Front driveshaft lubrication interval

[themaestro]

I've always lubricated all 6 zerks (3 front, 3 rear) every 5k miles. However I got to thinking that, if I understand correctly, the front driveshaft only turns if the truck is in 4wd.

So, it stands to reason, that if in one of my 5k mile intervals, I don't use 4wd, I really don't need to go through the extra effort to grease the front 3 zerks.

Right?

 

[DougR]

I grease both propeller shaft assemblies every 10K. Greasing pushes out any water or contaminants that might have made it past the seals. I rarely go off road, however, I occasionally (3-4 times/year) engage 4WD on a straight road to splash lubricant around and verify that 4WD is working OK.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

For those with a Limited the front driveshaft spins all the time. When I go under there to grease the driveshafts I may as well do all of them for how easy it is.

 

[DougR]

Four Wheel Drive Operation (4WD) - YouTube explains how the 2007-2013 Toyota Tundra 4WD system works. Front propeller shaft (and transfer case chain) does not rotate in 2WD assuming the automatic disconnect differential is working properly. 5th generation 4Runner is similar except for the Limited and Nightshade which are full time 4WD. The video shows actual hardware with cut outs showing internal details and how the system works. You'll know a lot after watching it.