hobhayward

Definitely a noob question but I haven't been able to find what I'm looking for.

Jeep: 99 XJ w/ 4.5" lift, SYE with CV joint. D35 rear, D30 front.

I went to grease my driveshafts today and was pumping grease into the rear zerk for a while waiting to see old grease come out somewhere, however nothing did so eventually I stopped because I didn't want to overpack it. Went to the front, where the connection seemed to be loose? Pumped grease into the zerk on the front shaft and nothing came out either, however it seemed to become less loose..

What is the proper procedure for greasing the driveshafts? Is some looseness normal?

Thanks!

For clarity this is the zerk fitting on the rear ds that I'm talking about.

scottmphoto

You just have to pump grease in till it starts coming out. if it's taking that much grease, then it was pretty dry.

freegdr

Every fitting you see that looks like that pump it till it pukes ...

hobhayward

Thanks guys, the xj is new to me so it's one of those things that I don't know the maintenance history of.

I believe I read that some slop between the driveshafts is normal, but can some confirm that? To be clear the u joints are rock solid but the fit between the front driveshaft/skip yoke is like the od of the inner tube is smaller than the id of the outer tube such that they can be moved so they are not parallel.

hobhayward

So I continued to pump grease into the zerk fittings until I noticed the cap that the zerk is in started to be pushed off the shaft by the grease. I stopped when I saw that on both of them, presuming that the caps shouldn't be blown off!

Is this right or is there a relief hole somewhere that's clogged?

94JeepCherokeeMan

You could probably scrape out the cap and reattach it. You've got the right amount of grease in there, though. The first time I lubed my shaft (hehe) it took almost a full tube in the smaller grease gun.

salad

If your U joints were that dry and now won't take grease properly, its time for new ones. The bearings are likely seized.

hobhayward

Salad, I'm talking about the slip yokes, not u-joints. Unless the grease is supposed to come out the other end of the slip yoke and go into the u-joint I think they're OK.

94JeepCherokeeMan, I didn't pump until the caps blew off, I stopped when I saw them start to move. Are you saying that I should remove them, clean them out and reattach? Either way I'm still confused by the lack of a place for excess grease to ooze from.

Sorry for what I'm sure are some seriously newbish questions, and thanks for the help everyone.

riderjay253

bump
this same thing has happened to me just pumping away all my grease into them
the seal must keep water out if grease cant get out ive never seen grease there on any of my trucks
and now i thinks theirs to much grease and it could break the seal
when flexing the suspension

wiggles

On the short sliding end of the shaft, in the c where the u joint goes there should be a hole for grease to come out, look there.

Fred/N0AZZ

This is very possible.

riderjay253

thanks wiggles mine where clogged i had the disconnect the drive shaft
and found the whole then grease came flyin out
this is what the op needed to do i bet

wiggles

No problem

hobhayward

Yea, eventually I found out that when the driveshaft compresses it shoots that grease out if its full. I haven't had any issues since.

Kalali

Are there grease fittings on driveshaft in 2000? Don't recall seeing them.