38 commander u joints

[goatboy]

im having trouble finding u joints for my 38 commander, these are quite wierd looking if you havent seen them !

anyways does anyone know where i can come up witha pair of them, or what do i use to switch over to a more modern style?

thx

todd

[Gary_Ash]

As Mike, over at the SDC site, suggested, you may want to replace the U-joints with modern ones, though you have to have a new driveshaft made.  I talked with Dennis Dupont in NH.  He has the parts to convert over to a Standard Spicer driveshaft that uses standard Spicer 1310 U-joints.  You can call Dennis at Six Oh tree- 434 - niner too niner oh.  The front yoke can be replaced with a 196406 yoke, the back flange with a 521825 flange (superseded 196394).  Dennis will tell you about some other parts he has.

 

The original U-joints are called "Layrub couplings".  They are still manufactured, mostly for industrial equipments, large trucks and buses.  You can try the Lagonda Club website, as they seem to offer these and the special bolts, but check sizes.  You may be able to buy Layrub couplings in the U.S.

Edited March 16, 2019 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[Gary_Ash]

It looks like Morse Chain Co. in Ithaca, NY and Laycock Engineering in England were making the same parts back in the 1930s (and still today), so there must have been some licensing deal.  Here are some pages from a current Morflex catalog.  I wonder if one of the models matches up to the configuration of the 1938 coupling.  The 1936-37 joints (p/n 189126) are different from the 1938 joints (p/n 192896).  The Studebaker drawings  should be in the Museum archives and would list the supplier name and part number.  The current Morflex parts should be obtainable through industrial equipment distributors or online.

[goatboy]

thanks so much for your help, i will check this out soon

todd

[Gary_Ash]

I called Dennis Dupont again to ask him to measure a 1938 joint.  It seems to be 6-5/8 inch o.d., larger than the 6-1/16 o.d of the type 602 part from Morflex.  The hole spacing between the bosses is also larger.  The part for 1938 cars is different in that the bosses in the joint are threaded, use 1/2” cap screws for mounting.  The 1936-37 joint has through bolts with nuts.  I wonder if Morse, now owned by Regal Beloit, can make up the next size up part, probably would be numbered 652 or similar.   I asked the Studebaker Museum to send me the drawings for the two versions, may take a few weeks.

 

I did find some info online from a U.K. site that showed replacing the rubber and steel bosses in some. similar joints by pressing out the old ones, coating the new parts with vaseline, and pressing in the new ones.  That would be interesting if you could save the old, odd-sized body and press in four new bosses.  

[Cowtown Commander]

Gary sent you a pm

[(S)]

Did this get sorted out?  I was thinking that if you do find a different yoke, you could just use an M series shaft or later Commander....  Just look up the shafts in the book for a similar wheelbase, and shaft length.

 

I talked with a member once about 'fixing' his  near perfect restored CE and after spending hundreds  not once but several times to get the driveshaft restored, he ended up going with something else because the vibrations while driving made him crazy.  He was one of the few that would restore  something to perfect condition, and then take it driving all over the place.  (RIP Jack Merrill )  his CE is in the National museum.  

[SC38dls]

I may be late to the party but I have. 38 State Commander and the U-joints needed to be replaced. I checked every possible source and came up blank. The ones that look similar were of different dimensions and would not work. I went with the modern ones. BUT it was a lot of hand filing as the new joint is laser cut but the shaft part on the 38 it goes into is not as exact. So I would mark the ujoint then file try it mark it and file  it worked well but it was work on both ends of the drive shaft. 

[studerex]

Why not just send to https://www.actionmachineinc.com/pages/driveshafts-landing-page

Save a lot of time and grief and have them make you a new shaft with modern universals.  Located about a mile from the old Studebaker plant.

[goatboy]

sorry been busy and havent checked this for a while, i havenet done anything yet but there are some good ideas on here, when i get time i will post what i get accomplished to maybe help others

todd

[37S2de]

Do you ever plan to have your ‘38 judged in a show where the judges would have a clue that the u-joints are not correct? The Antique Studebaker Club has no such judging. If you are planning on driving it, go ahead and use modern u-joints and a new drive shaft.

 

When I put a Jerry Kurtz electric overdrive transmission in my ‘37 Coupe-Express, it took the local drive line specialist shop less than a day to fabricate a new drive shaft.  When I commented on the quick service, the counterman looked surprised and said, “We’re in the breakdown business.  The 18-wheeler owner-operator with a broken drive shaft won’t tolerate slow repairs” 

 

it’s a pleasure doing business with professionals like that.  Even a town like Shreveport still has shops like this. All they needed were measurements, and they told me exactly how to do it.

 

I’ll never regret replacing those old-style joints

 

Tom

[goatboy]

nope prolly wont ever be in a show, had plenty of them when i was young, dont care now lol

just looking for the most affordable way to do this, cause i only occasionally drive this car.

again thanks to all for your ideas

todd

[Tom Devoe]

I saw this on the Stude Swap Page and thought I'd post here.  No affiliation with the seller, but looks like he may have what your looking for.

[goatboy]

thx i will ck out