传动轴的万向节十字轴滚针轴承应该使用齿轮油润滑。但一般在汽车维修中发现，传动轴的万向节十字轴滚针轴承都使用钙基润滑脂(俗称黄油)来润滑，实际这种润滑方式是错误的，导致了大批十字轴滚针轴承的早期损坏。在拆卸中可以清楚的看出十字轴轴颈呈现出被挤中压的沟槽，轴颈和滚针处严重缺油。
The cross axle roller bearing of the universal joint of the drive shaft should be lubricated by gear oil. But generally, it is found in automobile maintenance that all the transmission shaft's universal joints, cross shaft needle roller bearings are lubricated with calcium base grease (commonly called butter). The actual lubrication mode is wrong, which leads to the early damage of a large number of cross shaft needle roller bearings. In the disassembly, it is clear that the cross axle neck presents the trench that is squeezed in the middle pressure, and the shaft neck and the needle roller are badly deficient in oil.
为什么会出现这种现象呢？是因为万向节十字轴滚针轴承的润滑油嘴是一只普通的黄油嘴，所以给人们造成一种错觉，长期以来普遍加注黄油来润滑。事实上，从该油嘴处用黄油枪是很难将黄油加注到滚针轴承上的。众所周知，黄油的粘度大，当用黄油枪从该油嘴向万向节十字轴滚针轴承内腔加注黄油时，黄油进入狭窄内腔油道时阻力加大，黄油压力升高顶开油嘴对面的减压阀而溢出。这个现象还会被驾驶员和修理人员误认为已经加满了黄油。而实际上黄油根本就没进入滚针之间，就是达到十字轴轴颈端面也非常困难。在拆下维修时，即使用强制方法将黄油涂抹在滚针和轴颈表面上也能起到一些润滑作用，但对于十字轴滚针轴承的润滑效果来说，钙基润滑脂远不如齿轮油好，其原因是：
Why does this happen? It is because the lubricating oil nipple of the universal joint cross shaft needle roller bearing is a common butter nozzle, so it causes people an illusion that butter has been generally lubricated for a long time. In fact, it is difficult to add butter to the needle roller bearing with a butter gun from the nozzle. As we all know, the viscosity of butter is large. When grease is injected from the oil nozzle to the inner cavity of the universal pin cross shaft needle roller bearing, the resistance increases when the butter enters the narrow inner cavity oil way, and the pressure of the butter rises, and the overflow valve on the opposite side of the nozzle is spilled. The phenomenon could also be mistaken for the butter to be filled by the driver and the repairman. In fact, the butter doesn't get into the needle roller, and it's very difficult to reach the end of the cross axle neck. The grease can be applied to the surface of needle roller and shaft neck when it is removed and repaired. It can also play some lubrication role. But for the lubrication effect of cross shaft needle roller bearings, calcium based grease is far inferior to gear oil.
a.万向节在工作中要承受很大的扭力和交变载荷，而钙基润滑脂的油膜坚韧程度较差，在轴承与轴颈的摩擦表面难以形成良好的油膜。
A. universal joint must bear great torque and alternating load in operation, while calcium base grease has poor toughness of oil film, so it is hard to form good oil film on the friction surface between bearing and journal.
b.万向节十字轴的滚针轴承在工作中只能原地转动，不能沿钢碗和十字轴颈旋转，而钙基润滑脂的滚动性很差，所以当油膜被破坏后不能立即形成新的油膜。
The needle bearings of the B. universal joint cross shaft can only rotate at work, do not rotate along the steel bowl and the cross neck, and the rolling property of the calcium base grease is very poor, so when the oil film is damaged, no new oil film can be formed immediately.
c.钙基润滑脂是由滑油和钙皂混合而成的，在使用中由于润滑油的变质和蒸发，使滑脂变成了较硬的钙皂，钙皂本身不但不能起到润滑作用，而且还阻碍了滚针在轴颈上的滚动，加上万向节十字轴中又没有排油措施，变了质的润滑脂既不能排出，新油又很难注入，因而大大加速了万向节十字轴滚针轴承的磨损。
C. calcium base grease is composed of oil and calcium soap mixed, in use due to lubrication oil deterioration and evaporation, make grease into calcium soap hard, calcium soap itself will not play lubrication, but also hindered the needle rolling in the shaft neck, and universal section of the cross shaft and no exhaust oil measures, changed grease quality can not be discharged, it is difficult to inject new oil, thus greatly accelerated wear of cardan shaft needle bearing.
为了能改变这种用黄油代替齿轮油来润滑万向节十字轴滚针轴承的错误做法，建议采用以下维护方法，用以提高万向节十字轴滚针轴承的使用寿命。
In order to change the wrong way of replacing the gear oil with grease instead of gear oil to lubricate the needle bearings of the universal joint cross shaft, it is suggested that the following maintenance methods should be adopted to improve the service life of the universal joint cross shaft roller bearing.
a.拆下万向节十字轴滚针轴承后进行彻底清洗，将残余的润滑脂全部清除(可用水煮或放入汽油中清洗)后，放入齿轮油中浸泡2min~l0min，即可装用。在使用中应注意：汽车涉水行驶后应及时更换新油。行驶2000km~3500km应更换一次新油。这种方法经试验，可使万向节十字轴滚针轴承的寿命延长2倍~3倍。
A. remove the universal joint cross shaft needle roller bearings thoroughly after cleaning, the remaining grease can be cleaned up (can be boiled or put into gasoline to clean), then put into gear oil soaked in 2min~l0min, can be installed. In use, attention should be paid to the replacement of new oil in time after the car is involved in the water. A new oil should be replaced at 2000km~3500km. This method can prolong the life of the pin bearing of the cross shaft of the universal joint by 2 times ~3 times.
b.可配用专用的液压加注设备，对传动轴的万向节十字轴滚针轴承进行定期润滑。
B. can be used with special hydraulic filling equipment to lubricate the universal joint roller bearing of the drive shaft.