OH NO!! I am definitely Zerk-less!

My new 2016 TRD Off Road does not have any zerk fittings on the rear drive shaft. I got the two on the front drive shaft.

So I guess they don't get greased? (Obviously.) Does this mean they just wear out and get replaced every 50,000 miles?

Personally I like the ones you get to grease, but I guess if these are sealed and last a long time that's OK too. Any thoughts?

 

My 2WD Limited does not have any zerk fittings to grease . I guess my drive shaft will be limited also .

 

I think they may be sealed, but don't quote me. When they fail, put some moog greaseables in

 

My understanding was that 2wd was no zerk, and 4wd has zerks.
The members here that have zerks have noted that they were not completely full, so how does that make you feel without zerks, no way of knowing.

 

Dont be a jerk. Grease your zerk!

 

so you have a 4 wheel drive? just checking, for sure

 

Yeah for some reason multiple people have been reporting that they are getting u joints without zerks in the rear.

 

All two wheel drive models come with sealed universal joints on the drive shaft.

All four wheel drive models should come with grease-able universal joints on, both, front and rear drive shafts.

 

@Qwntm do you own a 2 or 4 wheel drive model? I noticed you wrote that you have zerks on your front drive shaft, but idk tho

 

Yes 4x4 off road with transfer case and front drive shaft and front differential. The front drive shaft has zerks. The rear drive shaft does not. I've been looking for them, but today I saw the pictures of where they are and what they look like in the forum thread about it, and I confirmed they are not there. That's why I posted. (4th 4x4 Toyota, first one without zerks...)

 

I would call Toyota and ask why you have no zerks. I was under the assumption that all 4x4 models had zerks on front and rear shafts

 

no, not 2WD. Newer 4x4 owners are reporting that they have zerks only on the front driveshaft. For some reason or another Toyota seems to have changed something with the rear. Supply shortage? Who knows.

 

Ignorant owners were over greasing them so they don't put them on anymore, just like ignorant owners were over filling and putting the wrong fluids in their ATs so they took the dipsticks away!

 

Wow I'm glad i bought the 2016...

How the hell do you over grease a u joint? Have you seen the videos from Spicer which show you how to pass grease through until it purges and comes out clean?

 

LOL, yea, good point.

I do know that there is such a thing as sealed U joints that (supposedly) don't need to be greased. I'm going in for the TSB on the tranny Tuesday, I'll ask the dealership, maybe I'll get lucky and find an enthusiast who might know something... I'm going to buy some lottery tickets too.

 

They are sealed with what came in them... If it's anything like the zerked shafts, it's just assembly lube...

They are sealed until they fail

 

I regularly see trucks with over 250k miles on stock SEALED u-joints.

 

I know people were upgrading their 4th gen 4Runner driveshafts with upgraded Lexus gx units that were sealed with nice results. I don't see a problem with it being sealed.

 

So they underfill them by 1 to 2 quarts instead. Nice goin Yota!

 

Well, both are sealed the same. Zerk fittings just allow them to be purged, but it also requires grease channels in the u-joint. This technically makes the u-joint weaker, by how much, I don't know.

If you're doing a lot of intense off roading, you want zerks. Without them there is no way to push mud, dirt, water and other contaminants out. The needle bearings will wear a lot quicker. Not a big issue for 2wd pavement vehicles.

In reality though, non serviceable will be fine for off roading every now and then or doing minor trails or a majority of the stuff most owners use their 4x4 vehicles for.

I had non serviceable spicer u joints on my last 2wd truck and they were 100% fine at 130k miles.

If I had a dedicated off road vehicle it would get zerk fitting u joints every time.