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Zerks!

164K views 186 replies 96 participants last post by  FJtest 
#1 ·
Ok, I will admit that I'm not the most saavy mechanic. But this forum has taught me how to change out the rear diff, oil, etc. Yesterday I bought a grease gun and slid under the car to grease the zerks. Well, from what I've read there are 6....I found 4.

Also, I know there are a couple that you shouldn't pump grease into until the old stuff comes out and some that you should. I looked at 1911's service manual pages as well, but am still a bit lost. Any chance somebody can lay it all out for all of us novice's? Maybe pictures or just a step by step?

Thanks again guys!:rocker:
 
#4 ·
I only found 5 when I did it and called it good. I did manage to cut my hand up pretty good on the muffler heat shield. I had a really hard time removing the grease gun from the zerks.

All of them that I found are where the drive shafts and u joints are. You might have to give them a turn to spot them. I would love to see some pics though detailing it all out.
 
#65 ·
If your having a hard time getting your gun tip to release from the zerk it's because you have it adjusted for a smaller sized zerk than what your greasing. Grip the two knurled sections of the tip and rotate the outer one out just a bit. Zerks come in many sizes and your gun can be adjusted for this most likely.
 
#6 ·
thanks guys...

so are the slip yokes the one you don't want to over grease? how many pumps?

i'm guessing the u joints are the ones you pump until new grease starts coming out?
 
#7 ·
correct, just pump the slips a bunch of times the first time, toyota left them bone dry. but when the inner shaft starts to extend out about an 1/8 inch you are good. and I always pump the U's until clean grease comes out. Make sure you wipe up ur it'll be stinky for about 2 days burning on the exh pipe
 
#8 · (Edited)
Any chance somebody can lay it all out for all of us novice's? Maybe pictures or just a step by step?
There are two driveshafts ("propeller shafts" in the service manual) on a 4WD FJC, front and rear. Each of the two driveshafts has two universal joints, one on each end of the driveshaft. The grease zerks are right in the middle of the u-joint spider, and are angled so that you can get a grease gun fitting on them - but because they are angled, the u-joint must be rotated in the right direction so that the zerk is accessible. This is done by turning the driveshaft.

Crawl under the truck with your grease gun and a good work light. A grease gun with a flexible hose rather than a rigid tube is easier to use for this purpose. Using the light, find the zerk and see which way it is pointing. The best place for the zerk to point (IMO) is about horizontal, towards the passenger side of the truck. If you're lucky and the zerk is already pointed that way, push the nozzle end of the grease gun firmly on the zerk as straight as possible until you feel it engage the zerk, and pump until you see grease start to weep out of the dust covers/seals of the needle bearings in the u-joint. If the zerk is not pointing the right way, you'll have to turn the driveshaft (and the u-joints with it) until it is. On the front driveshaft of an auto tranny FJC, you can turn it with your hand while you're under there. For this reason, do the front driveshaft first if you have an auto tranny. For the rear driveshaft of an AT5 truck and both driveshafts of an MT6, you'll have to get out from under the truck, put it in neutral, and roll it forward or back about 6" and try again (don't forget to put it back in gear or "park" and set the parking brake before you get back under the truck). You may have to do this more than once to get the optimal position. the zerks in both u-joints point the same way, so if one has assumed the (right) position :) then the other will have too.

Each driveshaft also has one slip yoke each, located on the transmission end or transfer case end of a given drive shaft. The slip yoke is just a splined shaft within a matching-splined tube, that allows extension and contraction of the length of the driveshaft while maintaining torsional rigidity (the driveshaft always turns, no matter if it is extended or contracted). There is one grease zerk on each slip yoke. The zerk is easy to find, as it on the outside of the u-joint. Because it is on the outside, it is much easier to get to and more forgiving of the angle needed to get the grease gun nozzle on it. If the zerks inside the u-joints are aligned, then the slip yoke zerk will be too. DO NOT grease the slip yokes until grease comes out between the shaft and the tube, or you risk hydraulically locking the slip yoke which would not allow any contraction and can be hard on the bearings and seals. Three or four pumps of the grease gun is plenty - it's not a bearing surface, it just needs a little lube.

When you're all done, you should have greased four u-joints and two slip yokes for six zerks total. The service manual also says to check the torque on the u-joint flange bolts while you're down there greasing, but mine have never been loose yet. The torque spec is 65 ft.lbs.
 
#9 ·
Very nice post.. Ron

There are two driveshafts ("propeller shafts" in the service manual) on a 4WD FJC, front and rear. Each of the two driveshafts has two universal joints, one on each end of the driveshaft. The grease zerks are right in the middle of the u-joint spider, and are angled so that you can get a grease gun fitting on them - but because they are angled, the u-joint must be rotated in the right direction so that the zerk is accessible. This is done by turning the driveshaft.

Crawl under the truck with your grease gun and a good work light. A grease gun with a flexible hose rather than a rigid tube is easier to use for this purpose. Using the light, find the zerk and see which way it is pointing. The best place for the zerk to point (IMO) is about horizontal, towards the passenger side of the truck. If you're lucky and the zerk is already pointed that way, push the nozzle end of the grease gun firmly on the zerk as straight as possible until you feel it engage the zerk, and pump until you see grease start to weep out of the dust covers/seals of the needle bearings in the u-joint. If the zerk is not pointing the right way, you'll have to turn the driveshaft (and the u-joints with it) until it is. On the front driveshaft of an auto tranny FJC, you can turn it with your hand while you're under there. For this reason, do the front driveshaft first if you have an auto tranny. For the rear driveshaft of an AT5 truck and both driveshafts of an MT6, you'll have to get out from under the truck, put it in neutral, and roll it forward or back about 6" and try again (don't forget to put it back in gear or "park" and set the parking brake before you get back under thre truck). You may have to do this more than once to get the optimal position. the zerks in both u-joints point the same way, so if one has assumed the (right) position :) then the other will have too.

Each driveshaft also has one slip yoke each, located on the transmission end or transfer case end of a given drive shaft. The slip yoke is just a splined shaft within a matching-splined tube, that allows extension and contraction of the length of the driveshaft while maintaining torsional rigidity (the driveshaft always turns, no matter if it is extended or contracted). There is one grease zerk on each slip yoke. The zerk is easy to find, as it on the outside of the u-joint. Because it is on the outside, it is much easier to get to and more forgiving of the angle needed to get the grease gun nozzle on it. If the zerks inside the u-joints are aligned, then the slip yoke zerk will be too. DO NOT grease the slip yokes until grease comes out between the shaft and the tube, or you risk hydraulically locking the slip yoke which would not allow any contraction and can be hard on the bearings and seals. Three or four pumps of the grease gun is plenty - it's not a bearing surface, it just needs a little lube.

When you're all done, you should have greased four u-joints and two slip yokes for six zerks total. The service manual also says to check the torque on the u-joint flange bolts while you're down there greasing, but mine have never been loose yet. The torque spec is 65 ft.lbs.
 
#10 ·
I was doing my 40,000-mile service this past weekend and snapped a few photos of the grease fittings. For reference, I have an MT6; the center differential would look different on the AT5 transmission.

Rear propeller shaft zerk fitting (rear differential side)



Rear propeller shaft zerk fittings (center differential side)



Different view of the two zerk fittings (shown above)



One of the three fittings for the front propeller shaft (center differential side)



I had reinstalled the IFS skid plate already so I don't have pics of the front (front differential side) of the front propeller shaft.
 
#11 ·
Nice photos. I can barely see mine so it's nice to see the zerks under good lighting conditions and all cleaned up.

DEWFPO
 
#12 ·
Thanks 1911 and TCao, I'm going to get under the truck and get this all finished up tonight.

I'll let you know how it goes!
 
#16 ·
I have one zerk that will not allow any grease in. 5 others worked fine. It's the front slide yoke zerk. Gently eprssed with a ball point pen and it went down pretty easy. Is it a easy for Toyota to install a new zerk fitting?
 
#18 ·
no one in orange county sells the right size zerk. Toyota RSM looked at me like I was crazy. They claim to NEVER have the need to replace zerks and don't have any in the shop. They said I could purchase a new u-joint to get the zerk that comes with it (yes I'm serious)! I bought a whole kit and no of them are the correct size. Does anyone know the correct THREAD size (Toyota couldn't tell me that either)? Maybe a dealership parts dept that knows what they are talking about?

Thanks!
 
#19 · (Edited)
I'd recommend removing it, cleaning it, hooking your grease gun up to it (while it's still off) and seeing if you can shoot grease thru it.

DEWFPO
 
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#20 ·
Ahhhhhh, it could be a problem past the the fitting!?!?! Then I'd really be screwed! I picked up a few zerks at a different Toyota today. I'll try the test, and hope the problem stops there! If not, are we talking about a new shaft!


I'd recommen removing it, cleaning it, hooking your grease gun up to it (while it's still off) and seeing if you can shoot grease thru it.

DEWFPO
 
#21 ·
I just grease all six of mine about an hour ago. If the zerk is on the slip yoke, then you shouldn't have any trouble putting grease thru it. If it's on the u-joints, those can be pretty darn tight. They may not need grease. Remember, you are only replacing grease that is lost. If you force it you could blow grease out the seals which is not ideal.

DEWFPO
 
#22 ·
It was a clogged zerk. The swap out fixed the problem.

I have talked to a few guys at the shop who say to squeeze grease until the old stuff is coming out all the way around all the sealed areas. Since it comes out some spots before others it takes a bit of "squeezing out the old stuff." How would one know if a seal is blown?

From here out I am just going to pump until the old stuff just starts to creep out (one spot or all around, whichever is first).
 
#23 ·
The purpose of the seal is to keep grease in, and keep dirt and water out. Once you're pushing grease past the rubber seals, they won't seal quite as well. It's probably not that big a deal but I've found that if I pump the crap out of the u-joints, it seems they need grease more frequently and take noticeably more grease. That tells me that the grease is getting out. If the grease can get out, the bearings will not have the proper lubrication, also water can get it. Just my experience. I guess if you never drive in water or really muddy, snowy or wet conditions it probably doesn't matter.

DEWFPO
 
#24 ·
quick question: when he mentioned "If the zerks inside the u-joints are aligned, then the slip yoke zerk will be too. DO NOT grease the slip yokes until grease comes out between the shaft and the tube," what does it mean do not grease the slip yokes until grease comes out? Does the grease come out by itself? how does this work?

thanks
 
#25 ·
It means, only put one or two pumps of the grease gun into the slip yokes. If you keep pumping, you will fill all the space between the inner and outer slip yoke with grease, and then they will be hydraulically locked and not be able to slip which will stress your transfer case output shaft and differential pinion gears.
 
#28 ·
Your manual states every 5K but I find the rear slip yoke prefers to be greased about every 2.5K or so to keep it perfectly happy.

DEWFPO
 
#29 ·
What grease are you guys using? I can look it up in the manual, but I am just wondering how critical it is. I have a case of high quality tractor grease that I bought when I was still running my John Deere 3520. I would like to be able to use it. Will have to look and see exactly what it is.
 
#30 ·
I looked in the manual. It states use an NGl2 (cant remember exact number) but it was exactly what I had.

I greased all 6 zerks. All of them were easy to get to. The rear shaft was turned exactly opposite where it needed to be (naturally) but even then it was easy to get the flexible nozzle up there. Didnt rotate shaft. 3-4 pumps and grease was exiting at every point. Pumped 2-3 shots in the 2 slip yokes. 10 minute job. Not counting the 15 minutes it took me to find my good extension cord. LOL.
 
#32 ·
If you have the flexible hose on the grease gun you don`t have to take the little heat shield off to get to the zerk its the hardest one to get to but managible.
 
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