Check Your U-Joints

Ok, maybe they deleted them on the front now as well. They are right in the middle of the spider on only one side.

 

My 2018 has them up front. None in the rear. I greased them as soon as I got the truck. Would have to crawl back under to remember exactly where they are.

 

Then they have been deleted. That’s the first place I looked.

 

There is a little shield bolted on that blocks the ones on the front driveshaft.

 

Ok. I’ll crawl back under there again tomorrow and look under the shield for the front ones...again.

 

In 2wd you can rotate the front shaft by hand. They are hard to see tucked inside the joint like they are. Not obvious at a passing glance.

 

Some I think said theirs were black not silver and therefore hard to see.

 

Yes, they are black..... right from the factory.... Scrape that paint off the end of them prior to filling them up. They will only have factory installation grease in them, not filled properly.

Good luck... The rear one, on the front shaft, (under that little shield) is best seen and accessed with the gun from the 7:00 position (looking from the rear).

I think the front one is best from about 5:00....

 

That's correct. There is a forum discussion on that. If you want to install the greaseable ones, and you should, here is the Toyota part number: 04371-0K082. The Spicer part number is: 5-13301X.

Don't buy from the dealer. Go to Dallas Toyota or TRDShop.com, otherwise you'll pay $80 or more for each one - you need three.

 

The shield to to prevent grease from getting on the exhaust and flaming out someday on the freeway or off road somewhere.

 

Cool video. When I was in tracked vehicle mechanics school in the Marines, they had a video just like that, probably was Spicer. I've always pumped until I can see new grease from each cup.

 

That's what Toyota corporate told me too. Do you want to take a chance and lose a rear driveshaft miles off road? A pound of prevention...

 

I imagine that's why Toyota engineering quit putting greaseable ujoints in, since the dealers never do it. I grease at each oil change, or 5000 miles whichever comes first, and since it's 10,000 now, between each oil change.

 

Years ago I was driving on the 405 in LA and saw a Datsun pick-up get jacked-up and caused a massive pile-up when the front of his driveshaft broke at the ujoints. His truck flipped to one side. I know because I was the first one at the accident. Luckily no one was hurt. The driver didn't know what a ujoint was. Live and learn.

 

I think you and I discussed this a couple of months ago too, splitbolt.

 

The shield has 2 bolts that can be tricky to remove. I used a ratchet and a medium length 10mm fitting.

 

Great post. Have a 2017 OR 4x4 DCSB with zerks in front only and each took about 4 pumps. Never done it before but always happy to do something that makes me feel like I'm taking care of my truck.

 

I found the two front shaft zerks and put more grease in them today. Couldn’t find any grease points on the rear...

 

2018 had 2 zerks.

 

Yep. I found em. Thanks!