MTFCA Forum

I looked at my new Taiwan-made u-joint and the rivets are barely peened over. I'm afraid to use it as-is. The heads on 3 rivets are not seated completely. I can insert a feeler gauge of .011" under some. Is this what is being made these days? I will probably send it back unless I can find a way to set the rivets correctly. I know that tightening rivets in an old u-joint is ill advised. Have any of you seen this or used one of these? This "head" doesn't look big enough to me.

Since the joint hasn't been used, the holes for the rivets haven't been wallowed out, so my opinion is that you can re-peen the rivets and things will be fine.

The shanks of the rivets need to tightly fill their holes. This usually happens during peening. Once a riveted assembly has been used and loosened up, re-peening rivets is usually just a temporary fix.

I'd say take them out and redo it. How do you know they didn't drill the hole with a metric bit and then use a fractional rivet or whatnot? Also, if they didn't debur the two parts where they go together and something is holding them apart? Start fresh and then you can control the process without having to wonder about what you can't currently see.

Are you certain the rivets are loose? If so, return the that u-joint.

Have a repro, and can only slip a feeler just under the folded over flare of what is compressed outward as the rivet is set. The body of the rivet gets compressed in the holes of the yokes. Can't fit the feeler all the way to the core of the rivet on the face of the yoke, only a tad of the way under the flare or fold over excess of the rivet that happens when setting rivets and the formed head will vary.

If you don't send it back, how can the vendor ever know that it was not a serviceable part? They need to know so that the suppliers can rectify the problem. It is not the end user's responsibility to ensure the product is fit for use by re-working it.

That said, if you are unsure of it's status, asking for re-assurance is sensible. Just resist the temptaion to make corrections to bring it up to standard.

Allan from down under.

I have one exactly like the one that Mark has. I don't think anything is loose. I think they are from a different supplier then the one Dan has. Dan's looks to be of better quality. What size feeler gage are you using?

I'm with Mark on this. Look at the rivet shoulders. The red circled ones don't look peened.

Scott

The feeler in my photo is just .005”, only just under the raised tiny edge of the excess squish of rivet material from the head that was formed. The rivet is solid straight, heads are formed in the stamping process, every head will be slightly different due to what buck form used. Certainly these are made in a gang rivet press, not just hand smacked with a hammer.

Seems good to use any of these unless you can vise hold one yoke and try to wiggle the other yoke, bet you can’t

I did deburr the rough edges at the bottom of the cups with a Dremel. That did increase the distance of travel, as it was making contact there. I will take your suggestion. Prior to installation, I willl work it in a vice and put some torque to it. I also doubt that it will loosen up.

My rivets aren't loose but there isn't much of a head on one side. I put the U-joint in a vice and there was no movement between halves. If I use this part I will definitely peen the rivets. I just have not decided if I will use it or send it back. It appears that mine is not unique with the questionable rivet setting.

Allan, I did send a picture and note to the vendor about this concern.

I mounted it in a vice and used a 3/4" drive ratchet to apply torque to it. I applied enough torque to feel it twist a little, but it springs right back. I do not see any signs of looseness.