Grease your zerks!!!!

I talked with a guy at a local drive shaft repair company and he told me the joints with zerks were not a strong and only lasted maybe 20K longer. I figured we will not have the truck @200,000 miles so I went with a good replacement that has "lifetime" warranty on the part itself.

 

I did an experiment and was greasing at every oil change (5K miles). My conclusion was this was not necessary. There was plenty of grease in the U-joints. I think I may do it every 10K miles instead and reevaluate.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am surprised and frankly happy that zerks are available even if he does not recommend them.

 

Let us know your conclusion at the 10k schedule. When I started doing my own oil changes I discovered the zerks in the front had never been greased because when I greased them water came out not old grease.

 

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

I used the mobile 1 synthetic grease.

Will do. Just a note, the zerks on the front drive shaft have a very viscous grease which looked like goopy black water when I greased mine for the first time.

I have confirmed with my local Toyota dealers master technicians' that they do not use the NLGI grade #1 grease as the FSM calls for. Rather they use NLGI grade #2 for the front and rear drive shaft. This was good for me as I didn't want to have to maintain two sets of grease in my garage.

 

In case anyone reading this has trouble greasing the front zerks - I always did - the solution is to use a small one hand grease gun. You can easily push coupling on to the zerks. I always had a hard time getting coupling to lock on with the larger two handed gun - the grease always shot out around the zerk instead of going in it.

 

Thanks, I will give this a try, I always have a heck of a time getting the first of the front zerks. the one closest to the front of the truck is not to bad, anyone else have a "certain" way to get at these front ones ? Doc

 

This or similar is the answer - no question about it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...grease+gun&sprefix=lubrimatic+mini+grease+gun

 

George3, I had one of those one handed guns in the shed, Worked GREAT!!, I owe ya one, Thanks!! Doc

 

You are more then welcome sir. I was elated when I discovered it. Glad I was able to help you out.

 

On the 2wd trucks without the grease fitting, has anyone replaced the u joints to those with a grease fitting?

Any known quality brands or will the 4wd u joints fit into the 2wd friveshafts?

PK

 

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This is off a Tundra, but the basics are the same.

Hope this sheds some more light on the topic

 

dont know what constitutes empty on those fittings, but 50,000 miles is about 9.5 pumps on the grease gun... i have a feeling around 120,000 im going to be kicking myself in the ass for not doing it sooner

 

Mine push out grease after maybe two pumps.

 

Always grease your nipples! Always!

 

amazing how many folks don't know there are zerks, also I'm so glad I don't have my 90 Toyota upper and lower ball joints, most of the steering arms had a fitting, the driveshafts. I never counted but I swear could burn though a whole tube of grease during a lube session.

 

Dry nipples? Do dry nipples crack if you don't grease them?

 

Has to catch my breath on that one...

 

"upper and lower ball joints, most of the steering arms had a fitting, the driveshafts." if they have zerks and they are greased they will last a lot longer.

 

I grease my zerks... and i like it!