Check Your U-Joints

Well got my truck today back from the dealership, no grease and half quart low. Glad they fixed it. Thanks TacomaWorld

 

Can anyone let me know if the following would work for these? I currently have : NLGI GC-LB lithium complex grease loaded in the grease gun.

 

Should also say "#2" somewhere on there...
Which grease is it, specifically?

 

It's Sta-Plex extreme pressure premium red grease.

 

It's good to go.
Here's the TDS
http://www.crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=SL3191

 

Thank you!

 

I thought it was just in my head, or placebo effect, after I got the u-joints greased that my truck was rolling smoother and turning smoother. I guess its right then.
I honestly had the dealership do it. I thought I spent 35K on a brand new truck, I aint doing shit for a while on it. Do you guys think Toyota is aware of the problem and its a
dealership task to grease joints and fill tranny ?

 

I thought the mpg's might be too good to be true; so I took an out and back drive mostly highway and got these results. Go get that grease gun

 

I've got 2400 miles on my SR5 4x4. Greased the u-joints a week ago and have increased my tank average mpg to 18.1. I'm trying to stay below 2000 RPMs as much as possible. I hope I get up in the 20s someday...

 

wow... I finally decided to carve out the time and look into this myself. Sure enough, 10 pumps each of "Green Grease" with a new mini-grease gun I picked up at the local Autozone. That's disappointing for sure, I went Taco over Chev to avoid quality issues.

Thanks for posting this. I will pick up a torque wrench and check my u-bolts next.

 

Don't worry your Taco is many miles above a Chevy even with these little manufacturing issues. It's in the design of components that really counts.

 

Had my 5000 mile checkup today. Asked them to check u-joint grease and tighten u-bolts in addition to the multi-point inspection and fluid top-off. After 2 hours, my truck was ready and was informed that my model did not have Zerk fittings on the u-joints because it was new. Now, last week when I went in to have my tranny fluid checked, because of what I read in this forum, I was told they did check and attempt to top it off, but it overfilled right away, so it wasn't low. My confidence in information pulled from this forum wasn't that high, so I didn't argue with them. However, when I arrived home I just had to see for myself ... sure as shit, Zerk fittings on all u-joints.

Lesson learned. If they pull stunts like this, how can I believe anything I'm told? I also doubt they really checked the transmission fluid or the U-bolts. Guess it's time to invest in some more tools and take maintenance into my own hands. Disappointed.

 

My truck has 500 miles on it, so I took the grease gun under it to see if my dealership was any better than the ones I've heard about on here. Well it doesn't look like it is, my u joints were dry like so many other trucks on here. Took about 6 pumps to get the air out, an grease coming out all 4 corners.

 

I have about 130 miles on mine. Gonna go get a grease gun and grease tomorrow. What kind/brand of grease do you guys recommend?

 

$10 Valvoline Multi-Vehicle High Temperature Red Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CQ4DIM

Should be able to find at any parts store and maybe walmart

 

I forwarded this thread and another one to the dealer before I picked up my truck, told the salesman I wanted these checked and greased. I was very pleased with my experience with the sales team.....however, the service dept? A-holes. The service manager said BS to all the info, told me that all the fittings come properly greased from the factory and if I wanted it done I was going to have to pay for it! unreal...Had I not traveled out of state to grab a TRD OR 6MT, I would have told the sales manager to shove the truck straight up their a-hole and bought from another dealer. However....since I had located a unicorn after about a month of searching, I had no choice but to buy it. Bottom line, I greased mine this weekend and all the fittings took several pumps from my gun.

 

Thank you Sr.

 

Greased my joints @ 280 miles. Bone dry 8-10 pumps per zerk before grease purged out of the seals. I couldn't feel a difference, but the truck did. Mpg went from 16.4 avg. to 19 avg. traveling 70 mph on the highway. Manual trans.

Edit: Also found that by clocking the rear zerk on the front shaft to the passenger side didn't require shield removal.

 

That was the only zerk I did not get too because I did not want to take the shield off at that time, the truck was still hot from driving. I will try getting to it when it cools down.

 

I agree. You may have to put pressure on the front two to keep grease pumping in.