Lube "propeller shaft"

Whatever happens to be in the grease gun that day

ever notice that Chevys have more zerks than anybody but they still fall apart the quickest?

 

How long have you been using it? Did you try anything else?

 

Haha!

True story, u joints started squeaking under load on my ranger and I just sprayed some WD40 and never heard the noise again for years. Those were non serviceable ones.

 

I use Lucas Oil Red 'N' Tacky grease. https://lucasoil.com/products/grease/red-n-tacky-grease

It's NLGI #2 rated, runs about $6 a tube at Home Depot or Walmart and seems to work fine. I've read that a moly grease would be better suited for driveshaft u joints, but selection was limited last time I went Walmart. I might try this next time...

$13 Valvoline Moly-Fortified Gray Full Synthetic Grease 14.1 OZ Cartridge

https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-Sy...t=&hvlocphy=9061147&hvtargid=pla-570957897276

I believe my 2017 only has 1 or 2 zerks on the front driveshaft, so a tube lasts quite a while.

 

Thanks for the info, I’ll look into it.

My 18 has 2 maybe 3 zerks, I can’t remember.

 

I think my truck has 2, but its been awhile since I greased it last though.

 

As you know there aren't that many greasing points on the truck. I've used it on the driveshaft U-joints, wheel bearing seals, SPC ball joints. Went through less than two tubes over 8 years. I picked Lucas X-Tra because it's a major-brand NLGI #2 grease without molybedum disulfide (which can absorb water and generate sulphuric acid) and available in local stores.

 

Hey, just to let you know, carmanualsonline.info has the maintenance schedules if you'd like them.

 

If you live in a cold climate aka Canada I recommend the low temperature grease which remains soft in freezing weather. My Smittybuilt winch was almost impossible to free wheel in freezing weather until I took it apart and re-greased everything inside with a low temperate grease. Now it free wheels with almost no effort. I assume it the u-joints would move a lot easier as well. I used a locally available Motomaster brand.

 

2023 4x4 off road doesn't have one single grease point on any u joint or well anywhere . I find it odd and worrisome that i can't know for sure enough friction points are well lubed , I'm always thinking every vibration or sound is is contact of somewhere i should be able to grease but cant . wont ever know till it completely fails then that's when and only warranties can fix it , not failing lets fix completely failed then fix which is bull crap

 

Buy an 04, part the 23 out. Not trying to be a smart ass, but I never rolled around looking for shit to grease.

 

That's what they call one on a Corvette.

 

The Corvette has a real torque tube. It's a fixed tube bolted between the front motor and rear transmission with a shaft running thru it.

That dealer was wrong saying the Toyota had a torque tube.

 

I usually use full synthetic grease from Mobil 1.

 

My 2006 Taco had 5 zerks.
My 2018 Taco had 0 zerks.
My 2021 Tundra had 0 zerks.
My 2022 Taco has 0 zerks.

Curious if these same statements exist in the manual for the 2024, and if one of those trucks will ever have an OEM zerk fitting.

 

Zerks reduce strength and cause failures under high load. Zerks in the cap don’t always flow to all ends also leading to failure. Look at ANY high strength high load competition ujoints they have zero Zerks.

The only purpose of Zerks is time saving. You don’t have to disassemble to grease. If I have to pull a joint to grease I replace it, grease it and install. I can’t tell you how many times I pulled a joint and found the Zerks weren’t sending grease to all ends of every cross. As a millwright I laugh every time someone gets their panties in a bunch about maintenance but won’t go the full distance because it takes too much time (or they don’t have the knowledge how to do it).

 

Someone made a comment about grease and moly grease. Moly has better water resistance. That’s the #1 reason I use moly. In a driveshaft ujoint I don’t worry about water unless I am regularly submerging them. Even then if they have Zerks I go EP (extreme pressure) and grease them regularly.

Always think of the environment you are operating in more than engineering the best this or that. Lots of overthinking in this thread which tells me there are people with a lot to learn and not enough experience. Sorry but YouTube does not replace proper training and experience. We are talking low joint angles (low speed movement) low loads on stock non lifted trucks. Only when you go to high angles do speeds and temps rise and therefore greasing needs increase. Think of how a joint works. Low angles have low movement between the caps and the body over each rotation. High angles have high movement and higher temps as the joints move a lot more each rotation. High angle are much harder on joints and grease. I have literally melted the cross off a joint trying to run home after a 4wheeling trip at a speed I knew was too much considering the lift I had (Jeep). Now to illustrate how easy it is to change I replaced it at the side of a freeway in under 10 minutes. Due to the lift and abuse of the joints I kept spares in the Jeep at all times including tools to change them. Stock trucks do not require zerks and joints don’t last forever so get over it. Replacing them is no different than replacing tires, belts or oil. They are consumables.

 

And Porsche 924, 928, and 944.