My rear U-joint is being replaced today at dealership. $350ish-but hey they have cool TVs and they let me play on their computers...

I've failed to have my zerk fittings greased regularly and it has caught up to me. For a few weeks I have been feeling a vibration or shudder (typically at higher speeds), and have had a recurring "thump" at the first stop of each day. That thump is something I have noticed since I first got the truck, and should have pursued it a bit more and saved myself some dough.

You older guys might recall in the past whenever an oil change was done-it was LOF-lube, oil and filter. Nowdays the lube part is an extra cost service not routinely done unless asked for and paid...

Do not ignore your grease fittings. Do them routinely and add life to your driveshaft and Ujoints and so on.

Learn from my mistakes....listen when your truck is talking to you.

 

Hmm, I sometimes have that thump when stopping. Do you know what caused it?

 

lol... your truck talks to you TOO??? hehe.

Well, glad you're getting it fixed. I hear ya, but since I grew up with a farmer-later to become an engineer-father.... HE RAILED me about regular maintenance! lol. I do my own Zerks every 15K or normal driving in city/hwy, and every time I hit a wilderness voyage, regardless of when it was done last. Lil mini-gun was cheap and so was the bending grease hose...well worth the investment of 20$ or so.

Good advice, Sir!

<Mark>

 

Did this thump happen as you were coming to a stop or after you let your foot off the brake? I have had a thud happen to me everytime I am in the process of slowing down. Right before the runner actually stops it feels like something thuds underneath. I have tried greasing the driveline but it did not fix it.

 

And remember, there are two types of grease to use when lubing the Zerks....

If your Yota dealer is that cool Ron, then I am envious. I miss living in Boulder. The last Toyota dealership I went to in SC, I witnessed a service manager tell an elderly lady that she needed to have her 99 Corolla's MAF replaced. Total cost, just over $450. She looked pretty distraught. For a car that had 54,000 miles on it, I doubt it was the MAF throwing the CEL....

 

Can you link to what they are? I remember reading about that somewhere, but I have read elsewhere that you don't have to use different ones.

 

From the Owner's Manual:
Siders: Lithium Base Chassis Grease NLGI No. 2
Slide Yoke and Double Cardan Joint: Molybdenum-disulphide Lithium Base Chassis Grease NLGI No. 2

I use the Moly/Lithium in both. I have no idea if it's OK, but I already have two guns. (Other is cheapo No.2 grease for tractor/mowers--at least 30 zerks, but that type gun won't fit on 4Runner shaft). 131K and so far, so good. I read that Toyota later went to one grease for both, but I don't know details.

EDIT: Also, here is the FSM:

 

For me it was happening as I came to a stop. Nothing happens when I let my foot off the brake...I'm a manual tranny...

gdutch-it was the rear u joint...

 

How many mile's are on yours? I'm UBER-religious about lubing my grease zirks lol. Everytime I lift the truck in the air at work, I throw a pump or two in each grease fitting. Even still, My rear pinion U-joint is starting to get a little sloppy, and I really started feeling it when I changed to shackles in the rear. Mine are the original's with 147000 on the clock. I'm gonna replace all the rear's when I get back from my trip next weekend, as I don't have the money to replace them right now so here's prayin!

 

103K miles

 

I need to do mine..If you drop your driveshaft down and move the universal joint back and forth odds are you'll feel a different amount of resistance if it's going bad. One side will flop over while the other will have some resistance. They're a $50 part and can be done with a socket and hammer...I just have to watch some youtube videos first .

 

Same here. But I use waterproof marine bearing grease, not moly or lithium.

 

Well the shop I work at service's snow plows, so we use the water proof stuff too. Pretty good ain't it?

 

yeah, but expensive. lol.

 

This could be helpful here......
propeller shaft zerk locations and grease type

.....from the TSB portion of the FAQ

 

Now THAT's interesting. The slide yokes (No.'s 2 & 7 in the TSB) are supposed to get moly grease in the Owner's manual and the FSM but not in the TSB. Huh?

EDIT: I checked the 2002 O.M. and it's the same as my '99 O.M. , even though the TSB is from '99.

 

Very nice - thanks for the link!

 

Hey guys, don't forget to look at www.4runner.org for specs on driveshaft lube, as well as other specs and maintenance stuff. Also, the thump you guys are talking about, everyone that has a 4wd complains about it, not usually with 2wd. I am under the impression that there is a little bit of "slop" in the rear driveshaft, or "play" if you will. This is something that Toyota has done on purpose to prevent binding or some crap. It's supposed to help rear-end componets last longer. Mine's been "thumping" for 115,000 miles, my dad complains about his, my buddy Eric complains about his, so I think we just need to get used to it!! Hey, let's face it, at least we're not driving around in a Kia complaining about a "thump".......YEE HAW, cheers and good night!!

 

Thanks Ray I saved that for a print out and into my logbook it goes.

 

wow very organised Teuf

Good Jobb!!!