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"Newmar Owners Forum Member"

Picture of RVDude
Posted
Just curious, the K2 manual and Spartan themselves will say the main driveshaft should be greased every 5,000 miles (all 3 zerk fittings on it). Not really a big deal but kind of a dumb design given everything else is on a 15,000 and up mile schedule. So...

How many of you grease your driveshaft every 5,000 miles????


2007 and 7/8ths Newmar Essex 4502
 
Posts: 624 | Registered: September 19, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owner's Forum Member"

Picture of tmitchell
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I have read several posts about problems that Spartan blamed on inadequate grease intervals, for the drive train. They were for the chassis used for my DSDP. To be on the safe side, I grease mine at approximately 5,000 mile intervals. I never have had grease come out the end of the slip joint. I know you are suppose to hold your finger over a hole that lets the air purge while pumping grease in until you see the excess come out the end. With the 7 or 8 times I have greased the drive shaft I have never gotten excessive grease to come out. Makes me wonder where it all goes.
Tom


Tom, Pat and Buster (the Boston terrier)
2004 DSDP 3807, 370HP Spartan
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
 
Posts: 485 | Location: Punta Gorda, Fl. | Registered: October 26, 2003Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owner's Forum Member"

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Okay, I don't. It's the 15 k rule for me. I've never had a problem. The last MH I treated the same and I did 58k on that one. The drive shaft on the K-2 is longer than on my last, therefore should be even better as less angles while operating.


Doctor of Mixology
'07 Essex 45' ISM 500 4 Slide
 
Posts: 2370 | Location: RiverBend Fla. | Registered: May 07, 2005Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owner's Forum Member"

Picture of GaryKD
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Jeff,
While I feel the same as you, I do grease every 5K or there abouts. Like Tom said, I wonder where all the grease goes. I've put a lot of grease in the spline zerk fitting and never had any come out anywhere.


Gary
2005 KSDP 3910
Wheelbase 252"
Cummins ISC 330 HP,
950 FT LBS Torque
Tow With Tow Bar & Dolly (not at the same time)
Coach & Towed Combined Weight Is 34K lbs.
NKK 17178 Life Member
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The States Visited Map Is Our Second Time Around
 
Posts: 2334 | Location: Wellington, Florida | Registered: July 19, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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if you do not see grease coming out of the spline grease outlet then you are not putting in enough grease. you may want to check your grease gun to be sure it is not pumping air??
i have found several 14 oz cartridges that have air pockets inside. not good for the rv.


tommy wilson
 
Posts: 134 | Registered: November 22, 2003Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owner's Forum Member"

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Tommy,
Been there and done that. My grease gun is pumping grease. Thanks for the thought.


Gary
2005 KSDP 3910
Wheelbase 252"
Cummins ISC 330 HP,
950 FT LBS Torque
Tow With Tow Bar & Dolly (not at the same time)
Coach & Towed Combined Weight Is 34K lbs.
NKK 17178 Life Member
FMCA F368169
GS 000612638 Life Member
Passport America Life Member
KOA Gold Camper Member
The States Visited Map Is Our Second Time Around
 
Posts: 2334 | Location: Wellington, Florida | Registered: July 19, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post

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I have the GT chassis, not the MM or K2 but I am replacing my driveshaft u-joints this weekend. When I greased the slip spline, it took the better part of a tube to fill the splines and finally it burped out the weep hole at the transmission end...which is where it should come out of. I wiped the excess off with a solvent soaked rag, as well as the existing u-joint bearing cups. It appears that it should take the better part of a complete standard grease gun tube to fill both u-joints and the slip spline from scratch, then just several pumps in each at regular maintenance intervals.


1998 Gulfstream 36' Sun Voyager
 
Posts: 417 | Registered: August 28, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owner's Forum Member"

Picture of GaryKD
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I wonder:
1. why Spartan doesn't fill it when they build it?
2. should the spline/shaft be full of grease or is there some level less than full that is correct?


Gary
2005 KSDP 3910
Wheelbase 252"
Cummins ISC 330 HP,
950 FT LBS Torque
Tow With Tow Bar & Dolly (not at the same time)
Coach & Towed Combined Weight Is 34K lbs.
NKK 17178 Life Member
FMCA F368169
GS 000612638 Life Member
Passport America Life Member
KOA Gold Camper Member
The States Visited Map Is Our Second Time Around
 
Posts: 2334 | Location: Wellington, Florida | Registered: July 19, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
"Newmar Owners Forum Member"

Picture of RVDude
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I try to grease my driveshaft every 5k miles. Seems I'm doing it almost monthly these days! The splines do uses a lot of grease. Both Spartan techs and several CoachCare techs all said to pump the u-joints and the spline until you see grease come out of the U joints and out of the spline weep hole. Which is standard procedure for any and all driveshaft lubes. No surprise there, just an every 5k PITA for 3 zerks.

I was just curious to see what y'all do. The Spartan guy said he suspects few folks do it.


2007 and 7/8ths Newmar Essex 4502
 
Posts: 624 | Registered: September 19, 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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