And inside the box there are 2 complete joints, a hardware kit, a couple more stickers, and a small packet of desiccant to keep it all dry.

Remember not to get too excited and eat the desiccant - it warns you not to on the packet!

There's also a fairly detailed instruction sheet - well copied.  I have reproduced the instruction sheet below, letter for letter, should you wish to read it or save it electronically.

I also detail the installation process below with over 30 detailed photos, and have also compiled that section of this article into a printable PDF document that you can save, print, and take to the shop if you like.

The joints themselves are works of art.  I took a bunch of photos - and have tried to do them justice, but they really need to be held in your hands to get a full appreciation of the product.

They are forged from 300m Chrom-Moly steel, heat treated, machined, and cryogenically treated for the strongest possible assembly.  All the tricks are used with no expense spared or shortcuts taken.

CTM U-Joints use a bronze sleeve (visible inside the bearing cap) in place of needle bearings.  When kept properly greased they have proven to show little or no wear. Axle Jack at CTM racing says

"Keep these sleeves well greased using a needle adapter on your grease gun and abuse them worry free."

How often they need to be greased will depend on the environment.  In the harshest of climates or conditions (water, sand, mud etc) it is best to grease them after every run.  This will purge any water or gunk from the joint and ensure it remains properly lubricated and corrosion free.

CTM has customers that have over 10,000 miles of street and trail driving on their U-joints without any sign of wear.

Finally, I should mention that CTM U-joints are designed for, and should ONLY, be used with high quality alloy axles that have the yokes hardened.

To do otherwise will cause premature shaft failure as the extremely hard and tough CTM U-joint will cause the relatively soft "ears" on the yokes to oval out, resulting in loose caps and assembly failure.  this means you cannot run CTM U-joints in Spicer or Moser axle shafts.

Naming Conventions

For clarity I have illustrated the names I shall use for the parts of the CTM U-joint and kit in the following pics to the left.

Here is a front view of the joint...

...a side view of the joint.

The main body I will call the "cross", the bearing journals "trunnion", and the bearing caps "caps".

The supplied hardware kit.

Simple stuff, sure enough, but by now you know I'm a fanatic for clarity and accuracy.

In the "tools needed" section of the official instructions with the CTMs say "shop press or good machine vice."  I had a piece of junk bolted to the bench where a vice should go, so I took this opportunity to rationalize the purchase of a nice new vice.

Hey - when Axle Jack says get a good vice...you get a good vice!

You'll want one with jaws that open at least "

9. Install snapring in snapring groove using snapring pliers (yellow arrow)

(snapring, snapring, snapring.....hmm, funny - after you say it to yourself 36 times the word loses all meaning!)

...too get the trunnions to pop through the bores.  But it will fit, just be patient, and don;t hammer or force anything but feel free to apply a little persuasion with a brass drift.

Not only is this trickiness more than made up for by the fact that there are NO needle bearings do drop, crush, get trapped etc  - but if you're struggling, remember that the parts fit tightly because of their maximum size and strength - which is exactly what you want!

17.  Stop when the snapring groove is inside the yoke

Don't forget to frequently pause and admire the amazing beef of your super-cool new axles and U-joints ;-)

AWESOME!

Very cool, VERY beefy, - form and function in one sweet package.

installing the CTM's was a JOY! I have never had such an easy time installing U-joints. I didn't have to force anything, no dropped needles, no getting the whole thing assembled and one cap wont sit right and you realize a needle has fallen over and you have trapped it - jeez I hated that! I love these joints. Down with needle bearings I say!

It is critical that you carefully check clearances once everything is installed.

The knuckle must be cycled from lock to lock while the axle is being rotated (a helper is enormously useful here) while you carefully check to make sure that the axle/U-joint assembly doesn't contact any part of the knuckle or axle housing at any time.

And also check to make sure that there is no contact possible between the top of the yoke ears (yellow arrow) and the bottom of the yoke on the opposite shaft (green arrow).

If there is any interference, you will be able to see, hear, and feel it, and you must adjust your steering stops to eliminate it.  It is wise to allow a little extra clearance to make sure nothing contacts under hard use where things may compress a bit.