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Greasing the drive shaft for 4WD

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by freerider8, Dec 7, 2020.

  1. Dec 7, 2020 at 7:12 PM
    #1
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    Anyone have any tips on greasing the 4WD shaft. The issue is getting the grease gun tip onto the fitting completely. The fitting is in a tight spot and the tip of the gun hits the sides of the joints. The fitting is small and seems too short to be able to attach to. Its a 2004 Tundra, is there a grease gun tip made for these trucks? I have tried a few 4WD places and they didn't have anything I could use.
    Thanks for any tips
     
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  2. Dec 7, 2020 at 7:20 PM
    #2
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

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    It's a issue that's come up in the past. @Professional Hand Model has a picture but he essentially ground off some of his grease guns tip to make it fit. I did the same thing and it worked for me.

    I used my neighbors bench grinder
     
  3. Dec 7, 2020 at 7:48 PM
    #3
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    Thanks, I will look into that. I need to do something so I can grease that drive shaft.
     
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  4. Dec 7, 2020 at 7:50 PM
    #4
    Tundra2

    Tundra2 Zoinked

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  5. Dec 7, 2020 at 8:51 PM
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    Sandy01

    Sandy01 New Member

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    I had to remove a few bolts from driveline. I love the sound of victory.
     
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  6. Dec 8, 2020 at 3:09 AM
    #6
    tvpierce

    tvpierce Formerly New Member

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    That's not going to work. The grease gun needs to build pressure to open the zerk to force grease through the joint. That will just shoot grease on the outside of the joint.

    @freerider8 just grind the side of the gease gun fitting.

    Here's a link to a good thread on the subject. Including the aforementioned pic by our esteemed collegue @Professional Hand Model showing how he did it.
     
  7. Dec 8, 2020 at 3:18 AM
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    Tundra2

    Tundra2 Zoinked

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    Okay. I was unsure if it would work because I don't have the 4wd unit. I was going off of pics I've seen, and things I've skimmed.
     
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  8. Dec 8, 2020 at 3:47 AM
    #8
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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    Custom tip picture.

    A Pro Tip: You can turn the 4wd shaft with your hand if its not engaged in 4wd. Spin the shaft for the best angle of attack.

    upload_2020-12-8_6-46-45.jpg
     
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  9. Dec 8, 2020 at 5:59 PM
    #9
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    Thanks for the tips people. I bought one of tips tonight to try it but I may just try the grinder on the tip of the grease gun and see if that helps as the pic shows. The tip for the grease gun says that it works for hard to reach places so I am confused as to why it says that it would work for this but I am told here it will not. Just frustrating that one cannot buy a tool to do this. What do the shops do when it comes to this, do they just not grease the fittings???
     
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  10. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:09 PM
    #10
    Stuck in the '00s

    Stuck in the '00s Experienced member

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    I didn't have any problem doing mine.
    If you turn the driveshaft you should be able to get a good angle to get the grease gun in there.
    How you manage to turn the driveshaft is up to you.
     
  11. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:14 PM
    #11
    GIN•OKUMA

    GIN•OKUMA Can’t get to SSEM from there. RGBA1

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    That’s what she said... :anonymous:
     
  12. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:17 PM
    #12
    FrenchToasty

    FrenchToasty The Desert rat, 6 lug enthusiast

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    A flexible tip helps as well............


    Edit: I guess a flexible shaft would be more suited..........
     
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  13. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:18 PM
    #13
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    I wasn't having issues turning the drive shaft. The issue is getting the grease gun tip to lock onto the fitting due to the narrow space on the U-Joint. I have done all the grease points on the truck except for the front drive shaft due to the gun tip not fitting into the narrow space.
     
  14. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:37 PM
    #14
    Stuck in the '00s

    Stuck in the '00s Experienced member

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    Well, duh! ;) Throw out the straight tube, sheesh! No wonder I didn't have any problems doing mine...
     
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  15. Dec 8, 2020 at 6:40 PM
    #15
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    The next time I try and do this I will take a pic and try and load it and show you the area that I have to work with. It is narrow and flexible or not nothing fits onto the fitting.
     
  16. Dec 9, 2020 at 4:43 AM
    #16
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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    My Patented Grinded Head Tip is used on a straight shaft (see pic) and is dedicated to use on the 4WD shaft only. It works better as you have better leverage with the stiff shaft and can push it on whist holding the grease gun. You’ll need to work the angles as the tip will only go in at one angle.

    The shaved tip portion is removed to push past the U-Joint Ring. Once you figure that part it will make sense. One way in and one way off. Stiff line to push. You can swivel the tip on the grease gun a few degrees to make it happen. Also, the drive shaft can turn for a better angles as everyone knows.

    I have a separate tip on a flexible line for the grease gun for doing the rear shaft zerks.
     
  17. Dec 9, 2020 at 4:46 AM
    #17
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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  18. Dec 9, 2020 at 5:06 AM
    #18
    tvpierce

    tvpierce Formerly New Member

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    Without a mechanism on the end to allow it to latch onto the zerk, I assumed you'd get the same results as you get when your grease gun tip doesn't lock onto the zerk. It'd just squirt a gob of grease all over the zerk rather than force grease inside the u-joint. But then I Googled "grease gun needle nozzle" and this guy seems to have had good luck with it.


    I imagine they either grind the grease gun tip, or have a tip that's narrow enough to fit. Grinding it doesn't damage the tip, so why not?
     
  19. Dec 9, 2020 at 4:00 PM
    #19
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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    I tried that needle techinque before inventing the Grinder Tip. The needle didn’t work for me. I still have the needle and use it to lube bushings.


    Reminds me of when I asked a shop to grease the zerks on the drive shaft. All they did was put some Tacky Red (wrong grease) on the zerk tip to make it look like they ‘greased it’.

    I busted them when I bought a grease gun a few weeks later and started learning how to do this. No Red Tacky grease came out of the u-joints when I plumped them with the Properly Spec’d MolyB. :annoyed:
     
  20. Dec 11, 2020 at 8:05 AM
    #20
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    I also seen this same video when researching this as well. The weather here in Northwest PA is good today so I am going to try and grease the drive shaft today. I will post my results later.
     
  21. Dec 11, 2020 at 9:13 AM
    #21
    toyofan87

    toyofan87 Beer thirty

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  22. Dec 11, 2020 at 10:25 AM
    #22
    Pucks18

    Pucks18 Fleabit peanut monkey

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    Just a fyi I'm 90% sure there is one zerk fitting that a regular grease gun fitting won't fit onto. It has space but it's a different size I guess, anyways I bought the needle attachment for it and pressed it into the zerk and it works. I forgot which one needs the needle adapter though
     
  23. Dec 11, 2020 at 1:10 PM
    #23
    freerider8

    freerider8 [OP] Trucks Rule

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    So I tried the tip provided but Pro Hand Model and it worked. I shaved the fitting down on both sides of the gun and it helps. I didn't try the needle tip yet. I have a manual and air grease gun so I shaved the tip on the manual one to try it out and it worked like a charm. I will keep the needle fitting incase I need it for anything else I own since I have it. Thanks for all the helpful tips everyone.

    Thanks
     
  24. Dec 11, 2020 at 2:10 PM
    #24
    Professional Hand Model

    Professional Hand Model A.K.A ‘Golden Hands’

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    :yes:
     
  25. Dec 16, 2020 at 8:30 PM
    #25
    tunyota

    tunyota Wrenching w/ the beautiful wife.

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    I lubed the universal joints on the rear propeller shaft when I had it disconnected while replacing the center support bearing.

    I recently ordered the LockNLube Narrow Needle Dispenser to use on the front shaft so I didn't have to remove the connecting bolts so I could position the shaft to get the coupler on the zerk fitting. Worked like a charm and worth the investment.
     
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    #25
  26. Dec 17, 2020 at 8:00 AM
    #26
    KNABORES

    KNABORES Sarcasm incoming

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    The tip on my grease gun fits into the space on the front prop shaft without modification. Guess some may be lower profile than other. It is on a flexible shaft. It does take a little finagling and holding my mouth just right, but I have been able to engage and deliver.
     
  27. Dec 17, 2020 at 8:25 AM
    #27
    rock climber

    rock climber New Member

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    I got the pistol pete grease gun and it fits without needing modification, it is a tight fit though.
     
  28. Dec 17, 2020 at 12:39 PM
    #28
    Stuck in the '00s

    Stuck in the '00s Experienced member

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    I guess I was lucky. When I did mine, the zerk must have been at the perfect angle. It was a piece of cake.
     
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