Check Your U-Joints

I can’t see forcing grease passed the seals to make sure you have “plenty of grease”. The seals are there to keep the grease in and if you over grease them and force the grease passed the seals, they no longer work so well to keep the grease in. You should apply pressure until you feel resistance and know it is full of grease

 

Actually, the seals on a non-greasable joint are there to keep grease in. These at greasable with a seal that is softer allowing grease to be purged. That's why they have a zerk. You have to pump enough grease to purge the old grease allowing contaminants and old grease to exit the seals.

 

I had mine checked when I went in for the 5k service last week. When I asked to have them checked they asked me why. I told them for peace of mind and it seems to be something a lot of people online are concerned about and finding out themselves that they need to be greased. They laughed at me and said well, "anyone can say whatever they want on the internet, but that doesn't make it true." I told them to just check the damn u-joints and that I wasn't asking for a lot as it would only take a minute or two to do so for competent (or even incompetent) tech.

 

I can’t argue. It’s just that I’ve done it my way for 6 Toy 4x4s for a total of over 600,000 miles and also other major brands with no u-joint failures ever. Provide a link or your source of information that the “seals supplied with zerks are softer and designed to be purged by pumping grease past them” please.

 

One other small point about the u-joints being shipped with assembly grease only and should be greased after assembled; the only grease that is doing anything is the grease in contact with the bearings. With the quality of modern lubricants you can't blame the factory for saving barrels of grease that would have been stored in u-joint cavities just aging but waiting to be pushed to the bearing upon first service. I think this issue is an internet straw dog. These are damn good vehicles, arguably the common mans best 4x4. This would generate a recall if it was near as serious as this thread makes it out to be and Toyota is a lot more careful then that of it's reputation. Please, folks don't go out and blow the seals out of your u-joints.

 

wrong.

 

LMAO man are you serious? This is is basic u-joint maintenance on joints with zerks. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if you don't think that joints with zerks are meant to be purged of old grease I don't know what to tell ya. http://mad4wd.com/blog/?p=18

 

Really? I thought the purpose was too get the old out by forcing the new in.

 

Needle bearings would have thin coat of grease on them prior to installation at factory. There would be no need for them to apply grease using the zerk fitting. Still not bad idea to grease them.

 

correct

 

I was at my dealership yesterday and asked a tech to check. He greased them, told me they all needed a few pumps.

 

I have made a mess of the very front zerk. This is the last one I tried. I even checked the ball with a pick to make sure it seats but if you say its possible that it isn't screwed in all the way I could check that later. The coupler fits on but the grease still comes out somewhere. I have had no problems with the others. Only the rear front, after removing the blast shield, seemed to have any grease prior to my work. Its cold and wet under there. Perhaps I'll try tomorrow.

 

There's a relief cut in the yoke the zerk should be aimed at.
I have to get my grease fitting right up against that. If my aim it is good it clicks right on.
I find it helps to hold the driveshaft in one hand and the grease fitting in the other; you get more of a feel for it.
Maybe your grease fitting is too big; you can try grinding it down on one side like another member did.

 

Turns out the zerk wasn't fully screwed in as Slipstream87 said. I used the ol' 3/8 to tighten so it was pointing straight down the middle, like a McManus field goal. Grease applied. Thanks everyone.

GO BRONCOS!

 

Its always best to get the old grease out....could be contaminants/water/dirt/etc with regular maintenance up keep you can prolong the life of the ujoints..

 

So my 2016 TRD OR double cab short bed 4x4 only had zerks on the rear 3 Joints. The front 2 didn't have zerks... But you all seem to have 5.. Can someone explain why this is?

Also, I greased the 3 rear Joints, but one of the joints only oozed out of one of the 4 arms, the other 3 arms didn't ooze out anything. What should I do? My truck only has 70 miles on it. The other 2 Joints purged normally and oozed out all 4 sides with about 5-6 pumps. Thanks!

 

From Spicer;
Apply grease gun pressure to each U-joint until fresh grease appears at each bearing seal. This purging action not
only assures that every bearing has been properly greased, but flushes out any moisture and abrasive contaminants
that may have worked their way past the seals.
IMPORTANT: The premium seal design of Spicer U-joints may, on occasion,
prevent one or more bearings from purging. If that should ever happen, try one
of these purging procedures to relieve seal tension:
1. Push up on the driveshaft, from the side opposite the bearing that will not
purge, while applying gun pressure to the lube fitting. This might create a
slightly greater clearance around the bearing’s sealing surface and may allow
the bearing to purge.
2. Using a brass hammer and wearing safety glasses, sharply strike lug ear of
the inboard yoke once to firmly seat the bearing against the retainer (retainer
may be a snap ring, bearing plate or spring tab). Striking the yoke ear may
relieve tension across the span. Rotate shaft 180 degrees and repeat
procedure on opposite lug ear. Apply grease gun pressure.

Was it the center one?
You could also try driving it around a bit; that's what I did.
Also, make sure you're not on an incline

The fronts are there...hiding. You can rotate this shaft by hand, freely.

 

Thanks!! I got the front two, didn't know they were hiding. It was actually the last U-joint on the back, by the rear differential that was only clearing from one bearing seal. I will drive around and lube it on another day. Thanks again! Much appreciated!

 

From my understanding almost all 4x4 trucks are made in Baja. Exception would be the manuals.