Grease splatter from driveshafts

[johnnydrama Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnnydrama]

Hi all

I was doing my diff / transfer case fluids yesterday (thanks to a the info on here) and while under the car noticed that there was a lot of grease splatter from each section of the driveshaft / tailshaft. I assume a little bit might be normal but this looks a bit extreme to my uneducated eyes.

I looked in the various greasing / tailshaft threads and ran a search but couldn't find anyone talking about the same issue.

The pictures below are all the grease - no water splatter from driving etc. There are no stains on the driveway so it's not leaking while parked.

The car is a 2008 GXL D4D.

Can anyone put my mind at rest that it was just a Toyota workshop apprentice with big biceps on the grease gun?

We're about do several thousand K's in the new year towing the Jayco Swan Outback so don't want something to break on me. I have it booked in at Toyota to do an ATF service (at a joint that is not my normal service place) next week in the event i need anything done that's out of my capabilities.

[winniliss Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close winniliss]

Excessive grease. Get the de-greaser out...

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Mine looks the same, has always been serviced by toyota at Penrith. Doesnt bother me, I dont find it excessive and Ive never had the thump in the tailshaft in this 120 (had it in both my 90's) so Im not worried. I'd be more concerned if there was nothing there and was dry as. It will always splatter after having them greased. I now do mine myself but I get just as much and I only pump enough in the uni's till I here a slight sound which is the grease escaping from the uni's then thats it. On the yokes I normally pump in 5 then thats it as well. I know the toyota grease gun goes in underthe pressure from there air compressor and they generally pull the trigger twice so I imagine it would pump in more in those two shots then possibly my 5 pumps due to the air pressure ?? either way i have had no issues....I wouldnt worry about it doesnt look like there are any seals leaking thats the main thing.........I suppose you could degrease it down if it bothers you but I wouldnt degrease the actual uni joiunt or the slide yokes.......Leave then with grease on them..... Cheers Steve

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

My assumption is the 'mechanic' made sure there was 'enough' grease so you didn't get the tailshaft clunk...

[Heath74 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Heath74]

Mine looks the same,

2008 d4d. Toyota serviced.

[johnnydrama Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnnydrama]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback.

The aesthetics dont bother me at all so I'll leave good enough alone.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Rust prevention courtesy Toyota service department. Don't complain too loud otherwise they might charge you for the privelidge.

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

Excessive grease. Get the de-greaser out...

No no... Dont degrease the Tail shaft with degreaser... Just wipe any excess off with a rag. Getting any degreaser past them seals will be fatal for those Uni joints. By all means you can degrease the flick off but be carefull not to spray that stuff on the tail shaft.

Do you have any play in them Uni's?

[johnnydrama Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnnydrama]

How do I test the uni's? Pull /push on the shafts? (Sorry - bit of a mech noob)

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

How do I test the uni's? Pull /push on the shafts? (Sorry - bit of a mech noob)

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

Yes thats right mate... 2 hands on the shaft near the uni and try to force it in all directions. If you feel a bit of play then you may consider getting a second opinion on it...

1 of mine has a tiny amount of play but its not a concern right now.

They are bad when you get a droning vibration thru the car at speed...

[johnnydrama Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnnydrama]

No movement at all in the uni's so that looks ok.
Thanks for the info.

[Arthur Veturis Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Arthur Veturis]

Not convinced that the Toyota dealership have bothered to do this properly, I got myself a Pressol 500cc grease gun and the other day crawled under the Prado and greased the propshafts and universal joints. Was lucky with the Prado as it was parked in the garage with all grease nipples pointing in a suitable direction with only one or two minor movements neccessary.

Quite a job to clean the grease nipples properly - maybe my fingers are too fat! And needed a lot of rags and paper to clean all the grease and muck off. (Surgical gloves and protective eyewear would be useful...) But did not have any problems with latching or unlatching and the grease gun worked very well. I used Castrol LM (Lithium-based NLGI-2) for all 6 grease nipples (yes - Castrol LMX is better at almost twice the price, but I cannot obtain it in these parts...)

For the universal joints, it was just as expected, with the popping noise after about 3 squirts and the old pitch black grease oozing out as it was replaced with the new grease (tan colour)... The propshaft slides were not so straightforward and so I gave these a couple of extra squirts and still with no grease evident.

There is of course some grease splatter after doing this job, but it is bound to happen as the excess grease spins off the shafts at high revs...

[Kitbags Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kitbags]

Procedure for greasing tailshaft splines. When the vehicle is lifted up on a hoist or jacks placed under the chassis the suspension and wheels drop. The tailshaft lengthens at the splines resulting in more space for grease. Standard procedure is grease is pumped in to the splines till the front boot seal starts to swell and go firm (yes I know but lets keep to the story) indicating the splines are full of grease. Lower the Prado to the ground and the suspension compresses and the tailshaft shortens. The space full of grease is reduced in size compressing the grease causing excess pressure on the grease.The pressurised grease flows to all spaces throught the splines. The pressure also forces grease out the boot seal as the vehicle is driven hence the excessive grease splatter.This excessive grease pressure can also damage the spline seal.
To avoid this excessive pressure is simplicity itself. On lowering the vehicle to the ground unscrew the grease nipple and the excess pressure is relieved as excess grease comes out the grease nipple hole. Replace the grease nipple. Expect some splatter but it will be minimal. This used to be done but very few mechanics do this - today time is money.

I phoned Toyota regional service re Prado tailshaft thump and was told this is also their recomended greasing procedure. My experience is few dealers/mechanics/owners release excess grease pressure in the splines. Toyota service think there may be a link with excessive grease pressure contributing to the Prado thump at a stop. All I know is that since I insisted that this old procedure be followed when greasing my Prado I am not getting the tailshaft thump.Time will tell as it has only been 3 months since last service.

[johnnydrama Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnnydrama]

Only just saw this response. I will try the "pressure release" after they do it next time and see what happens
Cheers

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2