drive shaft grease nipples?

[red2000chris]

Hi.should my 74 2000 have grease nipples on the drive shafts under the 2 rubber cones? mine are too stiff to bend back but i cant feel any. did they have them as standard or may there be aftermarket ones fitted with no nipples?

[leesellars]

The UJs should have grease nipples so check them. While you are at it check the sliding sleevefor wear and also the moly grease should be moist if not clean up and replace.
I find that to do this job it is easier to take the shafts off the car. Also if the gaiters are hard is to replace them aswell. I learnt this on my TR 6 as they had the same as you. Did one and I thought there must be an easyier way to do that job so off the other shaft came and did it in half the time. As also you can check the play in the UJs.

Lee

[Alan Chatterton]

Some cheaper replacements don't have grease nipples in though.... but there should be some!

[red2000chris]

cheers lads. will get new cones and do a propper check.

[Mike Stevens]

As original I don't believe thay had grease nipples. However the UJs were available with them and I always used to keep some 'in stock' ready to change! From memory -

GUJ102/103 (?) prop and drive shaft without grease nipples
GUJ115/116 (?) Prop and drive shaft with grease nipples.

Note this is all from memory and I think the 102/103 are now discontinued!

[murcod]

I had the rear end apart on mine a couple of days ago - so thought perfect time to grease the unijoints on the drive shafts. Did the RHS first and it was probably a lot quicker stripping it down than when I managed to get the grease gun jammed trying to doing it in situ . Did the same on the LHS and no grease nipple to be found....

[Mike Stevens]

Did the same on the LHS and no grease nipple to be found....

Some of the UJ's have a small screw where the grease nipple goes. This can be removed, grease pumped in and the screw replaced. Hence I keep a jar of grease nipples!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Clifford Pope]

Is it possible to get a grease gun end that is angled at 90 degrees?
Otherwise the outer U/J cannot be greased without unbolting the hub assembly from the trailing arm.
There are 90-angled grease nipples, but not I think in the size required, and in any case clearance is tight between the yokes.

[Mike Stevens]

Hi Clifford,

I agree with you, I don't think you'd get a right angle grease nipple in there without it fouling. The long straight ones often foul anyway.

The only way is to remove the outer drive shaft. Luckily, that is not too difficult if you just undo the 6 nuts holding the bearing housing in place and split the shaft at the sliding joint. However, getting the splines mated again without contaminating the male end with road dirt from the swing arm I've never found very easy!

Cheers,
Mike.

[murcod]

Did the same on the LHS and no grease nipple to be found....

Some of the UJ's have a small screw where the grease nipple goes. This can be removed, grease pumped in and the screw replaced. Hence I keep a jar of grease nipples!

Cheers,
Mike.

In this case it appeared to be completely sealed with no screw visible.