U-joints, inside or outside lock ring?

[ciffer]

i pulled the driveshafts out of the K10 in the process of replacing the transmission. the U-joint where the rear shaft meets the rear differential and the U-joint where the front shaft meets the fronts differential need to be replaced. i see U-joints listed as w/inside lock ring and w/outside lock ring.

which do i have, does it matter which i buy?

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

Look at your shaft, if it is outside lock ring you will see the ends of the c-clips bent in on top of the u joint cap as you look at it in the ears of the shaft

 

[ciffer]

inside/outside lock will be distinguishable like inside/outside retaining rings?

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Look at the ends of the u-joint caps. If there is a clip on the outer part, those are exterior clips.

If there aren't (and I bet yours are this type), there is a cavity that has plastic injected into it to hold the joint in place. You need to use a torch to heat up and melt this plastic out of there and then install a new joint, which now uses internal clips (the clips are on the inside of the yoke rather than the outside). Basically the OEM setup used injected plastic to hold the joint, once you melt that plastic out of there to remove the joint you will use an "inside" clip to hold the joint in the yoke.