Driveshaft Spline Grease

K

Kira

Joined
Aug 19, 2010
Messages
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Location
Champlain/Hudson Valley
I posted this as "Unexpected Generosity @ Ford" because a mechanic gave me 4 driveshaft bolts for my Ranger today.
I didn't think to put it in "GREASE".

It was suggested I get the "Special Teflon Grease" for the spline on the forward end of the driveshaft.

I have Motul Tech Grease 300. "High performance multi-purpose grease. Extreme Pressure. Complex Lithium. TECHNOSYNTHESE". It's green.

Does anyone know if this is suitable? I'll gladly get the teflon grease if it's needed.
 
KIra, I don't know anything about your driveshaft, but I do recall that there is a "slip-bump" problem with some Ford driveshafts and there is a lot of interweb chat about dealing with the problem and use of their teflon grease. Maybe with some searching, you can find something even better.

Here is just one of 100's of threads about the issue. It includes Ford's TSB about the problem. Hope I'm not preachin' to the choir here. I bet our Ford parts counter guy here will have some good, hands-on info for you (bdcardinal).

https://www.f150online.com/forums/other-powertrain/500073-drivetrain-clunk-spline-lube.html

Your Motul grease is maybe just a lithium complex product?
 
My front end on my 1997 Dodge Ram 4x4 had a clunk in the front since I bought it new. I could never figure out. Thought it was a track bar or something.

2 weeks ago while lubing the U-Joints with a grease gun I bumped the front driveshaft and heard a clunk. I could feel play and the sound. I bought a new dust boot and clamps, disassembled, cleaned, there was almost no grease on the splines.

Lubed splines inner and outer with Mystik JT6 w/moly, I believe 3% moly. I selected this grease because it seemed like the best of what I had available. Maybe not the best for splines, but I chose something with moly. Reassembled and the clunk is gone.

I have been listening to this looseness in my front end for almost 23 years, finally resolved. Too bad there isn't a grease fitting on the spline of the driveshaft like some manufactures have.
 
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I figured if my `97 Ram made it 23 years with almost no grease. It can make it to I take it to the junkyard with the generous amount of Mystik JT6 w/moly I put on the splines.

Even though the truck is rusting away around me. I am just glad the clunk is gone.
 
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Im not sure about your Ranger but on my old 1999 there was a boot on the slip joint. I put a needle on my grease gun and pumped till the boot got filled. I used wheel bearing grease. No more clunks!
 
Might want to use molykote br 2 plus.
BMW motorcycle owners are always worried about spline lube. This comes up as one.
 
[Linked Image from shop.broncograveyard.com]


This is what you should use if you're willing to buy it. It is blue in color, consistency of a light toothpaste, and does not feel "oily".

But if you just want to use any grease, then get one with moly since a sliding yoke needs protection. A standard non-moly grease won't protect as well.
 
Hello Kira,

usually greases that are suitable for splines are designed to perform well in the boundary and mixed friction neighborhoods, preventing fretting and also oxidation-corrosion since splines are not regularly regreased.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
I posted this as "Unexpected Generosity @ Ford" because a mechanic gave me 4 driveshaft bolts for my Ranger today.
I didn't think to put it in "GREASE".

It was suggested I get the "Special Teflon Grease" for the spline on the forward end of the driveshaft.

I have Motul Tech Grease 300. "High performance multi-purpose grease. Extreme Pressure. Complex Lithium. TECHNOSYNTHESE". It's green.

Does anyone know if this is suitable? I'll gladly get the teflon grease if it's needed.




Splined slip yoke at the transmission or transfer case end? I had pretty pronounced slip-bump from that joint for many thousands of miles. Tried all types of greases from the Ford blue teflon to the ford white teflon, moly paste, ATF, everything. Eventually I mixed some moly paste with synthetic nlgi #2 as well as flushed the transfer case. This has worked for 15k miles so far- best I ever got before this was 3-4k miles before it would return.
 
Sorry for the 6.5 month absence from this thread....COVID and all.
Thanks for the feedback. I got the Ford XG8 pictured above and am doing the job next week with my pal.
MAN, soooooo much to know about grease!

As usual, you guys are tops.
 
I struggled with this issue on my 1 piece driveshaft on the front slip yoke. Tried the blue teflon grease from Ford, tried the white teflon grease from Ford, tried 50% moly paste, tried a few other cocktails. Nothing lasted more than a few thousand miles. Eventually I replaced my xfer case fluid at the same time I tried a new cocktail of mixing the 50% moly paste with a lithium grease (synpower). So far about 20k miles without any hint of slip bump. Now since I did two things at once its hard to say what it was... but since no other grease seemed to work for very long I am leaning towards the fresh (Amsoil ATF) xfer case fluid being a major part of it.
 
I have owned a few Ford trucks that had the driveshaft clunk. The blue Ford grease lasts far longer than other stuff I tried.
 
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