2007 F150 4X4 SuperCrew "SLIP YOKE" ??

The owners manual says to lube the 'Slip Yoke' " if serviceable".

Other forums mention it in a 1999 F150 but I can't find any mention of it in the newer trucks.

Anyone know how I determine if 2007 models have this feature and if so ... is mine "serviceable"

Reply to
Rudy
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I gotta ask....all these years I've been calling in 'Zert.' Anyway, is that the name of the guy who came up with the idea?

john

Reply to
asadi

Don't feel bad. Many make the same mistake. Yes, patented by one Oscar Zerk in 1929.

Reply to
Hairy

///snipped///

Right on the nose, John. This particular type of grease fitting was patented by one Otto Zerk in the late 1920s or early 1930s

DaveD

Reply to
Dave D

As the vehicle suspension travels up and down, the drive shaft has to be able to change its length. They can accomplish this by allowing the tailshaft to slide in and out of the transmission, or transfer case if 4WD. Another means to accomplish this is to fix the yoke to tailshaft and differential, then build a slip joint into the drive shaft.

If the tailshaft is allowed to slide, then it is generally sealed and lubricated with transmission fluid, and no servicing is required. If the driveshaft itself has a slip joint in it, it can be serviceable or not depending on the maker. If it needs service, it will have a zerk fitting where you can squirt grease in as the service interval calls for.

The slip joint can be at a yoke, but is generally in the middle of the driveshaft. If the yoke slips, then it will slip in and out of the transmission or transfer case, and will slip on the tailshaft of whichever unit it fits into. Such a configuration is usually unserviceable.

The stronger method of allowing the driveshaft to change its length is to put the slip joint physically into the shaft itself. When they do this, the transmission or transfer case will have a fixed yoke on the tailshaft that the drive shaft is then bolted to (via the univesal joint), and the driveshaft will have a splined section that is typically sealed with a boot, but may be sealed with a pressed-on ring that holds a felt or other similar kind of seal which keeps the grease in and the dirt out.

Any lubrication point that requires your attention will have a zerk fitting to allow you to put grease into the joint. Typical locations for zerk fittings will be tie rod ends, suspension pivot points (connections of the upper and lower A-frames, that sort of thing) and the driveshaft(s). If there are no zerk fittings then there is no routine service required.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Rudy:

I have purposely waited to see if anyone would respond to your request and if the response would have the information you requested.

Now that I've seen several responses, I can say with confidence that none of the reponses (so far) deal adequately or correctly with your original request.

I have been "banned" here by a few because I've been labeled a SPAMMER, therefore this group doesn't deserve to share in my knowledge. If you'd like a quality response to your reqest that addresses your issue, please email me at the address posted below in my sig file..

Thanx!

Reply to
Steve

Come on Steve!

I gave him enough information to know how to find his slip yoke if he has one, and how to determine if it is serviceable. If he reads my post and still can't figure it out, he needs to pay for the service call.

Having said that, I have no idea what he has, but I could spend 30 seconds under his truck and find out.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Where I come from, we call it a "Grease Nipple"

Reply to
Rudy

Thanks for the knowledegable post Jeff. The way I read it, on my 2007 F150 SuperCrew 4X4. there 'may' be a Zerk on the front (and/or rear) drive shaft. If there is "grease it" if there isnt, its "NOT serviceable". Is that right ?

BTW, there are no grease fittings on any of the suspension parts. My '02 F350 only had 4, now "Zero" With the 5 yr 60,000 warranty, I'd guess Ford will be replacing my ball joints under warranty like they had to on my '69 Ford Fairlane and on MANY '02 F350s

R
Reply to
Rudy

Yes, that's right.

For a quick trip into the apples and oranges orchard, Jeep uses (or has used) what is referred to as a slip yoke. This is the scheme where the yoke on the tailshaft of the transfer case is splined, and it slides in and out as the suspension moves up and down. When a Jeep is lifted, it is entirley possible, probable really, that the slip yoke will physically detach from the tailshaft, and the driveshaft will drop onto the ground. This is clearly a very undesireable thing to have happen.

Jeep owners will install an SYE Kit (slip yoke eliminator) that fixes the location of the yoke on the tailshaft, and moves the slip joint to the driveshaft, where they can make the splined section as long as they want. This gives a longer range of travel as the suspension moves up and down.

Back to reality ... Your truck with standard suspension will do just fine with a slip yoke that slides on the tailshaft -- if that's the design your truck uses. But, if you put a lift kit on and larger tires, and all of that sort of stuff, then (depending on the Ford design) may need to consider a slip yoke eliminator kit also. The nice people down at Offroad Warehouse or

4Wheel Parts Wholesalers, or wherever you shop for offroad accessories, should know when you need to start thinking about driveshaft modifications that result from lifting the suspension.

My F150 has a solid driveshaft, so my slip joint is on the taildhaft -- the yoke slides in and out of the transmission and is not serviceable relative to providing a greaseable location.

I'm not sure that is a reasonable leap to be making. It could be true, but just as equally true is that they could have redesigned the parts to be improved over the previous versions, and they will outlast the warranty period.

I drive a '97 F150 Std. Cab, Short Bed, as my company truck (home repairs) and it has 110k miles on it. I see no evidence that the ball joints have been replaced. I bought the truck with 97k miles on it, and as far as I can tell, it collected the vast majority of those miles on the highway. In the two years I've owned it, it has been on the dirt less than 5 miles, and 3 of them came last week when I had to get my brother out of the sand.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

any relation to the pig?

....I had to ask....john

Reply to
asadi

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