Thread: Inaccessible grease point on double-cardan joint

Originally Posted by POD

twr7cx's thread about his Tom Wood driveshaft reminded me of something I've been meaning to ask for a while about the Tom Wood double-cardan shaft I have installed on my 130.
The greasing point on the yoke in the centre of the double-cardan joint can not be accessed by the supplied tool except by unbolting the shaft from the transfer case input. When the shaft is rotated so the grease nipples are at the bottom, the joint is pinched together so the tool can not be inserted. With the shaft rotated to where the grease nipple is on the outside of the bend, it is inaccessible due to obstacles such as the transfer case itself. This has resulted in this part of the shaft only getting grease when I have time to unbolt the shaft. Has anyone else come up with a solution to this problem?

Have you tried grease nipple extensions?

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Have you tried grease nipple extensions?

They wont wont work Mick due to the already limited space in the joint.

G'day Pete, there's a grease nipple kit you can buy which has various sorts of extensions and nipples which should be able to get in there. Chris (rangieman) has one, so he might chime in later with some more info. Not sure if he got it from Bunnings.

The grease point in the d/c joint doesn't have a nipple in the normal sense, it has a little concave gizmo and they supply a tool that goes onto your grease gun in place of the standard grease-nipple fitting- a tapered plastic arrangement that has a radiused end that you hold onto the concave thingy. A picture would help here, might have to get under there and take a photo.
It would be fine if the joint was straight when the suspension is at rest, or even if I could get to the grease fitting at the horizontal position. Removing a floor panel to access the grease point from above- where the joint is open- would be an option but if you have to go to that much trouble it's easier to unbolt the propshaft from the flange.

Is this what you are describing?


This type of grease nipple is all over the Merc.

Thats the one.
Tom supplies a needle tip with the shafts when new, I lost mine but now use a airgun needle that srews into my grease gun, you do need to take that end of the prop off to access the nipple though

What Remer said.

I've got a TW shaft on the front of the county and have the same issue.

So far I've just taken the shaft off to grease it, but have been thinking about either:
1. A "U" shaped pointed grease fitting so that you can get into it from underneath with the grease nipple at the top, or
2. Drilling a hole in the floor panel and fitting a grommet thats easy to remove when you want to grease it.

Steve