Did the u-joints really lack factory lube? Probably never.

I keep reading about the u-joints lacking lube from the factory, and I am going to call it all uninformed bullshit (no-offence). Factory assembled parts have a thinner coating of grease due to the way they are assembled and lubed during production. This is true of ball bearings, roller bearings, babbit pivots, yokes, and yes, drive-shaft u-joints. They don’t use a grease gun at the factory, they typically use either a brush, or an automated squirting system to apply grease before the parts are assembled. This leads people to think they’ve uncovered a huge issue with lack of lube when they first use a grease gun on their Tacoma U-Joints, when all they are really doing is purging the remaining air from a completely sufficient factory lube-job.

The truth:

1- The u-joint were made by Spicer and installed by Toyota. These are not stupid companies that manufacture and install dry joints. Spicer, in particular, has a lot to lose from a mistake of that magnitude.

2- That black crap you purge out of the u-joints when you first use a grease gun on them is the actually Spicer factory lube and is incredibly slippery stuff.

3- When you first use a grease gun, it’s going to take many pumps to purge all the air out of the factory-lubed u-joints. This is not due to insufficient lube.

4- People think way more grease is needed, that actually is needed, to lube a part. The thin film of factory grease is fine until the service interval arrives.

5- The goal of seeing grease purge out the seals during a service interval is to ensure you have purged all dirt out of the joint, not to achieve proper lubrication.

6- No one has experienced U-Joint failure due to lack of lube and reported that here on TW (that I am aware of at least). If they were shipping trucks with dry U-joints, there would be an insane number of failures that would account for 95% of the complaining here (might actually make for a nice change).

7- If Toyota was destroying a whole series of Tacoma drivetrains due to dry U-Joints, there would be a recall or TSB. A dry u-joint is a huge safety issue, and melting a u-joint is no joke. Your driveshaft could de-couple on the freeway, or light the truck on fire.

8- A fully packed u-Joint may reduce driveline clunking due to the buffering nature of the grease, so there is some value in stuffing those factory u-joints full of grease in your driveway when you arrive home with your new Tacoma, but it’s not required for proper operation of the truck.

Anyways.......let’s stop regurgitating this nonsense.

EDIT: Habanerotaco said the same thing in much fewer words. Bravo to them. Ignore above and see below: vvvvvv

 

What is the last step on u-joint installation from Spicer?

 

If they didn’t have any lube in them...they would squeak right off the showroom floor.

 

The instructions for a jobber in his driveway, and the mass production of vehicles is not the same game.

 

Please explain the differences.

 

The factory assembled part it subject to quality control. The jobber needs to be reminded.

 

Thanks for this! Finally someone shedding some knowledge and logic on the subject. Sadly TW members are still gonna whine. It’s 2019 I suppose.

 

But my Tacoma was 1.2 quarts low on transmission fluid, a half quart of motor oil, 10 fl oz short on washer fluid, and my blinker fluid was 2 fl oz low. Not to mention the dealer didn’t fully top off my gas tank when I picked it up.

Surly my zerks were bone dry

 

If you read my posts in that big thread I’ve been saying the same thing for years. The factory doesn’t use the grease fitting to lube the joints at the factory. That doesn’t mean they don’t lube them.

Jeff

 

I think every new Tacoma should come with a bottle of tears in the driverside cupoholder.

 

Yeah, I thought we had this all ironed out back in 2016.....

 

There’s going to be disagreement with my point, and that is fine, but the evidence supports my claim, by far.

If I was wrong (which I’m not), all of the non-TW people who bought Tacoma’s in the last 4 years are royally fucked I guess. Toyota and Spicer sure know how to screw all these innocent people over! All to save $1.25 in grease and 2 minutes in factory labour....worth it!!!!!

 

Now if only they deleted the zerks from the U-joints, maybe people would have one fewer thing to complain...

 

Spicer states their factory lube is for shipping and corrosion purposes.
I guess your saying Spicer has some other protocols for OEMs?
Spicer states a greasable u-joint isn't properly lubed until it's purged; cross and thrust washer filled.
How do these get filled sans filling at the zerk?


I guess our difference is in whether one considers the adequacy of the 'factory' grease fill vs a fill/purge; as has always been my position.

 

What do you think is happening? Is TOYOTA purposely not following Spicer’s recommendation, then offering a warranty on the drivetrain?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-fvddVt-g

 

Irrelevant video, as that is a bone-dry virgin U-Joint that has no lube from the assembly process. This is not what is installed in our trucks. Our trucks have factory lubricated U-Joints, with the good lube, not that red jobber crap.

Just does not apply in this case.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJGcRDbbJGE

 

Still irrelevant. Not the parts Toyota is installing. The u-joints are greased before assembly, not through the grease nipple.