U-joint - how to figure out if its good/bad ?

[bala_eos]

I have the driveshaft off the car (87 325i/5-speed). Both the front and rear u-joints feel just a tiny bit notchy.
They move fairly freely but it feels like there is a soft detents. I couldn't sense any play in the joints either.

Are the U-joints shot or is there any other way to tell if its good/bad ?

thanks,
Bala

[More&Faster]

if you can feel play in them, i believe they're bad.

[bala_eos]

I didn't feel any play.

Just a slight bit of notchiness.

[netcsk]

notchiness is not a good sign. It will eventually get worse and before you know it, the joint will seize. You may want to source a good used one or a new/rebuilt one. At the same time, you'll be fine for quite some time longer unless you're really hard on your drivetrain. I'm convinced a bad rear joint is what tore the fairly new differential bushing on my car.

[AdamF 88iS]

They either get wobbly loose or seize up, depending on the conditions that caused them to go bad.

They should move smoothly with slight resistance due to tight fit.

[PiercedE30]

ANY form of notchiness is a sign of a bad u-joint

[bala_eos]

Greaseable U-Joints (rebuilt driveshafts)

For those with rebuilt driveshaft with Greasable U-Joints, how often do you grease the joints ?
How easy difficult is it ?

[Garageaholic]

ANY form of notchiness is a sign of a bad u-joint

Notchiness is bad. Get a new driveshaft asap