Reminder: Lube your drive line NOW!!

Ok kids just a friendly reminder to get under your truck and lube the 5 zirks on u-joints. Pretty easy 10 minutes and a 12mm socket to remove/re-install the cover on the middle one.

Reason for reminder - every damn u-joint took +10 pumps to get proper lube. I took my truck in for the 5K service and even asked them to do a "lube and oil change". I guess they did the oil change, they did not do the lube at 5K and my joints were bone dry - the only lube there was the install lube and I didn't see much of that coming out at all when my grease started coming out.

I'm thinking of writing to Toyota about this not being done even tho I asked them to do it at 5K - it's part of the 5k service but only for hard duty use?? How do they know if you use it off road and need a lube with every oil change? I guess they would rather replace u-joints and call them wear and tear related when they fail?? That's wrong.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/check-your-u-joints.409042/

 

Trust no dealership or their service.

 

My tacomas like a damn unicorn!!
I get great fuel mileage.
Ujoints were fully greased.
Ubolts were tourqed to spec.
And all fluids were right where they needed to be.
Sounds like there are a bunch of shitty dealerships out there that want you out the door as quick as possible.

 

Dealer doesn't change ujoints, only driveline assemblies,it's easier that way

 

There is a great thread on this already

 

I believe there is a gigantic thread addressing this.

 

What dealership? I'm buying from an Oregon dealer

 

Kendal Toyota of bend.

 

I have no doubt this is yet another real issue, though not as bad as the trans oil problem But if the u joints were totally dry wouldn't they be fairly noisy? I know I forgot to grease my '03 joints once when I changed to oil and they let me know it. That was at about 140,000 miles. I now have 190,000 and still on the original u-joints.
By the way I never changed my oil before it had 7000 miles on it using Mobil 1 with Toyota filters and the u-joints have gone that far without grease since the truck was new.

 

Trying to beat the sales tax? If your moving here, that's cool. Otherwise, I believe you will need an Oregon address and some claim of residence in the state. Otherwise they will nail you with a use tax when you register it at the DMV. It could equal the sales tax rate of the county you live in in California.

 

No. Dealers in California don't deal on trucks. The most I've found is $1000 under msrp. I know I will have to jump through a few hoops when I get home but saving the money under msrp makes it worth it. I know I will have to pay taxes

 

If you could save that much, the use tax would be worth it then. I actually bought my truck from Kendall too when they were still Toyota of Bend. I had decent luck with working 3 different dealers online at the same time. Bend pulled through by swapping a Camry somebody wanted with Beaverton Toyota for the truck I wanted. They trucked it up here and we made the deal.

 

Mine is on order and should be there by early May at Toyota of Corvallis. I'm hoping things go as expected. The process has seemed to be too easy up until this point. I put down a $500 deposit and they altered a truck in allocation to be what I wanted.

 

Cool. We have about 35 million less people up here! I guess you could get a better deal.

 

I bought mine in NC and moved to FL 2 months later, fl has a "new to fl" rule for any vehicle under 6 month old and they will charge you with sales tax a second time, so i kept my plates on for a few months longer lol

 

I can vouch for that. Dealer wanted to charge me $1650 to change my drive shaft assembly on my 09, rather then replace 2 U-Joints. I replaced all 3 for under $100 myself..

 

Hey there Splitbolt - I know about your thread - why I put up a "reminder" post.

Kinda important - no grease at all in my u-joints AFTER my 5K service, same exactly as you found. After I posted I wrote a letter to Toyota to tell them about this issue. Actually after lube we went for a ride off road and then onto the highway .... I think my MT is shifting better/smoother.

Maybe all the crap with the AT shifting is drive line drag related to no grease in the u-joints!!?? Put that in my pipe and drag on that for a sec or 2. I actually think my drive line is much quieter as well.

Shouldn't this be part of "dealer prep" - that and check all the fluid levels BEFORE owner takes purchase???

 

Just greased mine at 198 miles. Took about five full pumps for each.

 

Same here, nothing but good things to say about my truck.