Too Much Grease in Drive Shaft? (3 Viewers)

[ewrk1989]

That sounds like a good plan. I guess the benefit here is you can do one shaft at a time, driving around with the center diff locked, right? This is my daily driver, hah.

And I think that's the key--I really doubt these u-joints had been properly maintained. There was very little grease that had got displaced when I put new in, and it was quite dirty.

 

[Verybadwizard]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice. I have been greasing my drive line every few hundred miles to try and get grease to pass the seal. Today while greasing the front drive line i had grease pass through the front of the drive line and not the seal. How bad is this and what does it mean. Any advice or information is greatly appreciated.

Front drive line

• Verybadwizard
• Jul 14, 2017

PS not sure if this is how to upload pictures got this to work though...

 

[2001LC]

Lexus Dealer would drill a hole in that plate your grease is seeping out of now, to stop clunk. So don't worry about it. It will allow the internal pressure to equalize. But you may want to remove grease zerk for a minute just to make sure pressure has dropped.

 

[ewrk1989]

I've had that exact thing happen before as well. I didn't get too concerned because of what 2001LC says. I'm thinking that's just a press-fit connection between the shaft and the u-shaped yoke itself...or whatever. I think more importantly, the FSM does not show this as a part that you disassemble to replace any seals on. A little weird, but I think it's ok. I think it's good policy to remove the zerk, and even drive around the block for a minute.

 

[fooldall1]

Funny thing is- I was being paranoid and only put in about 9 pumps of the Redline Moly...besides the fact that the grease gun went Kaput- and the clunk went away for months.

It's back again, but now I just know to add a little more grease this time.

 

[RustyRaptor]

When I apply grease to my sliding yoke and U-joints on my 74 Dodge power wagon I hear a poppling sound. I don't know when the last time this vehicle was regreased. The sound is kind of like popping a tiny sheet of bubble wrap. I am hoping this is just the old grease being pushed out of old muddy parts. Again this is a really old part so.

 

[RustyRaptor]

I've concluded that the crackling sound was just air bubbles and possibly moisture being purged. All is good. However I am also noticing a slight expansion of the cap on the bottom of the sliding yoke. Not sure how bad that is.

 

[tyweb]

In a rush, I greased the DS and U-joints with Valvoline Multi-Vehicle High-Temperature Grease, an NLGI #2 Grade GC-LB Lithium Complex EP Grease. Based on this chart, I should be able to switch over to the Valvoline Moly-Fortified Multi-Purpose Grease Ford, an NLGI #2 Grade LB Lithium 12-Hydroxystearate EP Grease, without any issue and without disassembling and cleaning the slip yoke. The U-joints were changed and DS was balanced 2 years ago at Six States Distributors.

What is your feedback?

 

[trdcorolla]

From what I read on this thread and the official thunk thread, any lube is better than no lube, some of us here put one type in the spider and diff one in the slip, some of us put one type in both. I'm the last type. What I did read is a few here use Green Grease for both and the thunk seemed to be fixed or stayed thunk free longer. I'll try Green Grease when i'm out of my current grease.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice. I have been greasing my drive line every few hundred miles to try and get grease to pass the seal. Today while greasing the front drive line i had grease pass through the front of the drive line and not the seal. How bad is this and what does it mean. Any advice or information is greatly appreciated.

Front drive line

• Verybadwizard
• Jul 14, 2017

PS not sure if this is how to upload pictures got this to work though...

This is exactly what happened when I pumped some green grease into both front and rear slip joints. But it took care of the thunk in the driveline.
Also, a few drives since then resulted in pushed out grease being flung over on the exhaust pipe and raising a pretty bad stink!

 

[2001LC]

I would not be concerned with switching greases. But be advised; moly (at least the original moly additive) is know to retain more heat than non Moly-Fortified grease. In the spiders (U-joints) you want high speed grease. Grease that states for wheel bearings, is high speed grease.

 

[shwagon]

My search on greasing the drive shafts took me down a deep hole today...

These are the products/tools I ended up with:

Slip Joints:

• Grease - Schaffer 238 Ultra Supreme 14oz (one of the higher Moly contents I could find posted at 5%)
• Tool - Slippery Pete Pistol Grip Grease Gun 14oz

U-Joints:

• Grease - Green Grease 203 3oz
• Tool - Slippery Pete Mini Pistol Grip Grease Gun 3oz
• Tool - Lincoln Lubrication 5803 Grease Needle Nozzle

Short term (going on a road trip this weekend): I'm going to do about three pumps of the S238 in to each of the slip joint fittings and push the GG203 through the u-joints.

Long term (when I have more time):

1. Index/Mark driveshaft mounting location and slip joint orientation
2. Remove Driveshafts
3. Separate shafts at slip joint
4. Clean old grease residue
5. Saturate all spline lengths with S238
6. Reinstall slip joints (at proper index location)
7. Ensure full travel of slip joint with no hydro lock
8. Reinstall Driveshafts (at proper index location)

Would love any feedback on this plan!

 

[Patassa]

My search on greasing the drive shafts took me down a deep hole today...

These are the products/tools I ended up with:

Slip Joints:

• Grease - Schaffer 238 Ultra Supreme 14oz (one of the higher Moly contents I could find posted at 5%)
• Tool - Slippery Pete Pistol Grip Grease Gun 14oz

U-Joints:

• Grease - Green Grease 203 3oz
• Tool - Slippery Pete Mini Pistol Grip Grease Gun 3oz
• Tool - Lincoln Lubrication 5803 Grease Needle Nozzle

Short term (going on a road trip this weekend): I'm going to do about three pumps of the S238 in to each of the slip joint fittings and push the GG203 through the u-joints.

Long term (when I have more time):

1. Index/Mark driveshaft mounting location and slip joint orientation
2. Remove Driveshafts
3. Separate shafts at slip joint
4. Clean old grease residue
5. Saturate all spline lengths with S238
6. Reinstall slip joints (at proper index location)
7. Ensure full travel of slip joint with no hydro lock
8. Reinstall Driveshafts (at proper index location)

Would love any feedback on this plan!

What's the needle nozzle for?

 

[trdcorolla]

What's the needle nozzle for?

Some grease gun heads too big and don't fit over the u-joint zerk, the needle let's you get in there and grease it.

 

[Patassa]

Some grease gun heads too big and don't fit over the u-joint zerk, the needle let's you get in there and grease it.

Do you have to take the zerk out to use it? I never thought of doing that, I definatly have struggles getting the normal head to lock on to zerk fittings on the u joints, end up leaking while filling, it's a mess.

 

[trdcorolla]

Do you have to take the zerk out to use it? I never thought of doing that, I definatly have struggles getting the normal head to lock on to zerk fittings on the u joints, end up leaking while filling, it's a mess.

Nope, leave the zerk on, you'll eventually figure out the proper angle you need to put the needle to engage the zerk to start pumping grease into the u-joint. If your angle is off/not engaged on the zerk, you'll get a spaghetti line of grease falling/dripping onto you or the floor.