Borgeson U Joint Maintenance

Not sure if this belongs in intermediate tech (because of the mod) or early tech (because of the jeep). My jeep had a GM column to a Borgeson shaft/u joints to a Saginaw gear box. It was working fine. I took my jeep down to the frame and am putting it back together and the shaft/u joints have light rust (California) but seem yo be working fine. From what I have read, these u joints are sealed and not serviceable. My tendency is to wipe them down with brakekleen and reassemble. Do I need to use any light oil lubricant on the axles of the u joints or do anything else? Am I on the right track?

 

I do not think I would spray those with anything and be careful when wiping them down not to get anything in the bearings. In my experience, those u-joints pretty much last forever on a steering shaft. The Flaming River versions do have replaceable cups but I have never tried to get any replacements. You could hit that carefully with a wire brush to clean most of it up.

 

for functionality, I don't think you need to do anything. if the rusty look bothers you, you could maybe try painting them, or keeping oil on them.

 

Thanks. Rusty look does not bother me enough to risk getting paint into any moving parts. I may just reassemble everything and let the jeep "naturally" oil them as it seems to do with everything else!

 

Wrap tape or rope around the crossbars then take you can gently mechanically them and paint.

The ones I have don't really seal so I would avoid soaking or spraying them with anything to clean. Light coats of paint won't hurt anything if the seals are taped over.

 

Unless maybe you dip those in paint, painting them is not a problem. I've been doing that for a couple of decades. Rattle cans are fine. I probably have that same joint at the base of my steering column and yep, painted.

 

paint would definitely not mess up the operation of the U joint.

 

I just read the title of this thread. I promise I typed Borgeson. My autocorrect must have made it Armenian (Borgesian) since I am in Fresno! Anyone know how to change thread titles?

 

It's in the thread tools next to "unwatch thread"

 

Adding to this thread, there is a flange bearing that attaches to the drivers side engine mount that doesn't have a zert or any obvious way to grease it and a collapsible shaft that goes from the vibration reducer to this flange. Do I need to grease the flange bearing or the collapsible shaft?? It sounds like the collapsible shaft isn't made to piston back and forth like a propeller shaft, so I'm not sure if it is intended to be lubricated.

And just to be double sure, it sounds like the consensus is that I don't need to do anything to the u-joints, but I could put some oil on them to prevent rust, not to lubricate them, correct?

 

A brass flange bearing or bushing is porous so oil will soak in. I don't know much but I worry grease won't soak in as well.
I would use something on the collapsing shaft to keep it from rusting solid. It needs to collapse during a collision so don't pack it with grease but a light coat of something should do.