Check Your U-Joints

Thanks for this. I'm going to have to check mine now.

 

Ordered some grease: http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...ic-truck-chassis-and-equipment-grease-nlgi-2/

Once that and the gun come in, I'll give this a go. What could possibly go wrong?

 

How did you find specs? Owner's manual?

 

Toyota spec in the maintenance manual and from Spicer's website.

 

EDIT: Found this for 1st gen Tacos. Google let me down on the 2nd gens, but rumor is they don't have grease fittings.
https://www.outdoorwire.com/toyota/maintenance/front_end/lube/

 

was it built in Mexico..?

 

The truck, yes.
The driveshafts, no idea.

 

So was mine and I found the same problem, greasing is done where the truck is built not where the drive shaft is made, is it not..?

 

2nd Gen 4WD do ... 2nd Gen 2WD don't; same as 3rd Gen apparently. Is there an echo in here?

I grease mine every 5000 miles when I change my oil; have 128K miles now.

 

I would assume wherever the driveshaft is built, for balancing/testing purposes.

 

I know another 2nd gen owner that just crawled under his and verified the front does not and the rear did not until he replaced his u-joints. Maybe it's year specific.

 

Hmmm ... could be.

 

ugh, always something. I've never done this before, so to be clear, I need this:

$33 ATD Tools 5001 Professional Grease Gun with Holder

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._13&refinements=p_85:2470955011&rps=1&sr=8-13

and this:

$10 Valvoline Multi-Vehicle High Temperature Red Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

http://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-VV6..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0B7BE3MD9AT1VKPEBRJR

right? and I need to remove the heat shield to access one of them?

 

just bought a used 2013 Toyota certified truck with 49,000 miles I can tell it was never greased still had the black paint on the zerks, took many pumps to purge the black grease out,i guess nobody greases the u joints at the oil change service these days WTF lazy fuckers

 

I saw this in the manual and looked at my U-joints and saw no zerks. I saw this thread and looked again...zerks! I put the grease gun to one and it was full. Grease came out as soon as I started to squeeze. Went to the next one an would not pump (grease gun too cold or grease too waxy). I can get to all mine without taking a shield off, but I have a 4 cylinder. I will have to purchase some fresh grease. By the way, you can get this grease at Wally world.

 

My 2011 f350 service truck does not have zerks on the driveshafts, only zerks i have found were the u-joints inside the front steering knuckles. The 2016 tacomas should really be greased on arrival at dealership.

 

I remember the thread for the 2nd gens that had all the pictures of where the zerks were and I went under my truck to grease them and didn't see a single zerk either. I'll have to check again but I remember turning the driveshaft and everything and still didn't see any. Unless I'm blind as a mofo

My truck is a 4x4.

 

It's like the zerk guy went on vacation every now and again, but production didn't stop, lol.

 

I am blind as a mofo. It was like one of those posters with the fine lines that you stare at till you finally see a 3 dimensional image. Stare, stare, "Holy crap! Zerks!" They are painted with the drive shaft. This paint comes off when you put your gun on it.

 

I don't know what all 2016s have as far as joints.
If you have any double cardan joints, they require the the grease with moly added(

$11 VV985 Valvoline Moly-Fortified Gray Full Synthetic Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

VV985).
I think those might have went on 4wd double-cab longbeds previously.

Removing the shield on mine made access and examination of the seals easier.