Greasing My Tacoma's Driveshaft | How to Service & Maintain your U-Joints

[@ChloeKuo]

Ok just because I’m curious (and better yet, because it will help other Tacoma owners): what is your Tacoma’s year/trim/drivetrain and how many zerks do you have? I’ll start. I have a 2019 TRD Off-Road DCSB, 4WD and 2 zerks in the front

[@ChloeKuo]

2020 Tacoma TRD Pro, 4WD has 0 zerks in the front and rear

[@BartonHNewell]

2021 Tacoma SR5 XP Predator, 4WD, 0 zerks

[@robertyoung8289]

@@ChloeKuo Forgive me. I thought this was click bate. I know for a fact I have know zerk fittings. I HAVE A 2020 PRO! 😀

[@RobustArid379]

I have a Toyota

[@robertyoung8289]

@@RobustArid379 Um so???

[@art8offire]

Because of your videos I went and bought a Toyota Tacoma And I am extremely happy thank you

[@jody7865]

I have a 2023 TRD Off Road double cab short bed 4x4, no zerks at all

[@ThepDenNgoaiBien]

Drive until they drop and replace parts !! which is I do not like because OFFROAD parts worn out FAST no matter what factory of car make!!!

[@mikeschoolcraft21]

The grease gun hose end is adjustable, tighten it after you are on the fitting. No falling off or leaking.

[@adamklotzify]

are you serious lol....my atv had 18 zerk fittings on it, and had i known that piece of information i would have saved quite a bit of time / mess. Good to know, will have a look at it when i do the taco

[@Buckarooooooooo]

I had no idea these had greaseable joints. Going to do this to my truck now

[@beaviskornholio2754]

Love your maintenance videos. Can't wait for you to do spark plugs, trans and cooling system maintenance.

[@asteiner9181]

I heard the plugs are a pain in the ass… the 3 under the manifold takes a lot of time. The transmission and cooling system I have no clue.

[@sharyar72]

Someone in the comments recommended using Lock n Lube coupler and that’s what I did. I have to return it. It is so large and can’t get into a tight spot. If you buy a Holt Grease Gun, you don’t need anything else to grease the grease points. It is such a smooth process. Do not buy Lock n Lube.

[@derekthexton3620]

You only put enough grease into the u-joint till the cups of the u-joints rise. By over greasing you ruined the seal of the joints and now the grease will flow out more quickly causing pre mature failure

[@William1866]

I just did this on my 2011 4-wheel drive Tacoma that I just got used. I have 5. Two on the front and three on the back. To get to the ones on the back you might have to move the the truck a little to have them point down, as the shaft doesn't rotate freely like the front shaft. There is no heat shield that has to be removed. This truck slowed down fast after taking foot off the accelerator. The back three were very dry. Now it's coasting normal.

[@999lfe]

Just realized I have to grease them my dad just gave me a 2011 toyo taco. And it seems like everything is needing maintenance do first I thought I was missing some heat shields because my manual shifter has heat coming off it inside the center console now noticing my rear drive shaft has play in it it rocks back and forth and clanks was told I need to replace u joints. For it having over 55,000miles on it it only needed a new clutch cable besides tires and breaks everything else is stock. And the driver seat sinks the metal wires underneath broke.

[@999lfe]

Do you know of any grease fittings around the front wheels i heard there could be some there and can't see any.

[@William1866]

@@999lfe From what I have read the 2011 does not have grease fittings on the ball joints. Not sure when they stopped doing that. I noticed lots of vehicles no longer have Zerk grease fittings.

[@agfa663]

Make yourself a favor. Replace your grease gun nozzle with a LockNlube. I did and I don't regret it at all ! It locks on the zerk so it free your hands and it does not ooze. Press the nozzle triger, put it on the zerk, release, apply grease, remove by pressing the nozzle trigger. No tug, no fight to remove it from the zerk like with the standard nozzle. May you make a review of that one on your next drive shaft greasing !

[@DeuceDeuceBravo]

Thanks for this. Just looked it up and definitely trying it. My 48" mower has a ton of grease fittings and that thing will be awesome. 👍

[@JL-fly7]

Very nice tip. Would u mind sharing the link where u got ur LockNlube? Much appreciate.

[@snkrcactus5675]

What grease gun should I get? I’m looking to maintain this on my own. I just got SPC Uppers, so I know I’ll need to grease

[@agfa663]

@@snkrcactus5675 get a grease gun with flexible hose at Harbor Freight. Put a LockNlube on the hose end. I ordered my Lock-N-Lube from Amazon.

[@snkrcactus5675]

@@agfa663 thank you. I was looking at the Lock N Lube gun and everything but might just do the regular grease gun and the Lock n Lube attachment

[@joesphmarzella1936]

My 2011 prerunner does not have any grease fitting on it . My wifes 2019 4runner has them . I got from lock N lub a really neat attachment that replaces the stock one that comes on your grease gun . It locks right on the zerk fitting. No more mess and it stays on there . When done press the release lever and it comes right off . It is a must ! 👍

[@ryoung6725]

Hey Chloe. Yes, I've done this several times with my 2017 Tacoma SR 4x4. It has two zerk fittings as well. The one closest to the front of the truck is definitely easier to get to For the back one, I need to take that cover plate off to reach it. With that, it's a problem getting it back on. My suggestion is to remove the two bolts, but just move the cover over a little. Don't take the cover completely off and set it down. it's really hard to get it back into the right place and angle. I was hoping your video was going to show how you did this, but I can tell your hands are definitely smaller than mine, lol. As for the equipment, I've already had to replace the tip of the grease gun, as the first one from Amazon split. Another problem with storage of the grease gun, living in Arizona, is that the grease melts and comes out of the gun during storage. I have to remember to store the gun vertically. Love my Tacoma!!

[@ThepDenNgoaiBien]

SR5 had only 2?

[@muddybadgers5205]

I recommend not wiping the excess grease off the zerk when you're done. When you leave it there, it adds a layer of protection so you don't get anything in it, especially stuff that makes it rust, plus it's a whole lot easier to clean next time before you put the grease gun on it

[@godfather22022]

Exactly what I needed for my next maintenance run. Thanks for showing that and telling us where things might be difficult

[@CO84trucker]

In addition to greasing the driveshafts on my 2nd gen, since doing a 3" lift, I now have 9 points to grease... in addition to the 5 u-joints I also have SPC UCAs with greaseable ball joints and lower control arm bushings have zercs. On a side note, greasing the rearward u-joints used to be a royal pain with fuel tank or truck body in the way... the suspension lift has made things easier!

[@andrewward4246]

a 90 degree grease fitting would help for those tough to reach spots.

[@johndiakogiannis9171]

Those gloves are great. They have saved my hands multiple times from burns when working on a hot engine and touching stuff you shouldn't be touching. Plus saves from getting cut up which happens literally every time I even think about opening my hood. lol

[@JustCantSitStill]

Great reminder thanks 🙏 2019 TRD Off road 4x4 2 zerks

[@ThePinkPanth3r]

When I replaced the sway bar linkage in my old Honda fit the replacement part had zerk fittings, so you may be able to add more to your truck after market.

[@craigbeltrame8272]

Thank you for this I'm a follower and I use your videos alot to maintain my 2023 tacoma

[@Free_entertainment401]

I had a 2018 TRD off-road with tech packages, an 6 feet bed. I don’t have any grease fitting. Oh an something when the grease fittings is in a weird position you have to hole the tip the and had pressure on while pumping the grease gun. This is why an battery power grease gun will come in handy. Plus clean Zürich fittings before and after you grease it.

[@moshet842]

The Sta-plex grease is also sold at Harbor Freight but cheaper. It is in my opinion the best grease out there and I use it on everything from my car to my bike.

[@zackshaw2191]

so the company "lock n lube" makes a very good clamp on fitting that I just started using on my upper ball joints on my SPC upper control arms and it just made using th grease gun a lot more hassle free.

[@ponolovefarms3926]

You do some great videos Chloe

[@oregonphototrekker8894]

The one thing I'm finding it really hard to find a video on is torquing the propeller shaft bolts - something the owner's manual recommends regularly.

[@starwarskong]

Although I drive a 2018 4Runner, I’m going to see if I have any zerks on mine.

[@SpencerHogg]

Nice nice job on this !! I had no idea haha, very good DIY

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you for posting this excellent video. I really appreciate your going to the effort to film this so that we can see what is involved with greasing the U-joints. I am wondering if what you show here is the same as a "driveline service"? Also, is the grease you are using in this video the same as the grease that a Toyota service department would use?

[@abrahamreyes4535]

I’ve done it on government vehicles and boat bearings, yes it’s easier, yes sometimes it’s stubborn getting it off, sometimes pliers are needed, just be careful not to crush it.

[@ThepDenNgoaiBien]

You can use BRAKE CLEANER to clean before and After pump grease to the Zerk ( Keep clean and no mess!!) good luck!

[@cpsmonroe1]

Checked and Amazon was out of stock on the grease. Found Harbor Freight showing $6.99 14 oz tube of the CRC premium red extreme pressure.

[@crbourret]

I perform this same service on my 2018 4Runner, it also has additional zerk fittings on the slip yokes on each drive shaft and yes removing that plate makes getting to that one zerk much easier. Great video and explanation of a much over looked maintenance item.

[@ibf7997]

If I’m hearing a whining when the vehicle is in motion, especially when reversing up the driveway, might this be the fix? Also own a 2018 4Runner. If you’re doing this regularly, you might never have gotten to this point.

[@ScottWilliams323]

nice. Great maintenance tip!

[@jaymoar3561]

Being a girl all the work you do is so clean. Good thing

[@jod1113]

Pretty sure my '19 Pro has just two up front as well and zero fittings in back. Good work. Thank you.

[@rubenfranko6600]

Chica what grease fittings you were using on your shaft. I mean measurements .

[@trschreck]

this is a great example of your best work here on youtube. some of the other vids seem to be getting a bit "salesey" and that ( to me anyway) begins to undermine credibility . i really enjoy your video's and reviews, so i hope you keep it up!

[@gregd4391]

2019 TRD Offroad: I don't see any grease fittings. I'd feel better if I had grease fittings on u-joints, drive shaft, and tierod ends. Now that I'm writing this...I'm not sure if I checked the front drive shaft.

[@hostilityy]

mine is also a 2019 TRD off road like this but its a manual trans and august Vin. 2 grease fittings on front drive shat.

[@johdirt7843]

2017 SR5 3.5L V6 4X4 w/ 6 ft bed. Grease zerks only on the front drive shaft.

[@xanderfloats]

How many miles until you recommend getting a alignment for Toyota Tacoma off road????

[@ryoung6725]

He Gonzalo. I recommend that you go to Firestone and get their life time alignment. Then I would recommend you go back once a year, unless you do a lot of off-roading, then every 6-months. Their plan is for the life of your truck, not tires, and you can take it back as much as you want. It works for me.

[@reyperez3424]

Try 10k miles so you can have an idea, it depends how bad the road is

[@MarkTurnbull]

My TRD Sport is only a month and a half old so I haven't looked yet but I used to do this on my '92 Explorer with every oil change. There are quick locking zerk couplers which basically have a trigger on the side which will make the job way easier. Just press lock trigger on the new coupler to unlock, slid it onto the zerk fitting and as you let up on the trigger it locks onto the fitting, quick easy, no fighting to get the ^#&@*& coupler back off after you pump the gun.

[@mattchandler8129]

Two minutes into this video, I paused it and went out in a snow storm with a flashlight to check and see if my Tacoma has zerk fittings and it does. Wow.

[@flyingv7747]

My 96 T100 4WD has 792 zerk fittings

[@rockbay79]

New subscriber! Really enjoyed this video. I will check my truck soon to see how many of those fittings I have on my truck. Thanks for sharing!

[@garybaldwin1061]

Hi Chloe. Another maintenance item on the list is "re-torque propeller shaft bolt". It appears in a few areas on the maint list. Have you done that too? Thanks again.

[@billwilliams4281]

Never done it, but I am pretty sure I need to if I have those zerk fittings on my 4WD 2017 TRD Off-Road DCSB.

[@mojo4376]

Use RedLine RedMoly grease.

[@mauricerichardson9817]

First, love your channel. But just some advise, get a low profile creeper and you really need to keep your undercarriage clean and use spray film or something for protection. There is a lot of unneeded dirt and rust.

[@devildog1168]

Oooooh you should do a vid and think of investing a JLT 3.0 catch can. It was one of the first few investments I made to take care of my 4runner annnnnd you’ll be surprised how much blow-by gets recycled back into the engine

[@happy543210]

2003 pre-runner....4 fittings.

[@garybaldwin1061]

Hi Chloe. I have 21 4x4 Tacoma limited. I was going over the maintenance list in the OM and found this maintenance item. I'll look underneath the truck and look for the grease fittings. I'm thinking its a sealed unit. I've just discovered your channel and I'm now a new subscriber.

[@sharpshooter012345]

Consider getting a lock and lube grease coupler.

[@vorutouzamaki2635]

Your cámara work is beautiful! I’ll have to do a video like this for my 1990 Ford ranger

[@zigwil153]

Good Vid. Prior to attaching grease gun it's a good idea to spray fittings with brake cleaner after wiping them with a rag/towel. After wiping off any excess after greasing spray again. Exposed grease is a magnet for any type of particles on the road. Oh. Make sure you have caps on those fittings!

[@mykesheets4228]

Never heard of that, and I would be leery of using brake cleaner next to any rubber seals!!!! Simply wipe any dirt/old grease off the zert fitting, attach lube gun, apply grease and wipe excess grease off the joint that comes out of the joint so it doesn't spin (driveshaft zerts mainly) off and onto the undercarriage and your garage floor. Too bad they don't offer auto shop in high schools anymore, as I see there's a lot of people who don't have a clue about the simple things re: car maintainence....oh well.

[@DucomaVet]

19’ TRD Sport and only two zerk fittings @ 50K miles and when trying to grease them it’s just fulls and instantly overflows. Normal?

[@jacktudela4182]

Would you know of any other grease fittings besides drive shaft u joints? Is there any in the front suspension areas? 🤔 I guess if u change UCA that has.

[@jimandvalstravelchannel]

Don't know of any other grease points. But if you do change the UCA's, as I did, then you may have a couple more.

[@russellwood8750]

So what kind of fittings would a 2020 TRD pro have?

[@mattm4656]

My July of 19 off road 4x4 has no grease fittings

[@julestrdprodjimavicpro2869]

Another great video and informative! Taco Life!

[@JuanCSoto-jq8xs]

What is it for?

[@drewkohnke597]

So if I have a 2020 what do I do, I can just leave it I assume?

[@ElevationEveryWeekend]

Grease all the things!!! So far my 2018 is still under the extended service plan but I do notice that they always grease it! Or, at least they say they do!😂

[@larryzapotocky1363]

Thanks for the videos on the Tacoma. Sometimes the audio sounds hollow and hard to hear due to the garage area. I was wondering if you only use a camera or phone mic? If so, a lavalier mic that is clipped on, might help. This is just a helpful tip…thanks for the vids!

[@cpsmonroe1]

Agreed. A better mic would absolutely help immensely.

[@BrandonSmith-gi9nb]

Hi I have a taco that is a twin to yours love your content keep up the good work

[@patdennis3751]

The reason it says to lube the driveshaft is the slip joint not ujoints. My 21offroad has no grease fittings, but they want you to grease the splines on the rear shaft slip joint.

[@---rg1gb]

Good to know

[@JL-fly7]

Good to know. BTW, is urs dc or sc or it really doesn’t matter only depends on year and trim? Thanks.

[@patdennis3751]

@@JL-fly7 what's dc sc?

[@JL-fly7]

@@patdennis3751 double cab short cab

[@patdennis3751]

@@JL-fly7 mine is dc. I don't think the offroad comes single

[@runDATrun6]

On the front spider joint, my grease gun coupler can’t even reach it. It’s too tight for some reason? Does anyone else have this?

[@StewCal65]

My 2017 TRD sport doesn’t have fittings.

[@dadgarage7966]

U-joints without zerks are purported to be stronger so that may be a reason. But, what good is the extra strength if they potentially wear faster?

[@MrMkeup66]

Im pretty certain greasing until it comes out like that messes up the seals and adds more resistance in the mechanics of the part. I could be wrong but that’s the impression I got while working with linear rails

[@mykesheets4228]

You ARE wrong. The whole idea here is to FULLY grease joints that have zert fittings. I built and raced cars in my 20s, worked as a mechanic for 5 years during college, and have maintained all my vehicles since 1967. When you grease ANY zert fitting, you continue to add grease until you see it come out of the bearing surface being greased. It in no way damages the seals on either the U-joints or suspension (ball joints, tie rod ends, etc).

[@steverinehart787]

Thank you! Very informative, and I will have to see if I have any zerks on my 2021 TRD Sport 4WD. This can save a lot of people a lot of money in repairs.

[@larrytrujillo7293]

I have the same model n trim, curious to know what you found

[@---rg1gb]

Please let us know

[@Left4deadfan1]

2020+ 4x4 models has 0 zerk fittings. Should always check though!

[@deehodge9881]

My 2017 4x4 sport doesn’t have any which is weird since yours is a 2019. I guess luck of the draw with these trucks

[@50foad]

2005 TRD Tacoma 4-WD 5 zerk fittings. 2021 Tacoma Offroad 4-WD zero zerk fittings

[@SBVegasAdventures]

Great video! Subscribed

[@KITTKATTCHONKY]

Very important service people neglect Same goes for diff fluid, trans fluid and t case fluid

[@4125131236323]

I think the factory service mannual does a disservice by having no recommendations at all to ever replace the transmission fluid... it only has a regular 'inspection'. also calling it a "sealed transmission" confuses people about the need to replace fluid. lots of bad info out there.

[@snkrcactus5675]

Do you still have that grease gun? I’m looking to get all my stuff for greasing as well as more DIY stuff. Love the jacks you recommended, as well as the fuel system cleaner!

[@jlj209]

Zert fitting? I have a 2019 SR5. I’ll have to look, but what am I looking for?

[@leonidasguerrero5397]

chloe were you buy heavy duty front bomper ?

[@jefferylorance7988]

After washing any vehicle… always take it for a spin..to dry out the brakes..I had my 2019 TRD ..rear brakes locking up..research this on line ..after washing my car rear brakes lock up.. Also if driving thru any water or mud..install a ARB diff air valve.. see R4T..$75.00… Dearler is ordering a new rear 3rd member..water got into my rear diff estimate $3,300.00.. Aloha

[@ddoghunt3471]

I can't thank you enough for this simple video to get me to question, how many grease fittings do I have 🤔 2016 TRD OR 4x4 short bed, silver auto...had mine first Miss Chloe. LoL mine was made in Mexico not sure if it matters but not only grease fittings on front shaft,but also the rear. I just started doing oil service myself on it so this was great information!! My wife's 2017 4Runner has six total grease fittings and the Toyota dealership has not been hitting them with grease.😤 Thank you twice as much for giving me reason to take count 👍👍

[@bayshark7o7]

Any idea how many a 2019 trd pro taco has? Thanks for the video.

[@haroldharwell7078]

Got a '21 Tacoma SR5, I think in the morning I'll crawl under it & find out... I felt it had non greaseable joints, we'll see.

[@eatcommies1375]

My ‘20 Tacoma OR doesn’t have them…

[@ramellho4152]

I just greased my Tacoma and yea the second grease point is a pain in the ass 100%

[@devildog1168]

Honestly I have yet todo that especially with my new ish 4runner which I put 14k miles on it 😬

[@jimmyj5099]

You sure take good care of your 🌮 Chloe 😀. ♥️🌮🐕

[@upland90254]

@chloekuo - I still can't figure out how you got your hands and the coupler into the rear joint. It's very tight on my 19 TRD 4X4

[@upland90254]

I have a 2019 TRD Off-Road 4X4 DC long bed. Same zerks as yours -- only 2 on the fwd shaft. Did you end up being able to grease the rear one without removing the shield?

[@bayareapackleader]

How do you get the drive shaft to move freely? I'm in two wheel drive already but it's not moving. I have no zerk fittings, but want to tighten the bolts.

[@4125131236323]

vehicle in neutral with the rear wheels off the ground for the rear propeller shaft (or the only one in 2WD models) and on 4x4 models make sure you are in 2wd mode which lets the front drive shaft spin freely. a good time to do this is when you are rotating the tires. If you are can't lift the rear tires you can just move the vehicle a bit. (just a few inches should be good)

[@maelrodder9091]

What do you do for living to afford these Trucks? I’m curious 🤨

[@Bobbybeb]

Thanks for the video! I bought a new trd sport in July, I'm sure mine haven't been done at the dealer. What tire and tire size are you running? Do you like them for off-roading?

[@dalephillips8250]

Wow! I haven't seen a lube point on my Tundra like that.

[@FDS-nucklehead]

Thanks Chloe

[@ogfktup]

What rims are those?

[@4125131236323]

I have done this and I have never managed to get it done without getting grease all over my clothes... i was terrified when you crawled up under the truck with that nice clean purple sweater on and then you came out unscarred!!! I'm gonna call it "chloe magic".

[@partypartida]

Good job

[@diosantiago3407]

Love your videos. Please keep them coming. How about eye glasses? thanks.

[@ThepDenNgoaiBien]

U need some Brake cleaner to clean the grease is much faster and cleaner ( my 2 cents....)

[@OP941nine]

I would blind folded buy your truck, I know you take care of it.

[@Mr_Clean]

Grease guns. I put a new tube in about every 3 years. I swear to God every time I have to go to KZbin to figure out how to put the tube in 🤓🤓🤓 2000 tundra 4wd. 9 zircs.