I couldn't come up with that right now if I had to.  Frikken post holiday brokeness.

Another place around town called "Hazle Auto Parts" wants $175.  That MIGHT be a viable option...  IF it comes with the slip yoke!  Problem is that they get that from another junkyard and they won't tell me which one.  Crackheads....

I'm in disbelief that this is happening right now.  Everything hits me an once.  Always. 

Meh.  Time to head off to work soon.

Believe it or not the Best for your money is a New Steel Driveshaft custom made from Strange Engineering in Morton Grove Illinois.
Drag Race Chrome Moly Steel.
You will never break it unless you have 2,000 HP +.
Around $200. You provide the slip yoke or Buy one of their Chrome Moly Slip Yokes.

[70RAIV455]

I will look around for used Driveshaft Decaff.
$50 bucks maybe.
Everything costs lots of money today.

Worst time of the year to lose a daily driver in the Midwest & Eascoast is December to February.

[70RAIV455]

No one is giving that rear driveshaft away for your Silverado Decaff.
I looked on ebay.
The Stock Aluminum rear driveshaft must be failure prone.
New Steel replacements made.
They are Hot Sellers.
About $350 with shipping.
Complete with the new slip yoke and U-joints.