Heres one for you. Toyota uses a #0 sodiumbased grease for the lube in the enclosed knuckle differential,

It looks a lot like gear oil mixed with wheel bearing grease, thats what the common misdiagnosis is.

Its is catagoricly incompatible with lithium grease as specifed if the FSM

It allows the oil thats mixed into grease to seperate and leak out the wiper seal.

Why is this such a big secret? well it lasts for about the life time of the vehicle if you leave it alone. wheres the money in that no fun much better to buy heavy duty axle seals and repack wheel bearings every 30,000 or so and replace axles more often,

"Take it to a shop that knows what they are doing. For $600 you can get a complete knuckle overhaul, with the correct parts and fluid and not worry about your axle for another 30 years"
__________________
Kurt Williams
Cruiser Outfitters

This fellow knows the secret, but why still selling heavy duty axle seals and using a thick #2 lithium grease? no fun in that every body loves packing wheel bearings the only thing I can figure

What is a source for the sodium grease? I did a quick Google and all I could come up with was K&N grease for sealing air filters.

I am so deep in the sauce right now. What gens are you talking about?

I'm easily confused so could you clarify a few things for me:

Are you saying we should use the OEM #0, if we need to service this, instead of any other alternative to avoid wheel bearing failure or replacing axles? Do you have the Toyota part number?

"It allows the oil thats mixed into grease to seperate and leak out the wiper seal." Is this a good thing or not?

What is an "enclosed knuckle differential"? Are you talking about front half shaft CV joints?
If yes, then I relubed one of my CV joints using HP90, sold in many auto parts stores, specifically labelled for CV joints. How is HP90 different than "Toyota... #0 sodiumbased grease"?

I think he's talking about solid front axles maybe... Kurt has Cruiser Outfitters http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/aboutus.html


I looks like they have some neat stuff for LC's.

Yes I also would like to know the Toyota part# for this lube. unfortunatly Toyota wont tell me last time I asked the local dealership the service manager refered to a "privacy Act" . But what got me started was I was told by that same service manager a different type of lube was required under Toyota warranty, I specified thats what I wanted and was told it was available thru thier parts department however the next day was unable to locate it. heres a source

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge...kle_repair.htm

Here is a discription I found on line ,

Show all Base Oils, Oil Additives and Specialty Fluids Manufacturers
About Base Oils, Oil Additives and Specialty Fluids
Base oils, oil additives, and specialty fluids are specialty and proprietary base oils and fluids related to lubricants, coolants, thermal oils, greases, metal working fluids and other application- specific fluids. They have a unique composition or tailored compounding suited for specialized applications. Base oils, oil additives, and special fluids can cling to surfaces better than other industrial oils and deliver both lubrication and protection. Base oil is the oil used in oil formulas before additives are introduced. Base oils, oil additives, and specialty fluids are used to provide protection for four-wheel drive steering knuckles, spring shackles, and other components operating in high-load, low-speed conditions.

well they are not telling but heres what the Rover folks have to say about it:


One-Shot" GENUINE Swivel Housing Grease. A semi-fluid grease which lubricates drive shaft joints, swivel pins, housing seals and protects the swivel spheres. Reinforced with solid lubricants, highly resistant to water & salt corrossion. Provides better lubrication than EP90 oil when driving, less leaks while standing. One shot packet gives "filled for life" protection. The price is for one packet and is enough for one swivel.

Enclose Knuckle Repair Grease Debacle ...



I recently did a repair/modification to a 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser where the customer

changed his gears from 4-11’s to 4-88’s and indicated he wanted me to repair his Birfields as

well, if needed. Now, this fellow is very perfection orientated. I’ve done quite a bit of work for

him on his Toyota as well as his Ford F-150. So, in catering to his desire to have his toy repaired

in the best possible fashion, I stumbled onto something very interesting.

The wiper seals were oozing lube, so I called him and got the go-ahead to rebuild the
knuckle assembly. Now, I could tell, that at least once in this vehicle’s lifetime, he had the wheel
bearings re-packed and the replacement CR Seal was quite a bit different in design than the original
factory seal. The factory seal is identical in design to an output shaft seal on a transmission, of
which I mostly work with.

I noticed the lube in the knuckle was quite a bit different than you usually see. I inspected the axle seal for any reason for it to be leaking. The seal was fine, still pliable; no reason for cross-contamination of gear oil to cause the strange “goo”. So, I concluded this viscous lube was a factory original. I have also seen this same type of grease in what’s called a “viscous coupler” found in All Wheel Drive rigs.



I had also seen this type of lube in Mercedes Benz axle shafts. So I met with the customer one morning and he supplied me with the 54mm socket for the wheel bearing nuts. He asked how the repair was going. I told him it was all going fine; all we needed was the lube and a spec of how much to put in there. Well, this is where we hit a brick wall. Later that evening he returned to the shop with tubs of white lithium grease that he had purchased at Napa. I told him that wasn’t it. He had showed me a copy of the field service manual and it stated to use “molybedendum disulphide lithium chassis grease”. That’s what he showed to the parts guy and he was sold the white lithium grease. The next day he went to a local oil and grease supply company and purchased tubes of grease with 5% moly. I inspected it and told him that was not it either.



Then he suggested that I call the local Toyota dealership, which I did. Initially, the service manager told me regular old wheel bearing grease would do just fine and that they actually use red Vavoline grease; not what is recommended in the FSM. But I kept asking. There has got to be something different. Although I had seen this lube, I didn’t know what it actually was. Then he recalled that under Toyota warranty some other type of grease was required. I indicated that’s what we wanted. He told me that it was available thru their parts department. At that point I figured that was the end of the story. This customer could get the correct grease and I could finish the repair. Well, the next day he returned to the shop empty handed. I asked “What about the Toyota grease?” Evidently, the service manager was unable to find it.



Then we decided to look into this further. He posted a thread on a Toyota website asking this question. He indicated that I wanted some sort of liquified grease to fill up his steering knuckles. An accurate description, I thought. Well, the answers he got back where mostly rude comments about how I was a dumb-ass and that the land cruiser front ends are different; and that the lube was nothing more than regular wheel bearing grease and to just pack it full. I began looking in old manuals and I found out that in the 1960’s, any domestic manufacturer that built a 4x4 used this design as it pertains to lubrication. Only a few mention anything about it. Ford only says to fill with "proper lubricant." Dodge states to fill with “short fiber grease.” International says to use a “viscous chassis lube”; 38 0z of it. That was the best clue so far. The word “viscous” means “syrup” or “glue like.” Then I got my greasy paws on an old Jeep book. In that it states that “sodium based grease” was used at the factory for initial fill. I have never heard of “sodium grease”. I tracked some down and it’s the correct lubricant in the #0 form. It looks exactly like wheel bearing grease contaminated with gear oil and has amazing adhesion characteristics while still being pourable.



It also mentions that if you mix lithium grease with the sodium grease, it will result in a thinned out mix (this will allow the oil that’s mixed into grease to provide lubrication to bleed thru the wiper seals). Now it is my opinion that there isn’t a huge problem with these differentials having axle seal problems, rather that it is the incompatibility of the grease used here in the US. If in the event of an axle seal failure, it’s just as likely it would leak thru the wheel bearing seals. The spindle hub and gasket are cut out for this very reason.



Now I should mention that the owner of this Land Cruiser told me that if he wanted me to do something to his rig that I didn’t think was right- not to do it. I remember thinking to myself at the time, that would probably never happen. But, sure enough, it turned out to be something as simple as grease.





You may think that these domestic manufacturers are all stating to lube the knuckle through the fill plug have nothing to do with Toyota. This is not the case. Toyota purchased this design from DANA, who built these things for all the domestic manufacturers. Toyota followed the design so close that some parts are interchangeable; for instance, the upper and lower Trunion Bearings. The Timken Bearing out of the Jeep will fit in a Land Cruiser. One difference, however, although the same dimensions, the Timken Bearing has a different thrust angle that gives it the capability to handle more load.



Now, I do realize that there are hardcore Toyota fans that would rather burn in hell than to put a Jeep part in their Land Cruiser, but it’s better by design.

In reading through the Toyota magazines, there seems to be a resounding theme of “Jeep bashing”, much like the Ford and Chevy rivalry . The fact of the matter is that the Land Cruiser is based off that humble little 4x4 machine built in the 1940's. I will credit Toyota for making some improvements on this particular differential: the addition of disc brakes, location of fill plug, and an additional wheel bearing seal.



So this is what I see happens. A Toyota owner with one of these rigs gets a brake job done; the wheel bearings get repacked as a normal operating procedure (at most shops). The grease used is incompatible. It mixes up in there. The oil in the grease then leaks out through the wiper seal. The problem then is misdiagnosed as an axle seal leak and the whole thing gets torn back apart when it would have been better to leave it alone. Yes, the old saying "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" sure applies here. The worst thing that happened to this 1988 Land Cruiser with 130,000 miles on it was a wheel bearing pack and an aftermarket single lip grease seal was installed.





The advantages of using the factory lubrication are incredibly longer service intervals. Dirt and contaminants will be wiped into the hub with regular “dry grease”. The hubs work better in extreme cold conditions when using the correct lubricant. When operating in 4 x 4 mode, the viscous lube is flung around enough to lubricate the Upper Trunion Bearing. It’s common knowledge that a “dry seal” isn’t effective. Regular wheel bearing grease is exactly that: dry. It can’t seal as good. The “sodium grease” leaves a thin film on the exposed steel spherical portion of the ball to prevent it from rusting and pitting.

Ok I have found a Toyota part # for what is called a Toyota chassis lube

It took hours of searching and repeated request at Toyota dealerships all over the country. with them all saying something of this sort did not exist.

P/N 08887-80219

When I found it on the internet it was listed at aprox 11 $ per ounce
When I called the dealership this morning to order some its going to run 20 some bucks to get my hands on 1 ounce of this Toyota grease,
so rather waste my money I hope some one can answer just a couple of questions. Is it a Fluid Form of lube? and it shows up in TSB #DL-94-001 for a bearing upgrade from bushing in the IFS rigs, also I am wondering if this is the stuff the service manager told me about for the lube in the enclosed knuckle that was required under Toyota warranty. But at 20 $ a ounce who could afford that. IT would cost you over 500 $ to fill the knuckles

at any point in your research ,did LUCAS oil products come close to your needs or of any help in the the info you desired ?

Thats a good idea. I have been thinking to contact one of those oil reps, because I know that all of those places like lucas, amzoil, shafferers are constantly dealing with manufactures warranty requirements for oils and greases. They may have some info, I did have a oil rep from shafferers come to the shop and give a demo it was really interesting however he didnt know much about this particular application, however was well aware of incompatible greases and the problems it can cause,

I have been in contact with a local chevron oil and grease distributer . They have been very helpful.

Heres a section taken from Toyota offroad website #12 points out not to mix soda greases, a different term for sodium the chemical reaction causes the oil thats mixed into grease to seperate and leak out thru the wiper seal

I would like to thank Toyota 4-runner forums to allow me to post this info beings I have been banned from several other Toyota websites for attempting to clue you all on to this, I presented this info to Marlin Crawler Forums been banned!! bummer, I dont know if they know better and dont care or if they dont want to think they have been tricked by some thing as silly as grease.

I did order some of that Toyota grease its not the grease for the knuckle but interestingly enough it is a synthetic oil and lithium soap a #1 grade I would say but no mention of molybedendum disulphate wich seems to be in all of the Toyota FSM
here you go

PACKING BEARINGS:

Pack the bearings by placing a glob of grease in your (clean) hand and hold the bearing with the wider side of it down. Keep dipping the bearing into the grease until the grease flows out the other side. Spin the bearing and start dipping again. Continue this until you've completely gone all the way around the bearing. I recommend buying a bearing packer, they're quicker and cleaner to use. Put a little smear of grease on the outside of the bearing and insert it into the race.

1. A few good rules to follow: Use clean solvent and brushes and dry thoroughly with clean air.
2. Never spin-dry bearings; this causes scratching of the polished surface and may result in premature failure.
3. Do not pack the bearing unless it is perfectly dry.
4. Good practice calls for a thorough inspection after cleaning and before reinstallation. Bearings are often hammered or pulled without respect for such precision made assemblies. Re-assembly of a damaged bearing results in short component life.
5. Pack the bearing immediately following cleaning, drying and inspection.
6. Do not use an excessive amount of grease - be sure it is worked into every bearing space, but do not fill the hub with grease.
7. Keep bearings clean, work on a clean bench and do not handle bearings with dirty or moist hands.
8. When re-assembling check the bearing for proper seating.
9. Check adjustments carefully. Most vehicle manufacturers nominate a torsion wrench setting for bearing assemblies. Use a torque wrench and do not exceed the manufacturer's recommendation.
10. Check brake shoe clearance, the dragging tip of a brake shoe or pad can create very high wheel temperatures in a short run.
11. Keep grease containers completely covered when not in use to avoid contamination. (Replace the lid immediately sufficient grease has been removed from the container).
12. Do not mix different types of grease. Under no circumstances must lithium based multi-purpose grease be mixed with soda base wheel bearing grease or an adverse chemical reaction will occur.
13. Carefully avoid contact of the packed bearing with dirt, dust, water or dirty hands.
14. Use the correct grade of grease for the job. Do not at any time use chassis grease. If the vehicle is used in very arduous service or under unusual conditions of load and speed, check with the manufacturer for correct grease recommendation ..........."""

I do have scans of shop manuals, I have emailed them to Toyota 4- runner forums and can do so again

Ok, I REALLY want to follow and understand all of this. Does anyone have a link to a concise, one-stop shopping, primer on grease? Thanks