Grease Nipple - DII Front Shaft

[cdodkin]

I see on the RAVE CD that the front shaft on the DII (2002) has a blanking plug instead of a permanent grease nipple.

RAVE CD says to use a 1/4 inch UNF nipple size, but that doesn't tally with the sizes I see quoted on grease nipples at the local Autozone - they have a size and then what I assume is a thread size... No mention of UNF???????

Anyone know which exact grease nipple size & type I need to buy?

Also, can I leave one fitted, or is it really an issue due to clearance on the vehicle?

Thanks,

Chris.

 

[JSQ]

I see on the RAVE CD that the front shaft on the DII (2002) has a blanking plug instead of a permanent grease nipple.

RAVE CD says to use a 1/4 inch UNF nipple size, but that doesn't tally with the sizes I see quoted on grease nipples at the local Autozone - they have a size and then what I assume is a thread size... No mention of UNF???????

Anyone know which exact grease nipple size & type I need to buy?

Also, can I leave one fitted, or is it really an issue due to clearance on the vehicle?

Thanks,

Chris.

You need to pull that driveshaft and have it rebuilt with conventional greaseable ujoints all around.

otherwise it's likely to 'splode somewhere around 80K and flog your transmission case open.

 

[ccdhowell]

I took out the plug and put in a normal 1/4 grease nipple like has been used on american vehicles in the past, nothing special, you probably found the one that will work. The deal is to remove the plug and install the nipple. Grease the slip yoke and replace the plug in the driveshaft.

The nipple will shear off the driveshaft under articulation off road when the driveshaft comes into contact with the crossmember.

Hope this helps.

And a driveshaft rebuild isn't a bad idea either.

 

[Mongo]

mine self destructed after 20k, WITHOUT ANY INDICATION IT WAS GOING BAD, no vibes, suddering nothing...took out the t-case, transmission and both cats...get it re-built with greaseable u-joints... great basin, tom woods or any driveline line can do this for you

 

[KevinNY]

I think there is some confusion here, he is refering to the slip joint grease point which is plugged with a blank and only uses a nipple to do the greasing and then should be replaced by the blank or you will shear it off(and probably bugger the hole too). Of course having the front prop shaft rebuilt with greasable U-joints is good advice as well.

 

[JSQ]

I think there is some confusion here, he is refering to the slip joint grease point which is plugged with a blank and only uses a nipple to do the greasing and then should be replaced by the blank or you will shear it off(and probably bugger the hole too). Of course having the front prop shaft rebuilt with greasable U-joints is good advice as well.

I understood, but as long as he's messing with his d-shaft he needs to take care of the bigger issue.

 

[cdodkin]

so - JSQ is not the first person to mention the issue with the 'lifetime' sealed prop shaft.

I guess it's on my to do list - Assume I can get a rebuilt exchange unit with greasable U-Joints from an independant LR specialist?

For now I'm going top do the full round of lube work on the DII and put a few more miles on it.

Anything I can do to test if the front shaft is failing / likely to fail? Anything I can feel or test while I'm under there with the grease gun?

 

[JSQ]

Anything I can do to test if the front shaft is failing / likely to fail? Anything I can feel or test while I'm under there with the grease gun?

grab the d-shaft and shake the shit out of it.
if it's loose,
that's bad.

 

[RichardS]

You'll want a flush grease fitting like this and you will need a matching needle tip on your grease gun. These are great on the slip joint as well as on the u-joints.

I do not think you are going to be able to determine the condition of the u-joints while the shaft is on the truck. Maybe if they are really shot but have not thrown the driveshaft yet you will feel some play in them. But at that point I'd expect them to self destruct in short order so would not plan on catching it that way. Pull the shaft and feel for smooth motion in all joints. And like others have said, if the joints are stock your best bet is to just replace them as the stock ones have a bad track record. You can get a rebuilt shaft from someone, have a local driveshaft shop do it, or do it yourself. Choosing between the 3 is a tradeoff of cost vs time (and possibly tools) invested.

 

[KevinNY]

I understood, but as long as he's messing with his d-shaft he needs to take care of the bigger issue.

Absolutely, replacing the ujoints in the front shaft should be done on ANY D2 past 40k miles.

 

[Plain2000DII]

Yikes! You guys are making me nervous. I've got about 70k and a subtle , but distinct vibe from the disco. under accel. up to about 35 or 40 mph. everytime I feel it, I think front drive shaft, then at 41 mph I seem to forget a' bout it. Come on spring time so I can change out the UJ's while warm....