Why should you lubricate your universal joints on the driveshaft?

You can install zerks, the problem is most parts with zerks have a little groove for the grease to flow around. When you install your own zerks, there is no groove for grease to flow.
Better than nothing though.

 

True, but I think U-joints back than had bigger tolerances, or grease was crappier. Either way grease was not staying too long inside U-joint. Now I can grease them once a year or 10000 miles and they still have grease in them.

 

customer is lucky they didn't experience the deadly pole-vault...

 

I see your point. However part of the reason I still lubricate every oil change is just like your engine oil, u-joint grease is subjected to all sorts of temperature and pressure extremes. EVERY BIT of the HP and torque travels through the u-joints. This can cause breakdown in the properties of the grease, just like your oil breaks down. So the grease itself can still break down over time.

 

I thought the "lube" part of LOF is for hinges and locks? My dealer sprays white lithium grease at all the hinges and locks, including the fuel door.

 

That is an option that some use, but the actual original listing for a lube, oil, and filter was replace oil filter, replace oil, then go through the ball joints, tie rods, steering links, and universal joints and lube them all. Back in the day pretty much ALL ball joints, tie rods, and steering links, as well as universals had zirc fittings.

 

does Toyota do this when they do the toyota care oil changes? probably not. Just wondering how many times they should have been greased by now and haven't been.

 

^ToyotaCare is more than just oil changes. It should be no charge maintenance for two years. U-joint greasing is in the maintenance booklet, corresponding to about once every other oil change, so it should be included in ToyotaCare. You may have to specifically request it at the service counter.

Before I bought my grease gun, I paid the dealer $30 annually to do it. I bought my truck before ToyotaCare was introduced.

 

oh good to know. I'll have to look into that and see if my service records show it was done. Thanks!

 

I do it every oil change, and I completely purge all the old grease I can per Spicer's instructions. Sure enough the new grease may go in red but after 5000 miles it comes back out jet black every time. I'm not taking chances with the clay roads around here.

I don't think the previous owner was nearly as dedicated. Oh well, those joints should come out end of next week if the new center bearing comes in soon enough.

Lots of good info in the PDF from Dana Spicer, it covers 10-series driveshafts including our 1330-series u-joints and this is what they say in it:

"It is essential that all bearing seals be completely purged of old grease and contaminants. If only fresh grease can be seen at all seals, the purging process is complete, and the universal joint is properly lubricated."

The next I assume is severe/normal service:

"City, 5000/8000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first
Highway, 10000/15000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first
Line Haul, 10000/15000 miles or 30 days, whichever comes first
On/Off Highway, 5000/8000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first
Off-Highway and Industrial, 500/200 hours"

And then the type of grease, and it's a minor pain to find one that meets all requirements. Personally I use Mystik JT6 that I found at Tractor Supply. It's the only one they had that met all the specs (plus there's this from the JT6 datasheet: "Spicer Universal Joint Division of Dana Corporations has approved Mystik JT-6 Hi-Temp Greases (Code 665005002) as having met M-2006-J specification for Hi-Temperature Lubricant").

Here's Spicer's requirements:

"Use a good quality E.P. (extreme pressure) grease (Timken Test Load - 50 lbs / 23 kg minimum, that meets NLGI Grade 2 specifications, and has an operating range of -10F to +325F, and is compatible with commonly used multipurpose greases."

Didn't know it at the time, but the grease I used on my old truck had a Timken test load of 22 pounds. Oops. Toyota should tell us this stuff in the manual but they don't.

here's the source document for y'all. Lubrication on page 13

http://www2.dana.com/pdf/DSSM-3264.pdf

 

^+1 learn something new every day. Looks like my Lucas green grease meets the requirements: https://www.lucasoil.com/images/medialibrary/TDS10301_XtraHDGrease.pdf

 

I use the same red, high temp, high pressure bearing grease that I use in my bearing assemblies. It's well within specs.