Universal joint

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 12 other vehicles, including the 2002 GMC Sierra, 2002 GMC Cab & Chassis Sierra, 2002 Chevrolet Silverado, 2002 Chevrolet Cab & Chassis Silverado, and 2001 GMC Sierra. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The universal joint is connected to the propeller shaft. The universal consist of 4 caps with needle bearings and grease seals mounted on the trunnions of a cross or spider. These bearings and caps are greased at the factory and no periodic maintenance is required. There are 2 universal joints used in a one piece propeller shaft and 3 used in two piece propeller shaft. The bearings and caps are pressed into the yokes and held in place with snap rings, except for 2 bearings on some models witch are strapped onto the pinion flange of the differential. Universal joints are designed to handle the effects of various loads and rear axle windup conditions during acceleration and braking. The universal joint operates efficiently and safety within the designed angle variations, when the design angles are exceeded, the operational life of the joint decreases.