Greasing Slip Joint / Boot?

Awesome thread. I’m going to grease mine very soon here. 2008 with 140k on it and my gentle clunk upon takeoff and stop has been driving me nuts and I believe this will remedy it. My truck probably hasn’t ever had that slip yoke greased. I bet it’s bone dry in there. Using motorcraft lube for mine. Recommended specifically for ford trucks. Should be fine. Hahahaha

 

Mobilux EP 2 grease is specifically designed for this application. Read the description from Mobil about this grease. ...for spline shafts...
https://www.mobil.com/english-ca/grease/pds/glxxmobilux-ep-2-moly

Just ordered it from Amazon. Started hearing metallic pinging on the drive shaft after performing normal interval greasing of shaft.

 

I use the below. Not cheap but a container should last me a lifetime. It has a very high moly content, 60%. My main use for it is on the screws on pullers.

$48 Loctite 234227 LOC51048 Moly Paste Anti-Seize Compound

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HWBSJW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I never updated the thread.


This was SUCH an easy fix to such an annoying start/stop clunk. Thanks guys! Super easy job

 

I was having the "Tacoma clunk" on my 2012 Tacoma and came here looking for answers. I decided it was either axle wrap, or slip yoke binding at stop. I added leaf spring clamps and that didn't fix it. Next I greased the slip yoke, with some red bearing grease. No dice. I was getting pretty frustrated with it but continued to research it. That's when I saw this comment about Lithium Moly grease.

I decided I didn't have anything to lose, except for $6 at Autozone.

I cleaned off all the red grease and added a good coating of Lithium Moly grease. I wasn't too hopeful of this fixing the problem. I mean, grease is grease right?

Wrong! The Lithium Moly grease fixed it! I am stoked.

 

Well, that was a cheap fix- great news. yes, moly grease for high pressure interfaces like this. I researched this online years ago and there are lots of posts from owners who use a Honda grease with high moly content on driveshaft motorcycles. Ideally you want something that lists the moly content as greater than 50% and not just "moly grease" as maybe it just has 5%.

 

is greasing required? these are typically greased for life but are people seeing premature failures?

 

Everything I've read is that over time the slip yoke grease dries out and that's when you get the "clunk". Luckily, it's an easy fix. Drop the back half of the drive shaft, clean the splines of the slip yoke, grease it up with a Lithium Moly grease, and reinstall.

 

Not trying to sound like an ass, but do you think grease will actually make it around the splines if you put a zerk fitting in? I don't.

 

This is a great thread and it got me on a creeper to check , my 4x4 manual Tacoma has only received oil changes at my local Toyota dealer , it has 5 zirks in the driveline and they are all bone dry , so I am assuming it has never been properly greased with a LOF , doesn't the L mean grease.

 

To summarize this thread a bit,

Is it confirmed that this service can be done by dropping/splitting the axle at the carrier bearing?

Lithium Moly grease is the best choice…brand that is available at stores?

Best way to zip/seal the boot back together?

 

I have done this by dropping the carrier bearing. The first time I had difficulty getting the axle back together till I forced it in from bottom pushing up.
The next time was easier as I figured you can play/move the axles around and it went in quite easily from the side pushing inwards. Depends on how your ujoints are lined up. I use the Ford Motorcraft PTFE lubricant.
Hope this helps someone.

 

Much appreciated, so you just gotta rotate/massage the two back together.

Thankfully I have access to a lift.

Did you reuse the OE ties on the boot?

 

Moly fortified EP2 greases - in particular the ones that are spec'd to meet the Ford/ Lincoln / Mercury chassis lube requirements - would always be a good choice. Look for it on the label. The spec came out in the 1960's when Ford first started advertising the "50,000 mile undercarriage" and at first you had to get it at a Ford dealer........ Anyway, they priced my dad out of the factory stuff and he started using the Valvoline "Moly-fortified" tubes - I've been using it ever since. It has the Ford spec referenced on the label and even solved some problems on mining machines I serviced - when the ordinarily lithium greases wouldn't hack it.

 

Today i did the job by dropping the carrier bearing. I have some lift on it so i was able to work under it. The spline was kinda dry. Cleaned everything and i put the same grease i use for the UCA and ball joint. Mobilgrease xhp 462 moly. The blue coating was smooth and didn't saw any missing part or damage. I will add this maintenance item when greasing everthing else. It's something i didn't think off. I know It was done 2 year ago when i bought the truck, every liquid was changed and everything was greased and inspected when i did the refresh on it. I will do it every oil change now.