Greasing your shaft

[Bat21]

I was crawling about under my truck earlier this week (as you do) and noticed some play in the rear prop slip joint.

So, out with the grease gun and gave it a couple of pumps, check the play and still there. So, another couple of pumps, check play, still there. In the end it must have taken about 10 pumps to eliminate the slight play.

Now this got me worried, I tend to do that a lot following our accident I always see the negative in everything these days.... sorry got side tracked there. Anyway, I convinced my self that I had eliminated the free play by causing a hydraulic lock so, off came the prop. I was expecting it to force the slip joint apart as I did so but that didn't happen. It moved freely albeit with some resistance due to it now being packed with grease.

Question is.... is it possible to over grease a slip joint and cause damage to either the rear diff pinion bearing or transfer case bearing? Obviously the prop is continually shortening and lengthening as the rear axle moves up and down, just wondering if the situation could ever occur where too much grease could actually make the prop effectively rigid?

 

[Chris]

Yes, it is. Essentially it becomes solid and transfers energy into the diff. At what point? I can't actually say. But on any new 80 I have had, I take the nipples out and ride around in it for a while. Any excess is then pushed out. I then put the nipples back in. I guess it's self regulating that way. It's the splines that need grease not the cavity at the end

 

[Bat21]

Sounds like a plan.

Are the nipples on the slip joints pressed in like those at the UJs or are they screw in?

 

[Chris]

No you can screw these nipples.

 

[Bat21]

Said the actress to the Bishop....

Thanks Chris.

 

[sae70]

As Chris said, it's only the slip joint that needs the lubricant and not the cavity. I've always removed mine to lube them up, it only takes 10/15 min to do. I've never really wrapped my head around the grease nipple thing as it's never any where near the slipping part of the joint. I always think that if the shaft is moist then there's enough lubricant and no extra is required.

 

[Bat21]

As Chris said, it's only the slip joint that needs the lubricant and not the cavity.....

I knew that, it's just the grease was not getting round the splines hence the reason I had to put several pumps in. I'll either remove the nipple for a few days or drop the front UJ and clean it all out and simply grease up the splines.

.... I always think that if the shaft is moist then there's enough lubricant and no extra is required.

Absolutely.... I couldn't agree more

 

[clivehorridge]

All this talk about moist shafts and lubricant...

Dammit, been away from home too long...