I'm so pissed at Toyota! I attempted to service my 4Runner today and discovered I can not get my standard-sized greasegun hose fitting to fit between the universal joints. There's not enough room between the U-Joints to get my grease gun to attach. What a clusterF...

Specifically, the U-joints that attach the transfer case to the rear driveshaft.
There's two joints and they're both culprits. All of the other joint are OK, and will allow a standard grease gun access...

So, now I'm wondering, what do the Toyota Service depts. do? Do they have a special, narrow-bodied grease fitting that will worm it's way in between the joints, or do they drop the drive shaft to get in there? Or worse, ignore servicing them?

Anyone?

Thanks,
Bob.

 

I'm pretty sure they have a special needle nose fitting for the tricky zerks in there. I disconnected the shaft one end at a time to get to them last time. If you take the shaft all the way out, mark the flanges so you don't throw off the balance of the shaft.

 

Were you using a flexible hose on your gun? I was able to get all of mine using the flexi bit.

 

I also can get mine using a standard gun with flex hose. What does the dealer do you ask....Haha, I asked mine the same question when I went there to buy the Molybdenum-Disulfate Lithium Base Grease specified in the owners manual. They did not carry it and said their mechanics use regular white lithium in all Toyota vehicles regardless of the mannual specs. Needless to say I walked out never to return.

 

Well, I have a flexible hose between the grease canister and the fitting that attaches to the grease nipple. But the grease gun fitting is a standard I've seen for 30+ years...

So I guess I dont know what a flexi bit or a flexi hose is? I've heard of the needle nose fittings, guess I'll have to find one. It's been described to me as a fitting that fits into the hole in the nipple and "shoots" grease in while pushing the check ball out of the way, and that it attaches to the standard fitting on my greasegun. It's probably a very tight fit into the hole requiring accurate alignment to make it work...

And it's beginning to sound like there is more than one supplier of drive shafts for Toyota on these trucks. Some of us can get to them with standard maint. equipment, some of us can not...

 

Oh, just thought of something else while I was looking at what year truck you folks are describing your maintenance.

I previously owned a '98 4Runner. Yup, no problems servicing them on that truck...

 

Just heard from the service mananger at my Toyota dealer. Seems the tech's at his shop grind and taper the tip of their greasgun for the correct fit... There's no special tool... Enjoy.

 

Final note:

I bought a smaller nozzle from a mechanic's tool supply store and installed it onto my greasegun. Now, I only have to remove one driveshaft nut to grease that last pesky zirk fitting. I can now reach all the rest of'em...

Bob.

 

My son's Sequoia has a similar clearance problem with a grease fitting. My 2000 4Runner has no problems with standard grease gun end fittings.

Anyway, I ground down the diameter of a grease gun fitting and got enough clearance to get on the fitting. Works like a charm. Also did a search for reduced diameter grease gun nozzles without finding anything.

 

if i turn my driveshaft so the zerks are on top i can get to them easily. but thats on a tacoma, so driveshaft may be different.