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Can you use different grease for driveshaft?

chaos

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
147
Location
Centennial
I changed my oil this weekend and was going to grease my driveshaft. I know I had Valvoline Palladium in the grease gun but no store has it in stock right now. (at least that I could find). Can you use a different type while greasing the driveshaft like the Tacky Red that I saw and mix it? Or is that a bad idea?
 

Stuckinthe80s

Rising Sun Member
Staff member
Joined
Dec 29, 2017
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2,326
Location
Lakewood, CO
Yep, just need something thick and gooey to keep the shaft lubricated.

@bassguyry stop right there, don't even think about turning this into something perverse. :scold:

But seriously though, the only differences in grease for this specific application is how quick one breaks down (or turns runny) vs. the other. Because there aren't any high spinning parts and you're just trying to keep the movement free between the contact points, it's not going to hurt anything to mix.

Also, make sure you don't over-grease and create a situation that prevents the slip motion as well.
 
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DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
Palladium is 3% moly so the only thing I'd worry (and probably only a little) about is using it on wheel bearings.

Toyota used to say moly on double cardens and slip yokes, non-moly on the u-joints. Newer owner's manuals I think backed off that and say either moly or not on slip yokes (non moly still on u-joints). The technology hasn't changed, just the recommendation since very few people really adhered to it anyway.

On the flip side I'd probably try to use moly on Birfields if possible.

Everywhere else moly-or-not, meh, it's whatever I have. My belief is fresh incorrect grease pushed often is better than the right grease left too long with dirt and water. I'm not sold that moly is magic anyway. Maybe it is but where it *might* help (like ball joints) I figure the difference in life is probably marginal from moly protecting against metal-on-metal but leaving a chunk of debris floating in the grease would be catastrophic.
 

chaos

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
147
Location
Centennial
Awesome!! Thank you for all the great advice!!
 
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