How To Properly Install Steering U-Joints

STEERING U-JOINT INSTALLATIONThe yokes at opposite ends of any shaft segment shouldbe aligned with their bores parallel, at least within reason.Phasing or “clocking” of the universal joints is especiallyimportant when welding u-joints directly to the shaft, sinceit will be impossible to reposition them once you’ve doneit. Any back-to-back pair should be aligned like the endsof a driveshaft, as in the picture at the right. Please studyit closely; the difference is not obvious unless you arelooking for it. The more acute the operating angle, themore critical the phasing. At around 45 degrees out of phase, the shaft will react to applied torque with a wobble, with the conditionbeing most pronounced at 90 degrees. A badly out-of-phase setup makes excessive ujoint angles act even worse, and cannotbe improved by retiming the steering wheel. For reference, most stock car steering layouts will tolerate joints 20 degrees out ofphase, and will not likely cause noticeable problems in steering, but 45 degrees out will be noticeable, and 90° will almostcertainly cause problems