I hope I didn't make a big error. I was lubing the slide yokes yesterday on my 98 4x4 4Runner and it seemed like it was taking forever for the lube to show through the seals.

I must have pumped 4 oz. into the rear before it came through the seal and now it is just leaking out on the floor (a good thing I think).

On the front I just stopped lubing after a few pumps and then it started coming out the fitting. Weird.

Now, my key won't come out of the ignition unless I back around a few feet, move forward, put it in park, etc.

Any ideas on what I did? I'm not sure these items are related, but I did have the rig up on 4 jacks.

-I'm bummed

 

Only reason that could be is if the tranny is not going into park correctly.
Otherwise the key will not release.

 

One bonehead thing I did was briefly put the jack under the transmission support. Fortunately I stopped short of getting the vehicle off the ground when I realized what I was doing.

Could this be related?

 

You overfilled the slide yoke, so now the drive shaft is pushing the transfer case and transmission. Stick a needle into the grease nipple, lower the car, and jump on the back, that will release any extra lube.

I've had to do the same thing, fill it to the top then let out excess to cure a binding slide yolk.

 

I just realized, why are you even jacking up the truck? There's more than enough space to crawl under there with a grease gun.

 

Thanks 4RUNR!! I just needed a little guidance. I had jacked the truck up to rotate the tires.

Your explanation makes so much sense. YOTATECH is so great about teaching us newbies about our trucks.

Thanks again!

 

So whats the recommended method for lubing the yokes? When do you know when to stop? My owners manual doesn't say, I just got a factory repair and it dont say and Haynes says pump until it comes out the slip joint seal. I had a similar experiance last night when lubing and pumped about 5 or 6 times and nothing. I didn't see any grease when the other fiiting showed grease on 2 pumps. Does anybody know when to say when?

 

I had a conversation with a Toyota Engineer about this the other day. He said that the slide yoke greasing/clunking problem has existed for 18 years. He said that his guage was to check the felt around the shaft. If it felt greasy he didn't put any in the yoke. If it felt dry, he would put two pumps in and that is it. He never filled until it escaped as that would make the yoke bind and put pressure on the transfer case, etc..