Just decided to grease u-joints and propeller shafts as I clicked over my first 10,000 kilometers, easy enough.. drive up on the ramps crack open a Belgium beer and slide under with flashlight and grease gun. U-joints were easy, front shaft spins freely but he to slide the hyd jack under rear wheel to get the fitting to 5oclock position. Stop as the grease comes out u-joint but shafts seem to take quite a bit and still don't see anything Aka chevy 4wd splines??? Who needs to read instructions for a friggin grease job....me!!! Alas the seal on closer inspection was not rubber but steel with a rubber beneath I am guessing.
Hmmmm... jumped onto the forum to read about over servicing propeller shafts.
Great!!! time for a fresh beer and cigarette now, the 15 min task just got way more complicated, how to undo the mess I just created. The laws of hydraulic pressure would transfer a shocking load path on the first bump to transfer case and differential like having cement inside that shaft. Hence can't be ignored.
I thought about just removing the grease fittings, and driving over a few whoop di doos to push the grease out for space as needed inside shaft....then rethought that idea as I would have no idea How much came out or was left inside with the centrifugal force...another cigarette and go look up torque values on those bolts
Of the prop shaft flanges. this would be ok on a lift but on a sliding mech bed and ramps changes the game to many sit ups, crap dripping from winter road salt in your face and the joy of tools above your face so long story short, remove zert split flange sections and compress shaft until it bottoms out and catch all the grease before it lands on your face then slide it back in the exact same orientation it came off for balancing purposes. Put a film of all. That grease on the virgin steel cup flange and nut while its open. It's also important to block wheels on ground, put on hand brake and slide it into neutral before removing and retorqued bolts not to put strain on txfr case and transmission as good measure. Sixty five ft pounds is what I read but sure seem way more than that when trying to remove them initially, btw the bolts are splined so don't try to spin them only the nut turns, a hammer and flathead screwdriver is needed to split the flange then its all easy street after that ,,,,,hahah seeing my front shaft doesn't spin until I move the lever To H or L i just removed to zert and will some heavy braking to dive the nose down and pump out that excessively grease statically ,,,,,,smart men learn from their mistakes, wise men learn from the mistakes of others,,,but the last lingering question, with this knowledge Are you really going to let your local mechanic or even newbie at the dealer grease your shafts in fear of getting shafted ? The repair cost must be huge on either side of that shaft, food for thought. Not to be a buzz kill either but how much grease is in that chamber right now,,,,,its only four bolts and one zert in the front for peace of mind ? thanks for your time and patience with the long winded msg hope it helps or saves some grief
Screen Shot 2019-08-25 at 1.44.06 PM by Michael Starmer, on Flickr
