Driveshaft spline grease

What grease do you use for the driveshaft splines?

I was told by a mechanic I highly trust that Black Molly grease is best for splines and gears. Has something to do with ability to absorb or not be adversely affected by the crush factors. Yup, I guess those little molecules get beat up after a while.... Seriously, that is what I use and it has served me well for many years. :xszpv::xszpv:
 
Every time I hear this question I have to ask: "When was the last time you greased the driveshaft splines on your car or truck?"

Driveshaft splines on your car transmission are lubed by the trans fluid. If you pull the driveshaft out of the trans you will have a fluid mess on your floor. No maintenance required.

Older 4wd trucks require greasing the splines periodically, newer ones are sealed.
 
Honda used to recommend HondaPro Moly 60, but that is no longer available. The tech at the local Honda shop said that Honda 08 734-0001 Moly Paste (M77) is the replacement. Spendy, but a little goes a long way.[h=1]
shopping
[/h]
 
Driveshaft splines on your car transmission are lubed by the trans fluid. If you pull the driveshaft out of the trans you will have a fluid mess on your floor. No maintenance required.

Older 4wd trucks require greasing the splines periodically, newer ones are sealed.

Thanks. I stand corrected. I have never remembered any Honda mechanic telling me my driveshaft splines needed lube; 10 years 1500 and 5 years with 1800. Guess I will read my service manual.
 
For years I have used Valvoline VV632 Moly fortified grease and the splines on the drive shafts of both my trike and my two wheeler as well as the rear wheel splines on the two wheeler look new still. I am liberal in it's use. I use it on my wheel bearings and etc as well. Good stuff.

http://www.valvoline.com/admin/p65.png

This is exactly what I bought.

But it seems waaaaay too thick for usage a

s a bearing grease

- - - Updated - - -

Every time I hear this question I have to ask: "When was the last time you greased the driveshaft splines on your car or truck?"

I did it last yeare when I installed my new Motortrike driveshaft.

I used regular bearing grease but even at that time it felt too lightweight. I figured correctly that there was a better option
 
DSCN8368.JPG
What grease do you use for the driveshaft splines?

Below is what Honda's Service Manual calls for. I've never found a source for the Mitsubishi's M-2, so I use Down Corning's Molykote BR-2 plus. Some believe Moly60 is sufficient, however, not according to Honda ... actually, according to Honda, Moly60 is not used anywhere on a GL1800.

If it's a trike drive shaft, then one should use what the trike manufacture says to use.

"Use molybdenum disulfide grease (containing more than 3% molybdenum disulfide, NLGI #2 orequivalent).

Example: Molykote
® BR-2 Plus manufactured by Dow Corning, U.S.A.
Multi-purpose M-2 manufactured by Mitsubishi Oil, Japan"
 
Last edited:
I checked my Honda service manual and found nothing about maintenance on the splines. If it's in there can someone tell me where ?

Lubing the spines in a Honda Service Manual is not a maintenance item. On a 2-whl GL1800, the drive shaft is inclosed and protected from road dust, and climate. Once lubed at the factory, re-lubing is not needed unless a repair is done. In the Service Manual, lubing the rear splines of the drive shaft are shown in the Final Drive section under "installation" (chapter 13, page 22 in Service Manual version I am currently looking at), and the front of the drive shaft's splines are lubed as the engine is being installed (Engine Removal/Installation section (chapter 8, page 11).

I believe there is no where in a Honda Service manual that show an actual drive shaft or even how to inspect it.
 
I think the splines being referred to by most that need to be greased are on the OEM rear wheel pack. Might not be true of a trikes shaft. I didn't have to, but did the rear wheel pack on my Valkyrie every 5K or so. I used whatever grease had the most moly in it at the time.
 
Whether the splines need to be "regularly" greased depends on type of kit and driveshaft design. Many of your "solid axle" conversion kits use an OE (or equivalent) front universal joint (on the GL1800 many used a GL1500 front u-joint assembly) that is a splined fit to the driveshaft coming from the kit.

On a solid axle as the wheels move up and down this causes the driveshaft to slide in and out on the splines where it meets the front universal joint. Because this is a part that "slides" on top of it's already intended use, most companies recommend applying grease to the splines to help prevent wear to the splines themselves. This isn't necessary on a vehicle because the plunge is inside the tailshaft of the transmission & is constantly lubricated by the transmission fluid (this is one of the reasons there is a seal where the tail shaft goes into the transmission).
 

Welcome to the Trike Talk Community

Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things Trikes! Whether you're a seasoned rider or just starting out, this is the place to share experiences, tips, and stories about your three-wheeled adventures. Explore modifications, maintenance advice, and rides, all while connecting with fellow trike enthusiasts from around the globe

Forum statistics

Threads
55,375
Messages
897,953
Members
22,545
Latest member
Markh853

Trike Talk Community

Welcome to a community dedicated to the most diverse and fastest growing powersports segment, Motorcycle Trikes. Come join the discussion about the best makes and models, popular modifications and proven performance hacks, trike touring and travel, maintenance, meetups and more!

Register Already a member? Login

Forum statistics

Threads
55,375
Messages
897,953
Members
22,545
Latest member
Markh853
 photo 260e2760-d89e-45b2-8675-2bc26fb3d465.jpg

 photo Trike-Talk-150-x-200.gif

 photo DK Trike Talk Right side banner 19.jpg

Merziere Reverser

 photo 9796095c-0d4b-4a9b-88ed-efe4c498d084.png
 photo f9866e4e-75c5-471a-86f5-5e72a446ecc3.png
Back
Top