Check Your U-Joints

Mine only took 3-4 pumps with my minigun so they had sufficient grease in them from factory. Still, was easy to check.

 

My 4x4 OR has about 3300 miles. Took a good 10 pumps from my pistol grip.

 

Crawling around under my (less than a week old) 2WD Tacoma, found several balancing weights on the two drive shafts, but no zerks.
Will try again, with better light and less sleepiness.
We may have some kind of "only the dealer can fix" U-joints, made of semiprecious plastic or something.

 

2wd have sealed, non-greaseable u-joints.
You can still inspect them once in a while if you want.
Check for:
-play
-seals
-retainer clips
-thrown weights

 

Me too! same truck, same mileage, and I may have lost count at 10! After the second night under the truck, I am still unable to get a coupler on the zerk under the heat shield. I've tried everything including grinding down the coupler and trying a needle and have let the frustration win out for now. Its almost like the relief cut in the yoke is not big enough on mine to allow a coupler access. The seals look the same as all the others did leading me to believe it too has not been purged and is basically bone dry.

 

Have never seen a zerk you can't reach with a needle. If it's that tight you couldn't even see it. Did you remove the heat shield?

 

Yes sir, heat shield removed. I had to bend the needle slightly to make contact, felt it depress the ball in the zerk but grease still came out and not in. I put a 3/8 wrench to the zerk to align it with the relief cut of the yoke and it seems tight. I think I will try the Lincoln you recommended earlier as I was using the cheaper bevel cut needle which was all they had at AutoZone. Its a slow and steady squeeze right? Again, the yoke seems to be in the way (as well as other things) despite the shallow relief cut. Willing to try any recommendations you may have sir. Thanks

 

Yes slow steady pressure when using the needle. I would try changing the zerk. The threads can vary a little letting you tighten it a different position. You might also try putting some teflon thread tape on the current zerks threads. This can lubricate the threads letting you tighten it a little more.

 

Greased mine at 800 and then again at 2600. Took several pumps both times.

 

The needle I suggested is the same as the one pictured below. It just has a spring retaining collar attached to the same needle making it a little easier to use. The actual needle part is the same.

 

Honestly, I have no confidence in my abilities that I could even change that zerk as I don't believe I could get two finger in there. I was lucky to get an open end wrench to actually make a purchase on it from the backside. With the needle, is it expected that I may get some grease coming back but most is actually going in? I only applied about 3-4 pumps before removing it but I think some may have went in but I am not certain. Thanks

 

You might get some leakage. You have to keep pressure on the needle (push). This is hard to do with a hand gun. Maybe have another set of hands to help.

 

Thank you retired mech. I realize this particular zerk is a PITA for all but just don't understand why I can't even get a coupler to attach to it when others have. I can't imagine the relief cut on the yoke of mine isn't the same as every other truck but again, it just doesn't have enough room to make a straight on connection. It's frustrating

 

i just reach over the exhaust and have the zerk straight up

 

I assume you turned the drive in different positions to see which gives you the most clearance.

 

Yes sir I have, but regardless of the position of the drive the yoke and zerk remain in the same plane. You're probably right, replacement of the zerk might be the best remedy, I can't imagine the angle of the zerk being off a fraction but I really don't have any explantation why I cannot attach a small coupler to it.

 

Maybe you could loosen it a 1/4 turn and the retighten when your done, or have the dealer fix it.

 

So you rotate the drive to have the zerk at 12 o'clock and come down on it from above? I'm on my back under the truck so I have the zerk pointed at roughly 7-8 o'clock which is the best approach to visualize it that I've found.

 

I highly highly recommend doing this. I have 760 miles on my AC 6spd sport and was a little unhappy with the drive train noise when shifting. I'd get some clunking down there as things bound and unbound. All 5 zerks took 5+ pumps. Upon driving the truck this evening to test her out things are considerably quieter and smoother under the truck. I really don't think it's my imagination. It honestly feels like a different truck to me.

My advice get the tools and do it took me 20 minutes, I had never done this before.

 

Got around to doing mine at 3800 miles. Bone dry, all zerks took between 13-16 pumps. Thanks for a great thread Splitbolt(OP).