LLG Universal Joint Bearing

LLG has been manufacturing and exporting first-class quality Universal joint bearings worldwide. Our company is well established and provides you a large volume of universal joint bearing that complies with international standards.

Universal joint bearings help manufacturers of vehicles and other industrial companies improve reliability, reduce costs and increase environmental performance.

Universal Joint Bearings are commonly used in electronics, radio, aircraft, medical devices, optical devices, sewing machines, appliances, automotive, textile machinery, tool drives, food packing machines, sewage water, and other industrial equipment.

LLG Universal Joint Bearings follow ISO standards, and we used advanced technology to produce the five-star quality of products.

We are looking forward to building a good business relationship with you.

Try our LLG universal joint bearings now! Don’t hesitate to reach out. Our friendly customer service is ready to assist you with the process.

Universal Joint Bearings – The Ultimate FAQs Guide

The Universal Joints, also known as U-Joints, are essential components used in numerous industries, including automobiles, aircraft, robotics, textile machinery, etc.

The U-Joints act as a mechanical connection between two un-parallel but intersecting rotating shafts. They are used to transmit power, motion, or both.

The Universal Joints comprise several small components, where the bearing is the most important.

This guide answers every question you have in your mind about Universal Joint bearings.

So, let’s get started! 

1. How Does Universal Joint Bearing Work, And Where Is It Mainly Used?
    Universal Joint Bearing

   The Universal Joint Bearings are a significant component of the Universal Joints. These joints are mainly used to join the rotating shafts (such as the transmission and rear driveshafts of rear-wheel-drive cars).

   The Universal Joint bearings are located inside the bearing caps. These bearings comprise Needle rollers that rotate during cross-axial joint rotation to reduce friction.

   You can also watch this video to understand how Universal Joint works, and the purpose of Universal Joint Bearing:

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjn5BAqSb2Q

2. How To Replace Universal Joint Bearing?
   

   Universal Joints have multi-purpose uses, and each of them has a different replacing technique. 

   For now, we are going to tell you how to replace the bearing for universal joints in the drive shaft of the car.

   To replace the Universal Joint Bearing, you need to follow the steps below:

   1. First, unscrew the bolts (usually four) of the drive shaft.
   2. Remove the retaining clips (pins) or internal C-clips at the end of the drive shaft.
   3. Use the Hammer or Press Tool (C-Clamp) to remove the U-Joint Caps. 
   4. Once removed, the U-joint can quickly be taken out of the shaft. Now, remove the old bearings and place the new ones. Make sure to clean the housing seat for bearing before placing the new bearing.
   5. The new bearing can be tightened back on the U-joint using the C-Clamp.

    

   Note: Always use bearing from a reliable manufacturers like LLG Bearing for best quality and performance.

3. What Are Universal Joint Bearing Caps And Its Use?
   
    Universal Joint, Needle Roller Bearing, Bearing Cap, and Other Components

Bearing Caps are a significant component of the Universal Joint pressed into the Yoke eyes of the two shafts to connect them. They contain bearings that enable the four-point cross of the U-Joint to ride freely and make the shafts rotate smoothly at an angle.

1. What Are The Causes Of Universal Joint Bearing Damage?

The numerous causes of Universal Joint Bearing Failure, following are some of them:

1. Bent or Sprung yoke
2. Overloaded driveshaft
3. The operating angles are too large
4. Improper torque on U-bolt nuts
5. Normal Wear and Tear
6. Misalignment
7. Loose Connections
8. Friction
9. Unbalance
10. Corrosion due to moisture, friction, fret. 
11. False brinelling (Vibration).
12. Material Fatigue.
13. Forced Fracture due to stress concentration.
14. Fatigue Fracture due to repeatedly surpassing the material’s fatigue strength limit.
15. Thermal Cracks due to high frictional heating.
16. A defective shaft or housing seats
17. Faulty mounting practices
18. Excessive electric voltage through the bearing during shaft repairing
19. Ineffective lubrication
20. Smearing (skidding) due to relatively high speeds, excessive clearance, insufficient load, lubricant too stiff, or insufficient lubricant in the load zone.
21. Ineffective sealing arrangements 
22. Vibration
23. Operational misalignment due to shaft deflections.
24. Incorrect shaft and housing fits
25. Static misalignment
26. Improper transportation, handling, and storage.

Why Are Needle Bearings Used In A Universal Joint?

 Needle Roller Bearing vs. Plain bearing

Needle Bearings have numerous advantages over ball bearing and standard roller bearing, so they are used in a universal joint. Some of the benefits are as follow:

• Needle Bearings can support a greater load as they have a more surface area in contact with the races (It is where the rolling elements of a bearing ride on).
• Needle Bearings are relatively thinner and have a compact design, requiring less space between the axle and the surrounding structure.
• They can withstand 2 to 8 times more load as compared to the ball bearing.
• They have high stiffness because of their large number of small-diameter rollers.
• They are easy to inspect and maintain. Moreover, the detachable design enables the assembling of inner and outer rings of the bearing separately, allowing interference fits for shaft and housing.
• The needle roller bearings with machined rings can easily accommodate the axial displacement, except for needle bearings with flanges on the outer and inner rings.
• They can self-aligning up to 3° of static misalignment.
• The Combined Needle bearing can accommodate combined radial and axial loads in one or both directions.

In Which Machines Universal Joint Bearings Are Used?

Universal Joints Bearings are the significant component of the Universal Joint which are used in the following machines:

• Aircraft;
• Appliances;
• Control mechanisms;
• Electronics;
• Automobiles; 
• Instrumentation;
• Medical and optical devices; 
• Ordnance; 
• Radio;
• Sewing machines; 
• Textile machinery;
• Tool drives.

Which Types Of Bearings Are Used In The Universal Joint?

There are three common types of bearings used in Universal Joint:

1. 1. Needle bearing: They are used in universal joints as they can support a greater load. They are also thinner and compact, so they require less clearance.

• Cylindrical roller bearing: These bearings are commonly used in Universal Joints designed for Cardan shafts. 
• Block Plain Bearing: They are now rarely used in universal joints, as they are not as reliable as Needle bearing and can’t withstand high speed and torque.

Do Chinese Manufacturers Provide Good Quality Universal Joint Bearings?

Chinese Bearings

Yes, China is the leading exporter of Universal Joint bearing across the globe. However, we suggest you only prefer reliable Chinese manufacturers. 

A reliable Chinese manufacturer like LLG Bearing Company produces high-quality bearings for Universal Joints, according to international quality standards at affordable rates. They have ultra-modern machinery, and qualified employees for the job, and a strict quality management system.

Do You Need To Lubricate Universal Joint Bearings?

Yes, Most Universal Joint Bearing requires regular lubrication (usually after 5000 miles or so) to work correctly. However, the lubrication schedule may differ according to the manufacturer and use of the U-Joint bearing.

On the other hand, maintenance-free universal joints do not require any grease and lubrication.

How to Lubricate and Maintain the Universal Joint Bearing?

You can watch this video on how to lubricate the Universal Joint Bearing:

Why The Universal Joint Bearing Is Used?

The purpose of bearing the Universal Joints is to reduce friction and make all movements easier.

How Long Do Universal Joints Last?

A Universal Joints equipped with reliable bearing from LLG Bearing can last for decades if maintained properly. However, life expectancy also depends on its use and surrounding conditions.

How Do I Know If My Universal Joints Are Bad?

Symptoms of Bad Universal Joint

Universal Joints are widely used in vehicles, so here are some of the following tests you can perform to know the condition of Universal Joint:

• Squeaking Noise Test: Drive your vehicle at low speed. If it produces squeaking noise, it is one of the signs of Universal Joint failure. It is produced by friction caused due to unlubricated metal-on-metal interaction between the bearings and the trunnion.

1. 1. Clunking Noise Test: Perform this test by placing your foot on the brake and shifting the car into reverse. Then, shift into drive. If it produces clunking, clicking, or popping noise, it is one sign of Universal Joint failure. This noise is produced due to play within the joints. This causes the driveshaft to bang around when engaged.

• Vibration: If your vehicle tends to vibrate while driving, this may be the sign that your u-joint is in bad condition. This Universal Joint wear causes the unbalancing of the drive shaft, which eventually produced consistent tremors. This may cause transmission failure if U-joint is not replaced.

• Leaking Transmission: If you find your vehicle’s transmission to leak fluids, it may be due to the vibration caused by a faulty U-joint.

• Vehicle Won’t Move: If your car won’t move while in gear, it may be the sign that your driveshaft is now rotating correctly due to a Universal Joint failure.

• Drive Shaft Completely Disconnected: It is one of the clear signs that your universal joint has completely failed.

• Retaining Clip Inspection: Ensure your Universal joints are in place and their retaining clips are not pushed in or out.

• Rubber Boots Inspection: Inspect the rubber boots on the U-Joint caps, and ensure they are not damaged.

• Drive Shaft Inspection: Grab the driveshaft and shake it side by side and up and down. You can also use a screwdriver to pry the trunnions back and forth. If the driveshaft budges or moves, it is probably the sign of the Universal joint’s bad condition.

You can also watch the following video for more signs and symptoms of a bad universal joint:

What Is Universal Joint Cross Bearing?

Cross Universal Joint with Bearings and Other Components

Four Cross Universal Joint is one of the most commonly used U-Joint. This joint is used to connect two un-parallel shafts with yokes.

Each point of the Cross Joint is at 90 degrees to each other and is capped with a bearing. The bearing is used to reduce friction and make the angular rotations easier.

What Are Different Size Metrics Of Universal Joint Bearings?

There are three standard Sizes for Universal Joint Bearing (Note: This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer):

• Small → d ≤ 80 mm 
• Medium → 80 mm < d < 200 mm 
• Large → d ≥ 200 mm

What Are The Benefits Of Universal Joint Bearings?

The Universal Joints Bearing bought from a reliable manufacturer like LLG Bearing has numerous benefits, including:

• They protect the Universal Joint from damage. This damage can be done by the force required by U-Joint, rotating shaft, and supporting parts.
• They help in maintaining the correct position of U-Joint and rotating shafts.
• They help in reducing friction and smoothen the rotation of shafts.

What Is A Common Cause Of Universal Joint Failure?

Universal Joints are commonly failed due to over-stressing, un-balanced load, or misalignment of the driving shaft.

How To Change Bearings In A Universal Joint?

You can watch this fantastic video guide to extract the universal joint from the shaft. 

Once out, either you can replace it with a new one (as shown in the video) or carefully remove its bearing caps, take out the old bearing, and replace them with a new one. However, you must ensure that the housing seat for the bearing is adequately cleaned before placing the new one.