Lesser Known Maintenance Items: U-Joints, Wheel Bearings, and others

Ok so, I've read through the maintenance threads and the official checklists for the schedules, but NO WHERE was U JOINTS mentioned. According to the forums and a Toyota tech I spoke with today these U JOINTS are common failure particularly around the 110k ... I'm a bit pissed because I spent about 2-3 times what I should have to get 'em replaced this morning. Really wish I had known to expect this.

Are there any other lesser-known maintenance items that can catch an owner off-guard like these? I'm 32, mechanically inclined, but not a car/auto guy. This was the first time I'd ever heard of a U JOINT and not getting them replaced sooner could have been catastrophic. With my wife's 2003 / 90k GM car we recently when through a wheel bearing problem that almost was catastrophic. Again, until then, I'd never heard of a wheel bearing. Also learned about the catalytic converter on hers when it got clocked up like clockwork (according to another forum) at 80k. Idle Control Valve also went bad on hers last year.

So basically my question is this,

Your car is above 80k ... Up to 200k ... Tacoma... what are some of these other things that could go wrong for the people who didn't grow up in a family of car guys?

Where is the maintenance SCHEDULE that includes or at least lets the owner anticipate: Clutch, Wheel Bearing, Ujoint, Catalytic Converter, PCV valves, IDLE AIR CONTROLLERS, etc, etc. It's killing me getting caught off guard like this.

 

Serptine Belt? Pulleys? Relays? Hell. I don't know. Seems like Ujoints should be on the list with recommended mileage considering they're only $20 buck a piece.

 

Owners manual has the maintenance schedule.

Seems to me, u-joints are replaced when they fail, not on a schedule like the air filter. Maintenance for u-joints is a good lube, maybe every other oil change. Then they should last a long time.

 

U-Joints will last quite a bit longer than 110k. They fail when submerged(and not immediately greased) or if they never get greased. They should be greased AT LEAST every oil change.

A catalytic converter failing could be a result of many things, one is diving style, burning oil(which can be anything from a bad PCV to valve seals or rings), or just age and mileage.

Never hearing of these things leads me to believe you haven't had much vehicle maintenance experience. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

It is almost impossible to anticipate anything like this as it all depends on how the vehicle was used and how it was maintained(and a little luck).

Items that COULD go bad on a truck like yours
Frame Rusting Out
Rear Main Seal
Coil Packs
CV's
Ball Joints
Axle Seals
Brake Cylinders
PCV valve
Alternator
ECM


The list is endless, the truck is a combination of many mechanical devices, at any given time one or more of them could fail, or it could be problem free for another 50,000 miles. It is impossible to say. Read the manual and maintain it, the U joints were in there to be greased. Get up under it regularly and look for cracked seals and anything leaking fluids.

 

I had the very same questions and all I got was: That part very rarely wears out or, those are made for the life of the vehicle. My local Toyota dealer actually talked me out of buying new heater hoses and radiator hoses and thermostat when I did a recent coolant flush and re-fill. I asked about u-joints and he said they don't even stock them because they never replace them. This truck still has the originals and they are still nice and tight. It's been off road quite a bit since it was new also but never "wheeled hard". I did run it through quite a bit of deep mud many times when I first got it just to see what it would do but I shy away from mud now. Then I asked about an alternator and he said that in the last 10 years he's only replaced about 10 of them. He said that it IS an alternator and they CAN go out but added that he doesn't think I'll ever have to replace it. At $500-$700 I can see why they might last so long. He basically told me that the 4 cylinders are about as maintenance free as a vehicle can get. He said he never even sees any come to the dealer and has no idea if any even exist here but assumes some do. I also asked this same service manager about getting the valve clearance checked. He said nope. Not unless they are ticking and mine don't. Then I called a guy I know who was a Toyota mechanic for 20 ears and he confirmed everything this service manager told me.

I bought mine from my dad (the original owner) just a little over a year ago. It's got 135,000 miles on it and the only repairs ever done were a water pump under warranty, 1 brake job and the battery was replaced. It's 2004. All I've done to it is change all the gear boxes over to Amsoil, change the oil, rotated the tires and had it aligned. I also lube the drive line fairly often. I don't really keep track but at least every oil change or if I take it out off road and it gets into the mud or deep water.

Basically, all I have found out with my questions is that I get the same answers. It's a Toyota. Keep the fluids changed, grease it and drive it so that is what I do.

 

Doesn't anyone grease their u-joints?? It is my understanding, to lube those suckers every 30K or sooner. If you keep them lubed and under normal wear, should last a long time. I've lubed my at least 3-4 times within 73K miles.

It's hard to say what's totally required or not required. The best thing to do, is follow your maintenance schedule included in your owners manual. Can't go wrong with the manufacturer recommendations. Everything else that you decide to do ...is a bonus or it needs done based on wear/tear and breakage.

**At 110k miles...you have to start thinking about flushing & filling the radiator fluid.
**If you have an Automatic, you need to think about transmission flush & fill.
**The diffs, transfer case, and manual tranny oils should be done regularly (30K I believe)as well as change the spark plugs.
**Fuel filter
**Bleed brakes to flush out old fluid with new
**Steering pump fluid flush/fill
**If you have a manual tranny...bleed out the old clutch fluid with new
**alignment
**rear drum brake shoes last a long time...so you may want to check or change shoes, clean/check/lubricate the internals of the drum brakes. Check the 'adjuster' to make sure its functioning properly, lubricate, etc. Check cylinders, look for leakege (oil seals/wheel bearings).
**Front brakes/pads would've been done at some point but you may want to check them too.
**Crawl underneath and visually inspect everything...look for signs of leaks, wear, etc.

 

For those of us who know how perform our own vehicle maintenance, great. After 2 ToyotaCare oil changes I checked mine and they hadn't been greased. I did them myself as I have a grease gun(many people don't anymore) and it happened to be already loaded with the right spec grease. I highly doubt any quick lube places ever lube U joints and though I will never darken their doorstep, many people use them and think nothing of it. After my 5 included with the purchase price oil changes are done, I'll be doing my own in my garage with Pennzoil Platinum and an OEM filter. My U joints will be hit at least every oil change. It's cheap insurance and I have the grease and gun already.

 

It's not even about doing the work yourself.... it's about being 'aware' that mechanical things need some love & maintenance. Some folks don't have a clue....and just assume the vehicle will just run forever without doing anything.

I have a family member (couple) who's consistently clueless....and puts minimal $$ to keep things running. They fried an engine (in a jag no less) because lack of oil changes. And...same couple....a work van that they kept putting 1 quart of oil in the steering reservoir cuz it kept puking oil every time they turned. So,they drove the van over to our house one day... (leaving a trail of oil the whole way). We found the high pressure line had about 100 pinholes in it spraying like a lawn sprinkler and almost sprayed me in the face. It's embarrassing how clueless your own family members can be.
How does something like that go for that long without tending to it?

 

I agree, there are certain people I know who's cars I refuse to get into as I cringe at the condition they are in. I have brought up things that need to be done and they blow me off. When I see something I feel obligated to bring it to their attention, so I avoid seeing it as it pains me when I mention something and it still isn't done 6 months later. Some people lack any sort of mechanical sympathy and don't understand how things work.

In other words:

"What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men."