Drive Shaft u-Joint

[garyde]

It seems I am supposed to Lube my U-joint every 5 thousand miles. But my Lube and oil Service will not come up untl 6-8 thousand miles. Is it OK to wait on the U-jpint, or do a Lube and Oil now which would be early. Gary

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Grease it Mr. bus driver.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Gary,

This is strictly an opinion, but if the coach has been regularly lubed on schedule I doubt if running over a few thousand miles will create a problem. If your are unsure of whether it has been lubed on schedule over its life, the easiest way to clear your conscience and take care of the coach is find a truck stop along the way with a lube pit and pull across and have them lube it.

Don't expect big things from the grease guy however because they don't see buses. Just make sure he does the U-joints.

[rfoster]

Gary: I too am paranoid about the U joint. Can,t help it. I have to slide under mine (jacked up of course) and grease the u joints about every 5k miles. It just drives better that way. I grease the rest of it at 10 to 12k miles. No pit either.

[truk4u]

Me too, like the King, I grease it after each trip! And they call Jon anal.

[JIM KELLER]

Come on you guys ! I thought the parts on these things were "HEAVY DUTY."

I have enough other things to worry about. Now I will be squirming around in the seat every time I see 5,000 miles click by ! !

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I think Roger and Tom need to get a life. I can just imagine a charter bus company sending its coach through the TA grease pit with 50 old ladies on it because the U joints need grease.

Without a doubt the grease in a U joint is getting a workout. but those bearings are not spinning in the same sense as wheel bearings or the idler pulley bearings on the engine. They are getting exercised to a degree, but they are also in full contact with the lubricant because the bearing cups are sealed. I think the longest any of my lube points has gone without a shot of grease is about 6000 miles. My 87 called for 5000 mile lube intervals and the 97 calls for 6250, so I presume the exact distance is not critical.

What concerns me more than greasing the fittings every 6250 miles is an oil change interval that for some coaches is more than a year. Infrequent usage is severe duty in my opinion, and an oil change in six months or 5000 or 6000 miles (whichever comes first) should be the type of preventive maintenance we follow.

YMMV

[Toy Box]

Roger, glad to hear you are so concerned with your drive- SHAFT u-joint. Iam pretty sure you can slide under your bus without raising it up.!! All it will take is a little grease and some big nuts...... you do have some big nuts.... don't you???? George.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Personally, I think Roger slides under there to catch a cat nap.

I know he just puts them air over hydraulic jacks under the support points and just rolls his creeper right into between the rears wheels and the next thing you know he's asleep dreaming about bling.

When he talks about greasing things it is usually to make speeding tickets disappear.

[truk4u]

Stay with me King, guess these experts never seen the water come squirting out with only a 1500 mile trip interval. Let's see, 10 minutes and pennies worth of grease or a tow truck along side the Interstate.

I'll do the grease you crybabies.......