Greasing Drive Shaft U-Joints: A Short Writeup

drew02a · 07-28-2009, 06:59 AM

My truck is fast aproaching 30,000 mi, so I decided for that reason and to troubleshoot some noises I've been having to grease my drive shaft u-joints. The most common question in all of the "drive shaft greasing" threads is "where are the zerks?!". Well I have some pics for y'all.

You can see my $13 grease gun sitting next to the shaft. Since I removed my rear drive shaft the other day (again troubleshooting) it will be really easy for me to grease this bad boy. Since I've got a regular cab my rear shaft is one piece and only has 2 zerks. You access and double cab folks will have an additional zerk on the u-joint in the middle.

Here you can see the grease zerk. It's on the outside of the U-joint and is pretty easy to access. Make sure you clean it off before fitting the grease gun over it to prevent dirt from getting in the joint or your gun. Press the end of the gun over the fitting until it snaps on tightly. Grease away! Fill the joint with grease until you can see the the new grease start to squirt out. It should be lighter in color than the black grease that comes out initially.

Here's the location of the zerks on the front drive shaft. being on the truck made it a little more difficult to grease, but not much more. I didn't have to remove the stock skid plate (as some suggested was necesarry) to get them both though.

NAAC3TACO · 07-28-2009, 07:27 AM

Nice write up with clear photos. Thanks.

Janster · 07-28-2009, 09:38 AM

This is on a 2nd gen right?

Do the 2nd gens have a slip yoke grease zerk? I didn't see one.....

The 1st gen trucks have one and from what I remember (vaquely), the slip yoke zerk was located in the center of the shaft (nearest the boot) underneath the ears.

drew02a · 07-28-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janster

This is on a 2nd gen right?

Do the 2nd gens have a slip yoke grease zerk? I didn't see one.....

The 1st gen trucks have one and from what I remember (vaquely), the slip yoke zerk was located in the center of the shaft (nearest the boot) underneath the ears.

Tis a 2nd gen truck. I didn't look for the slip yoke zerk. I might do that this evening, thanks! If I find it, I'll add it to the writeup.

Janster · 07-28-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew02a

Tis a 2nd gen truck. I didn't look for the slip yoke zerk. I might do that this evening, thanks! If I find it, I'll add it to the writeup.

Very cool!! Thanks!!
I wasn't sure if they had one or not. Kinda weird if they didn't....

Ridingontrd · 07-28-2009, 07:32 PM

Props for the post.

The Mega · 10-17-2009, 01:35 PM

Where will the old grease come out of? And do I just keep pumping in the new grease until I see it start coming out? Is it possible to overgrease? Thanks

DanGer · 10-17-2009, 01:51 PM

very nice sir, mind if I link this up to my 30k write up?

aaronatl · 10-17-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mega

Where will the old grease come out of? And do I just keep pumping in the new grease until I see it start coming out? Is it possible to overgrease? Thanks

if it has a zerk on the other side , recomended to remove one, and flush the old out. otherwise pump it until you see some creeping out

jab08 · 10-17-2009, 06:29 PM

Yea Im going to have to grease mine again. Its starting to squeal again, just noticed it this morning. But no problem just got to get under it and greaser up.

drew02a · 10-17-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mega

Where will the old grease come out of? And do I just keep pumping in the new grease until I see it start coming out? Is it possible to overgrease? Thanks

The grease will come out of the joint itself. It's not possible to over grease, but it you don't wipe off the stuff that oozes out, it will get flung around under your truck, not really that big of a deal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgerm

very nice sir, mind if I link this up to my 30k write up?

Go for it

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronatl

if it has a zerk on the other side , recomended to remove one, and flush the old out. otherwise pump it until you see some creeping out

Only 1 zerk per joint on these

Terrier · 10-17-2009, 08:56 PM

What kind of grease (not brand name) are you using?

drew02a · 10-17-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terrier

What kind of grease (not brand name) are you using?

I'm not a grease expert, but I used this stuff instead of the cheap crap that came with my grease gun.

BakoTruck · 10-17-2009, 09:20 PM

I tried asking this on this thread: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd...4-tacomas.html but no one responded so I'll try here.

Does anyone know if these zerk fittings are only on the 4x4 models, or on all models? I tried to find them on my truck but could not, do I need to take off those covers or what? thanks...and great write up by the way.

drew02a · 10-17-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BakoTruck

I tried asking this on this thread but no one responded so I'll try here: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd...4-tacomas.html

Does anyone know if these zerk fittings are only on the 4x4 models, or on all models? I tried to find them on my truck but could not, do I need to take off those covers or what? thanks...and great write up by the way.

They're on all trucks. Perhaps you're shaft is just rotated in a way that you can't see the zerks? Also, they are kinda dark looking until you wipe off the dirt that sticks to them.

BakoTruck · 10-17-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew02a

They're on all trucks. Perhaps you're shaft is just rotated in a way that you can't see the zerks? Also, they are kinda dark looking until you wipe off the dirt that sticks to them.

Oh OK thanks, yeah I tried rotating the shaft about three times but could not see them. I'll try again and try to clean them up more and look longer. Thanks

OffroadToy · 10-17-2009, 09:36 PM

As far as I can tell my 07 Offroad has 5 zerks. The manual says for chassis lubrication to grease the front drive shaft thrust bushings, and the spiders and slip yokes common to the propeller shafts.
What and where are the "front drive shaft thrust bushings"? Are these the 2 zerks forward of the transfer case on the front drive shaft?

drew02a · 10-17-2009, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OffroadToy

As far as I can tell my 07 Offroad has 5 zerks. The manual says for chassis lubrication to grease the front drive shaft thrust bushings, and the spiders and slip yokes common to the propeller shafts.
What and where are the "front drive shaft thrust bushings"? Are these the 2 zerks forward of the transfer case on the front drive shaft?

Yes, there are 2 zerks on the front shaft.

cheehab · 10-17-2009, 10:01 PM

Thanks for adding to my to do list!

07-28-2009, 06:59 AM	#1
drew02a Rocking your mom's world Since 1997 Name: Andrew Joined: Jan 2009, #13005 Location: San Antonio, TX Age: 25 Gender: Dude Posts: 1,993 2006 Regular Cab 2.7L 4x4 2006 Regular Cab Manual 2.7L 4.56 Gears, ARB Lockers Front and Rear, 265/75/16 BFG A/T, Rear Suspension TSB, Front Bilstein 5100s @ 1.75", Revtek 1/2" over coil spacers, K&N Air Filter, Secondary Charcoal Air Filter Removal, On-board Air (ARB High Output Compressor), Bench to Bucket Seat Swap, GROM iPod adapter, Hi-Lift Jack, Wyeth Scott Hand Winch, Smittybilt Tow Hook, Magnetic Roof Mount Amber Beacon, Black Headlight Mod (BHLM), Flat Black Painted Stock 16" Wheels, Black Badges, 4WD badges	Greasing Drive Shaft U-Joints: A Short Writeup My truck is fast aproaching 30,000 mi, so I decided for that reason and to troubleshoot some noises I've been having to grease my drive shaft u-joints. The most common question in all of the "drive shaft greasing" threads is "where are the zerks?!". Well I have some pics for y'all. You can see my $13 grease gun sitting next to the shaft. Since I removed my rear drive shaft the other day (again troubleshooting) it will be really easy for me to grease this bad boy. Since I've got a regular cab my rear shaft is one piece and only has 2 zerks. You access and double cab folks will have an additional zerk on the u-joint in the middle. Here you can see the grease zerk. It's on the outside of the U-joint and is pretty easy to access. Make sure you clean it off before fitting the grease gun over it to prevent dirt from getting in the joint or your gun. Press the end of the gun over the fitting until it snaps on tightly. Grease away! Fill the joint with grease until you can see the the new grease start to squirt out. It should be lighter in color than the black grease that comes out initially. Here's the location of the zerks on the front drive shaft. being on the truck made it a little more difficult to grease, but not much more. I didn't have to remove the stock skid plate (as some suggested was necesarry) to get them both though. __________________ Texas Meet, November 20-22, NOW AT Hidden Falls Adventure Park 2006 Tacoma 2.7L 4x4 [My Build Thread] 4.56 Gears, ARB Lockers Front and Rear, Rear Suspension TSB, Secondary Charcoal Air Filter Removal, Bench to Bucket Seat Swap

07-28-2009, 09:38 AM	#3
Janster Old Fart Anonymous Joined: Mar 2007, #1138 Location: Lancaster, PA Age: 42 Gender: Female Posts: 6,295 2007 4.0L 4x4 TRD Sport Access Cab A 2007 Access Cab Automatic 4.0L Advantage Torza top (tri-fold), Husky floor mats, RuffTuff seat covers, C2C hood struts, Homelink mirror, USA Spec PA15-Toy (120gig Classic & 8gig nano), Garmin Nuvi 660, Protecta Bed mat, Pop-n-lock, TSB Springs, Scangauge II, Heated drivers seat, Fumoto drain valve, Aries pushbar, PIAA 540 fog lights, Hood scoop grahics, Flowmaster 50 series dual catback exhaust, RainX Latitude windshield wipers	This is on a 2nd gen right? Do the 2nd gens have a slip yoke grease zerk? I didn't see one..... The 1st gen trucks have one and from what I remember (vaquely), the slip yoke zerk was located in the center of the shaft (nearest the boot) underneath the ears. __________________ Our Homepage http://www.lieblweb.com/ My truck photo gallery http://www.lieblweb.com/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=16 I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok, They know me here.

07-28-2009, 07:32 PM	#6
Ridingontrd Senior Member Joined: May 2008, #6459 Location: Laughlin,N.V Gender: Male Posts: 4,259 06trd sport 4.0L 4x4 w/towpkg 2006 Access Cab Automatic 4.0L aFe prodry,Dynomax ultra flo ss,Scangauge2,KClightbar w/ProComp&K/C's 520w,TRDskidplate(black)Wet O's cobalt blu,w/halfpiping,TRD logo in gold,R/L hood struts,5150's@10"aal 3 pack,Light racing coilovers,1"diff.drop,Swaybar spacer,Gen's 265/70-17 AT2,de-badged,	Props for the post. __________________

10-17-2009, 01:51 PM	#8
DanGer Avatar approved by 98tacomav6 Joined: Jun 2008, #7155 Location: Northern Virginia & Blacksburg Age: 20 Gender: Male Posts: 5,852 07 Base 4Cyl 4x4 Manual 2007 Access Cab Manual 2.7 5 speed White Head Light mod, White shorty antennae, Doug Thorley Long Tube headers, AFE Drop in air filter, Secondary Air Filter Removed,	very nice sir, mind if I link this up to my 30k write up? __________________ 30K Maintenance Write up My build

10-17-2009, 09:20 PM	#14
BakoTruck Damn....not another best oil thread Joined: May 2009, #16674 Location: Bakersfield, CA Age: 23 Gender: Male Posts: 673 05 PreRunner TRD 2005 Access Cab Automatic 4.0L V6 FI DOHC 24V Stock for now, I plan on adding aftermarket wheels and other items in the future.	I tried asking this on this thread: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd...4-tacomas.html but no one responded so I'll try here. Does anyone know if these zerk fittings are only on the 4x4 models, or on all models? I tried to find them on my truck but could not, do I need to take off those covers or what? thanks...and great write up by the way. __________________ Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources. Ronald Reagan

07-28-2009, 07:27 AM	#2
NAAC3TACO Senior Member Joined: Aug 2008, #8350 Location: Sparks, NV Age: 42 Gender: Male Posts: 1,091 2008 SR5 AC 2.7 4X4 IMPULSE RED 2008 Access Cab Manual 2.7 Ebay fog light kit Rubber bed mat Toyota fog light switch	Nice write up with clear photos. Thanks.

10-17-2009, 01:35 PM	#7
The Mega Get Routy Name: Chris Joined: Feb 2009, #13789 Location: Phoenix Age: 20 Gender: Male Posts: 78 06 4X4 Speedway Blue 2006 Access Cab Automatic V6 Xenon 8000k H.I.D, TRD CAI, Magnaflow Exhaust, N-Fab Wheel-to-Wheel Steps, Icon Coilovers, Allpro Rear Leaf Pack w/Fox resi, Ubolt Flip Kit, Snugtop Tonueau, Total Chaos UCA, Steal Brake Lines All Around, Viper Remote Start, Custom Emblem Work, Black Tail Lights, and Flashlight Mod	Where will the old grease come out of? And do I just keep pumping in the new grease until I see it start coming out? Is it possible to overgrease? Thanks

10-17-2009, 06:29 PM	#10
jab08 Senior Member Joined: Sep 2009, #22883 Location: Alabama Gender: Male Posts: 245 00 PreRunner 3rz auto 2000 Regular Cab Automatic lce header, flowmaster, k@n cai, throttle body spacer, halo projectors,HID 6000K, LED taillights.	Yea Im going to have to grease mine again. Its starting to squeal again, just noticed it this morning. But no problem just got to get under it and greaser up.

10-17-2009, 08:56 PM	#12
Terrier Senior Member Joined: Oct 2007, #3288 Gender: Male Posts: 145 2008 SR5 Access Cab 4x4 2.7 2008 Access Cab Manual 2.7	What kind of grease (not brand name) are you using?

10-17-2009, 09:36 PM	#17
OffroadToy Senior Member Joined: Sep 2009, #22680 Location: Central Oregon Gender: Male Posts: 220 07 Radiant Red TRD-Offroad 4x4 2007 Double Cab Automatic V6 SnugTop Canopy, Black Westin BullBar/Tube Steps, Piaa Lights, Weathertech Floor Mats, Dash Mat, OEM Bed Mat, TRDSeat Covers, AVS Hood Shield/Inchannel Vent Visors, Suspension Lift, Front Diff Drop, Rear Diff Breather Extension, Oil Filter Drain Hose, Front Window Tint, Custom Fabricated Plate to Deter Cat Theft, Tailgate Clamp Mod, XPel Headlight/Foglight Protecters, OEM Block Heater	As far as I can tell my 07 Offroad has 5 zerks. The manual says for chassis lubrication to grease the front drive shaft thrust bushings, and the spiders and slip yokes common to the propeller shafts. What and where are the "front drive shaft thrust bushings"? Are these the 2 zerks forward of the transfer case on the front drive shaft?

10-17-2009, 10:01 PM	#19
cheehab Rocky Mountain High Name: Adam Joined: Sep 2008, #9192 Location: Winter Park, CO Age: 28 Gender: Male Posts: 212 05 TRD OR AC 2005 Access Cab Manual V6 4.0 AFE Pro Dry S, Bilstein 5100s @ 1.75, Pro Comp AAL, BHLM, Grayed out emblems all around, Leer Cap, Thule Rack & Cargo Box, Painted OEM Skid Plate, USAspec PA15 iPod adapter, TRD OEM Seat Covers, Trail Teams Rims, 265/75/16 BFG ATKO's, Cracked Windshield, Tinted Tails	Thanks for adding to my to do list! __________________

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