I didn't want to do this, but I felt I must.
I have taken apart dozens of toyota solid axles (I'm a Toyota tech) and not once have I found any sort of grease like what frank is describing, UNLESS there was an axle seal failure.
Gear oil gets into the knuckle, thins out the thick (not soupy) grease that comes in the knuckles, then the knuckles start to seep past the sweeps, making a big mess of the knuckle ball, lower trunion caps, and eventually starts seeping out of the lockout hub or drive flange, etc.
Big nasty mess.
I have also torn into the knuckles on cars that had not had an axle seal failure. they did not have this thin soupy stuff in the knuckles, nor were the knuckles leaking before hand. (one was a broken ring/pinion on a fzj80, the other was a bad side gear on a fj62)
The repair manuals clearly state (multiple years, buth truck/4runner and landcruiser) what grease to use, and it is not sodium based.
I have done knuckle jobs on cars that are into the double digits of years since the repair, with no re-occuring knuckle leakage. ( I do live in washington, there is little rust here to speak of, so no severely pitted knuckle balls)
Frank has not, in any way shape or form, provided proof that the trucks came from the factory with any sort of sodium based grease.
The info he is feeding you is from VERY old jeep and "motors" manuals.
Nothing at all to do with Toyota.
his theory is that the solid axle's closed knuckles needs this really thin stuff to keep everything lubed properly. While it's a good theory, it just doesn't pan out.
This great conspiracy theory is just that too..... a conspiracy theory.
He'll also tell you that Bobby Long (longfield super axles) should NOT be putting moly grease in his lifetime warranty birfields.
I have nothing to gain or lose by him convincing anyone or not. Not a single thing.
BUT.
If I went and put the stuff he's talking about in my knuckles, not only would it ooze out all over the place, and if that stuff oozes out enough, it can get on your brakes.
It would probably void the warranty on the longfields.
AND.... this stuff he's toting doesn't perform as well as newer alternatives.
here's a description of variuous greases.
note the sodium section, and the lithium section.
(1) Calcium or lime grease, the first of the modern production greases, is prepared by reacting mineral
oil with fats, fatty acids, a small amount of water, and calcium hydroxide (also known as hydrated lime).
The water modifies the soap structure to absorb mineral oil. Because of water evaporation, calcium grease
is sensitive to elevated temperatures. It dehydrates at temperatures around 79 EC (175 EF) at which its
structure collapses, resulting in softening and, eventually, phase separation. Greases with soft
consistencies can dehydrate at lower temperatures while greases with firm consistencies can lubricate
satisfactorily to temperatures around 93 EC (200 EF). In spite of the temperature limitations, lime grease
does not emulsify in water and is excellent at resisting “wash out.” Also, its manufacturing cost is
relatively low. If a calcium grease is prepared from 12-hydroxystearic acid, the result is an anhydrous
(waterless) grease. Since dehydration is not a concern, anhydrous calcium grease can be used continuously
to a maximum temperature of around 110 EC (230 EF).
EM 1110-2-1424
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(2) Calcium complex grease is prepared by adding the salt calcium acetate. The salt provides the
grease with extreme pressure characteristics without using an additive. Dropping points greater than
260 EC (500 EF) can be obtained and the maximum usable temperature increases to approximately 177 EC
(350 EF). With the exception of poor pumpability in high-pressure centralized systems, where caking and
hardening sometimes occur calcium complex greases have good all-around characteristics that make them
desirable multipurpose greases.
b. Sodium grease. Sodium grease was developed for use at higher operating temperatures than the
early hydrated calcium greases. Sodium grease can be used at temperatures up to 121 EC (250 EF), but it
is soluble in water and readily washes out. Sodium is sometimes mixed with other metal soaps, especially
calcium, to improve water resistance. Although it has better adhesive properties than calcium grease, the
use of sodium grease is declining due to its lack of versatility. It cannot compete with water-resistant, more
heat-resistant multipurpose greases. It is, however, still recommended for certain heavy-duty applications
and well-sealed electric motors.
c. Aluminum grease.
(1) Aluminum grease is normally clear and has a somewhat stringy texture, more so when produced
from high-viscosity oils. When heated above 79 EC (175 EF), this stringiness increases and produces a
rubberlike substance that pulls away from metal surfaces, reducing lubrication and increasing power
consumption. Aluminum grease has good water resistance, good adhesive properties, and inhibits rust
without additives, but it tends to be short-lived. It has excellent inherent oxidation stability but relatively
poor shear stability and pumpability.
(2) Aluminum complex grease has a maximum usable temperature of almost 100 EC (212 EF) higher
than aluminum-soap greases. It has good water-and-chemical resistance but tends to have shorter life in
high-temperature, high-speed applications.
d. Lithium grease.
(1) Smooth, buttery-textured lithium grease is by far the most popular when compared to all others.
The normal grease contains lithium 12-hydroxystearate soap. It has a dropping point around 204 EC
(400 EF) and can be used at temperatures up to about 135 EC (275 EF). It can also be used at
temperatures as low as -35 EC (-31 EF) . It has good shear stability and a relatively low coefficient of
friction, which permits higher machine operating speeds. It has good water-resistance, but not as good as
that of calcium or aluminum. Pumpability and resistance to oil separation are good to excellent. It does
not naturally inhibit rust, but additives can provide rust resistance. Anti-oxidants and extreme pressure
additives are also responsive in lithium greases.
(2) Lithium complex grease and lithium soap grease have similar properties except the complex grease
has superior thermal stability as indicated by a dropping point of 260 EC (500 EF). It is generally
considered to be the nearest thing to a true multipurpose grease.
e. Other greases. Thickeners other than soaps are available to make greases. Although most of these
are restricted to very special applications, two nonsoap greases are worthy of mention. One is organic, the
other inorganic.
EM 1110-2-1424
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5-8
(1) Polyurea grease.
(a) Polyurea is the most important organic nonsoap thickener. It is a low-molecular-weight organic
polymer produced by reacting amines (an ammonia derivative) with isocyanates, which results in an oilsoluble
chemical thickener. Polyurea grease has outstanding resistance to oxidation because it contains no
metal soaps (which tend to invite oxidation). It effectively lubricates over a wide temperature range of
-20 to 177 EC (-4 to 350 EF) and has long life. Water-resistance is good to excellent, depending on the
grade. It works well with many elastomer seal materials. It is used with all types of bearings but has been
particularly effective in ball bearings. Its durability makes it well suited for sealed-for-life bearing
applications.
(b) Polyurea complex grease is produced when a complexing agent, most commonly calcium acetate or
calcium phosphate, is incorporated into the polymer chain. In addition to the excellent properties of normal
polyurea grease, these agents add inherent extreme pressure and wear protection properties that increase the
multipurpose capabilities of polyurea greases.
(2) Organo-clay. Organo-clay is the most commonly used inorganic thickener. Its thickener is a
modified clay, insoluble in oil in its normal form, but through complex chemical processes, converts to
platelets that attract and hold oil. Organo-clay thickener structures are amorphous and gel-like rather than
the fibrous, crystalline structures of soap thickeners. This grease has excellent heat-resistance since clay
does not melt. Maximum operating temperature is limited by the evaporation temperature of its mineral oil,
which is around 177 EC (350 EF). However, with frequent grease changes, this multipurpose grease can
operate for short periods at temperatures up to its dropping point, which is about 260 EC (500 EF). A
disadvantage is that greases made with higher-viscosity oils for high thermal stability will have poor lowtemperature
performance. Organo-clay grease has excellent water-resistance but requires additives for
oxidation and rust resistance. Work stability is fair to good. Pumpability and resistance to oil separation
are good for this buttery textured grease.
5-9. Compatibility
a. Greases are considered incompatible when the physical or performance characteristics of the mixed
grease falls below original specifications. In general, greases with different chemical compositions should
not be mixed. Mixing greases of different thickeners can form a mix that is too firm to provide sufficient
lubrication or more commonly, a mix that is too soft to stay in place.
b. Combining greases of different base oils can produce a fluid component that will not provide a
continuous lubrication film. Additives can be diluted when greases with different additives are mixed.
Mixed greases may become less resistant to heat or have lower shear stability. If a new brand of grease
must be introduced, the component part should be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned to remove all of
the old grease. If this is not practical, the new grease should be injected until all traces of the prior product
are flushed out. Also, the first grease changes should be more frequent than normally scheduled.
grease technology has come a LONG way since the first enclosed knuckle steering axles.
the fact that we have the quintisential birfield comnpared to the ball and claw design says the desigen has come a long way as well.
long story short, there is alot of info out there on the correct stuff used IN TOYOTAS, and none, exept frank, on this sodium stuff.
Do your own research, including searches on "tranny frank" and "backwoods goop" before you go tearing into your axles, that's all.
