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So I jacked up the truck and crawled back under to grease up them u-joints. I can't see particularly well given the angles and small amount of room even with an inspection mirror to know 100% certain but I am reasonably sure the front two u-joints got grease in all four endcaps. However, I am certain the u-joint at the rear diff got grease in only two of the endcaps. Pours out of them. Saw nothing coming out in the other two. The two it came out of are opposite one another and the ones with the bolt-on yoke. See pix below. Anyone have any tricks to get grease in those other two endcaps? Loosen the yokes and tap the side then retighten the yoke??? Even though it is the non-yoked caps that are not getting grease.
Pivot the driveshaft around. Also, take a BIG wrench and keep the two in the straps down tight.
Some's getting in the others, but it's easier for the lube to ease out those, so that's where the majority of it is going.
(Spinning the driveshaft also makes sure the lube's distributed in the others. Not that it lacks for that while running down the road ... )
RwP
Not exactly sure I understand your first sentence. So rotate the driveshaft and try greasing it again to see if the two "dry" ones will fill? And what about a BIG wrench??
BTW, to spin the driveshaft I have to have it in neutral with no emergency brake??
Not exactly sure I understand your first sentence. So rotate the driveshaft and try greasing it again to see if the two "dry" ones will fill? And what about a BIG wrench??
BTW, to spin the driveshaft I have to have it in neutral with no emergency brake??
At a guess I think he means to tighten the bolts on the two sides with the clamp. And rotate the shaft to use centripetal force to make the grease spread out. Yes release the e brake. Can you jack up the rear wheels and put it in gear? That should provide force enough to spread the grease out.
Wheels up in the air, in neutral, no parking brake.
Should be able to crank it around by hand.
By "big wrench" I meant one big enough to press in on both of the strap-held cups to force the lube into the other caps.
See, the straps aren't holding the caps on quite as tight as the driveshaft itself does; so the lube goes out there visibly.
However, it's still getting into the OTHER caps some; by spinning it (even if only 90*!) and hitting it again, you're forcing the rollers to roll in the grease and redistribute it slightly.
At a guess I think he means to tighten the bolts on the two sides with the clamp. And rotate the shaft to use centripetal force to make the grease spread out. Yes release the e brake. Can you jack up the rear wheels and put it in gear? That should provide force enough to spread the grease out.
Gotcha! Thx!
Originally Posted by RalphP
Wheels up in the air, in neutral, no parking brake.
Should be able to crank it around by hand.
By "big wrench" I meant one big enough to press in on both of the strap-held cups to force the lube into the other caps.
See, the straps aren't holding the caps on quite as tight as the driveshaft itself does; so the lube goes out there visibly.
However, it's still getting into the OTHER caps some; by spinning it (even if only 90*!) and hitting it again, you're forcing the rollers to roll in the grease and redistribute it slightly.
RwP
That clarifies it. I'm actually done with it. Truck is packed away. I rotated the drive shaft a few times. Stopped it where it was easy to get to the zerks. Greased it again. Rotated it again. Called it a day. Still saw no grease going to the other two. Oh well, I tend to agree with you that at least some grease got into those other two. Next time I rotate the tires and get the truck off the ground I'll grease them again. I understand what you mean now by clamping down on the "leaky" endcaps to seal them off and force the grease to the "dry" caps. Makes total sense. Perhaps a C-Clamp would work better than a BIG wrench??
While I was down there (at my age I maximize my trips to the ground), I got my face into that center support bearing. I had asked that to be changed while the driveshaft was out of the truck. They didn't do that. Kinda pissed me off because that was a big reason why I brought the truck to the shop. Assumed they had the press to get that bearing on and off. I know I don't. Anyhow, I looked over that center support bearing very close. Truthfully, I am amazed at the condition that rubber casing is in. Not one sign of rot (maybe that's why my mechanic bypassed it). No significant corrosion on the metal frame/mount either. For 28 years old I'm astonished...garage-kept or not. I'm guessing here (correct me if wrong) but it is far more likely that rubber casing around the bearing will rot out and cause the center support to fail than it is for the bearing itself to crap out. I suspect that center support bearing has some life left in it. And if the u-joints go out that is the easy part. Had I known he was only gonna swap out the u-joints I woulda done it myself. Especially at $500!
