Never greased anything

I've never checked my driveshaft bolts so I did some searching, looks like 65/ft lbs is the torque setting, just FYI.

 

Where are you supposed to retorque on the driveshaft? I don't think mine was ever done. Also not sure if the previous owner ever greased the thing. Are the only grease zerks related to the driveshaft or is there more elsewhere?

 

Chances are Your are good just do it now. Don't wait! Get a grease gun and spend the extra for a decent one!

 

Zerks are only on the driveshafts.

 

At least Toyota makes the zerks easy to grease but the freaking manual should have some pics and a Number of zerks you got to find so you know where to start.

 

my 2011 prerunner had zerks. not that i greased them that often, but they were there!

 

lol where were they??

 

So did anybody ever come up with a number of zerks that there are? I have a 4x4 DCLB but have no idea how many to look for when I crawl under the truck.

 

Look somewhere on page 2. Another member posted up good pictures with a VERY clean undercarriage (thanks @JustAddMud )
... also a nice description

Edit- post #36

 

On the joints on the driveshaft. 3 I think? I do remember when I first did it at like 100k it took something like 12 pumps before I even started to see grease come out. I was wondering how they weren't toast but hey sometimes I get lucky!

 

My 2014 DCLB 4X4 has 5 ujoints. 3 on the rear, 2 on the front.

 

Grease 'em guys. I bought a new S10 in '86, 2WD. The front end had 9 grease fittings. Hit 'em every other oil-change. Sold it in '06 with a little over 220K on it. Never replaced a thing on the front steering/suspension other than shocks. Still drove like new, and was never aligned. I probably didn't have $10 in grease over those 20 yrs, worth every penny.

 

Doesn’t anyone call them grease nipples anymore? Or is this just a Taco/TW thing?
I had to google Zerk, got a bunch of hits... for “grease nipple” lol.
So found the history of these fittings, interesting how the design changed but the name Zerk still stuck.
https://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/grease-fittings-zmlz15octzhur
“Today’s grease fittings are basically identical to the ones invented by Joe Bystricky back in 1933, although Bystricky himself is forgotten, as are Arthur Gulborg and Alemite. For some reason, though, Oscar Zerk’s name remains attached to grease fittings. Fame is capricious, and can be fleeting, but not always – even though probably not one person in 10 has a clue as to why Zerk fittings are called, well, Zerk fittings.”

Guess I better see where my Bystricky’s are located for when I need to grease them.
Update: Appears I have no grease fittings on my 2019 2WD. My Honda Accords haven’t had them for years, sealed units. it’s a modern car thing.
Back in the day we greased the chassis, drive shaft joints, grease nipples all over the place. Things are better now lol.

 

No zerks on my driveshaft, has 166K on it, no issues or squeaks. I retorque the bolts, bout the only thing I can do

 

5

 

I took those photos back in 2013 IIRC for another similar post that I linked earlier, so it was still fairly clean at that time. It was before mods, before armor, before trips and it no longer looks that clean. I don't think I could get it looking that clean again.

-J

 

I've always called them grease fittings or nipples. I do remember there were a few Zerk branded lube tools or fittings years ago.

While it isn't solely a tacoma world thing, this seems to be the only place I have been where a grease fitting is only called a zerk at the abandonment of all other terms.

Soapbox moment: Separately, and no offense to those it may apply to, but a whole lot of this thread is reading like that Liberty Mutual commercial.



Goddamn guys, grab a Haynes or a Chiltons manual and start crawling under your vehicles and learn how it is put together. After that, look at the random snippets of internet stuff to back up what you learned. With drain plugs for everything and only 3-5 grease fittings(unless you add more or have the "permanently greased" u-joints)This is about the easiest "truck" in the world to do basic maintenance on. Steps off the soapbox.
No, I'm not a "boomer".

PS. There are some great tutorials on this board, an I have learned a lot of neat tips & tricks, and most importantly actual part numbers. Thanks to those that take the time to put them together.

 

Well, I guess to each his own. I have always heard them referred to as grease zerks. I use my grease gun weekly but wasn't sure how many zerks to look for on the Tacoma and didn't want to miss any.
Zerk: noun. A small metal fitting through which grease can be inserted into a mechanical joint that requires periodic lubrication

For those interested, this little guy here has made my life immensely easier

$35 LockNLube Grease Gun Coupler locks onto Zerk fittings. Grease goes in, not on the machine. World's best-selling original locking grease coupler. Rated 10000 PSI. Long-lasting rebuildable tool.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7LPKKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yep, that’s definitely a grease gun fitting derived from the Bystricky patent
https://patents.google.com/patent/US1996792A/en
I’ve always called them grease nipples or grease fittings. I don’t mind hearing them called “Zerk” for the informal slang term though, but they are based on the Bystricky design since 1934, not the earlier Zerk design. Amuses me when people laugh at the term grease nipple saying “they’re Zerks!”. Technically they’re not.

 

Zerk is shorter to write and say than grease fitting or grease nipple so I guess you one the smart ones if you calling them zerks.