U-joints Not lubed - reply from Toyota Care

I finally got an answer about the lube and u-joints and whom is responsible to lube them. I had to specifically ask if lube and fluids are the responsibility of the dealer at PREP or is it part of assembly/production. Can't say for sure Toyota is actually going to do anything about it tho!


Here's Toyota's reply:

Mr. Brown,

Based on your inquiry, I did research and confirmed that the grease fittings should be filled during production. Checking them is not part of the pre-delivery inspection vehicles go through on their delivery to the dealer.

Your particular situation has been documented along with the information you provided from the blog you are a member of. Even though you have now filled the fittings, we would recommend having the vehicle inspected. They can also check other similar Tacoma vehicles on their lot to verify no one else will experience what you have.

You can be assured that Toyota has and will continue to take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified.

Respectfully,


Toyota Customer Experience Center

 

Well, its a step in the right direction. It seems now they should send a memo out to all dealers informing them to inspect all in stock Tacomas, and send out a production notice to the factories to make sure this procedure is completed. At least now you have some documentation and it has been acknowledged.

 

^^^^ that - I did a follow up and asked specifically if they notified the production facilities so this won't keep happening. I also reminded them about fluid levels being low from the factory. It's funny to kinda, cause I got into a semi-argument with my local service manager about oil change and lube that I ASKED THEM TO PERFORM AT 5K - neither of which they did. I told my service manager to "make a note to lube and change my oil at Every 5K service interval, I will pay if I need to. Did you note that in my service record?" Reply was "yes sir".

Sorta like going to the dentist except my dentist is a lot happier taking my money! WTF?

 

That's fine and dandy, but if yours are non-serviceable then your up the creek without a paddle when the warranty runs out. Non-serviceable one do fail just like grease zert ones! So I guess Toyota is installing both serviceable and non-serviceable base on which model Tacoma and option package you get.

 

I believe the 4x4 models are all zerks, 2wd are not....makes sense

 

Just because you can add grease before some starts purging doesn't mean the joints are dry.

 

+1. I check mine before and after wheeling and I am always able to add grease, and I purge the time before. So people checking them after purchase doesn't mean they are dry from the factory.

 

The u-joints come from spicer with grease applied to the caps. When people are pumping them full its just filling the void in the crossdrilled passage. You really dont grease the caps as much as you just fill the void. If there were no grease the u-joints wouldnt last a few hundred miles. Ive seen many Tacomas well over 100k miles that have never had a grease gun on the joints and they are still original. Ive seen plenty fail too that have had grease. I always grease them on services but only to the point of resistance. No need to have grease spewing out everywhere. People just get over paranoid about things they read on the internet and totally dont understand.

 

ok, dry no probably not, but filled correctly definitely not.

the whole idea of purging is to get contaminants out and fresh grease in, so waiting until it spews out of every seal is best practice.

 

I've seen U-joints go 500k that don't even have a grease fitting.people worry about the silliest things.

 

I agree some go all the way to the junkyard, just depends on how much load they were exposed to and the. environment they are in.

 

I seemed to notice smoother M/T shifting and quieter drivetrain after greasing.

 

Has anyone taken apart a suspected U-joint to verify that it did not have grease before bashing Toyota? The entire cavity does not have to be filled with grease for the bearings to be greased. If you are not willing to do this please stop typing.

 

I don't think the dispute is whether the bearings are greased. The manufacturer may grease the bearings. The question is whether the cavities are filled. Based on the number of pumps required to fill them, I'm convinced they were not full. Does not require disassembly of u-joints to determine.

And I'm not bashing Toyota. I love my truck. Just passing on what I saw.

 

Explain this to me then. A seal is designed to serve two purposes. One is to keep contaminants out, two is to keep substance(in this case grease) in. If you pump grease until it spews out every seal, you are compromising the integrity of the seal.
In theory, you are doing more damage than good.

As thepinktaco said, pump until you feel resistance, that is all you need.

 

What makes you a qualified source for automotive best practices?

 

You're thinking about ball joints. U-joints are designed so that you pump until you can see new grease come out.

 

^^^^ That ... 10+ pumps on each u-joint = empty and not serviced before leaving production line. To the folks that say don't worry, hey it your truck don't worry then. Me I'm going to service my zirks every oil change.

To each his own. When I did mine the grease that purged was a VERY SMALL amount of assembly grease followed shortly by my synthetic grease. I purged all 4 caps on every u-joint. They were all the same. OH and I'm getting +2 mpg average per TANK of gas after lube and driveline is a lot quieter and my MT shifts smoother as well.

No body is bashing Toyota - this thread is meant to alert you owners to get your u-joints lubed. IF you don't know how to purge a u-joint maybe a good time to learn.


Quoted:

"Recommended Lubrication Procedure
One of the most common causes of driveshaft and U-joint failure is the lack of adequate or proper lubrication. The following lubrication procedures are recommended to prevent premature failure of parts. These procedures also ensure that U-joints are flushed of dirt, salt and other contaminants and the bearing cavities are filled with new lubricant. Always follow OEM lubrication schedule recommendations.

U-joints

• Apply the recommended grease at the grease fitting on the U-joint until the new grease purges from all of the journal cross bearing seals.
• Do not assume that bearing cavities have been filled with the new lubricant unless flow can be seen around all four bearing seals. If new grease does not purge at all four seals, loosen the bearing cap bolts and regrease until all four cups purge.
• If new grease still does not purge, replace the U-joint.
• If a different grease is being used, make sure it is compatible with the old grease and apply extra grease to purge out the old grease.

 

screw automotive, zerk fitting are installed to purge bearings, common sense. I've worked in a manufacturing environment for 25+ years, dealing with bearings and lube cycle when and how. So Yea purge those bearings when greasing, it IS best practice.

but purge slowly, too fast and yes you could dislodge the seals. Forgot to mention that

 

I defer to @nh_yota