How much grease to pump in/how often to do it?

[harriw]

Silly questions maybe, but I gotta learn somehow:

1. When greasing balljoints, tie-rod ends, drag link joints, etc. (on '96 and before, or for folks who have aftermarket joints with zerks), how much grease do you pump in? I've read 3-5 pumps, and I've read "keep going until you see the new grease coming out around the boot." What do you do?

2. How often do you grease these? Every oil change? Every 30k miles? Every week? (I know you do it more when wheeling - I'm refering to typical daily driver use in this case).

Thanks a lot!

 

[Shran]

I keep filling until grease comes out of the boot or whatever. Every oil change.

 

[Earl43P]

End of THAT thread.

 

[flyingbrick]

One or two pumps, every second oil change. If you pump till you see grease coming out of the boot you have "broken" the seal of the boot and can let water in much easier.

The next time you replace an end, or ball-joint pop the boot off you'll see that one pump of grease will put fresh stuff in the joint, second pump is to be sure, anymore is a waist.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I generally pump until it looks filled up and the boot doesn't just push in. If it comes out the top it comes out the top.

I don't think it "brakes the seal" because that little rubber boot comes off, it just slips over a ridge on the wide end, and the top around the tapered shaft it just pushes against the knuckle. There's no clamp or ring or special fitting.

Keep it full of grease and there shouldn't be any contaminants getting in or water. 2 pumps will probably be plenty to get fresh grease around the ball, and every other oil change sounds plenty often enough to me as well.

 

[AllanD]

On tie rod ends with a simple "cup" boot that is not actually sealed to the joint
you pump until you see CLEAN grease comming out.

You aren't only lubricating the part but forcing out as much of
the old contaminated grease as possible

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[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

On tie rod ends with a simple "cup" boot that is not actually sealed to the joint
you pump until you see CLEAN grease comming out.

You aren't only lubricating the part but forcing out as much of
the old contaminated grease as possible

AD

+1 for forcing out the old contaminated grease!

 

[warrior24]

Good question I have often wondered the same thing myself.

 

[AllanD]

I was just looking at my spare steering knuckle and realized my balljoints aren't really "Sealed" either.

IT's mostly about pumping out the old grease, because with even trace water contamination soap thickened grease can do some funky things...

Personally I use synthetic non-soap thickener waterproof "Marine grade" grease.

Why? on a 4x4 truck the reasons should be obvious.

My test for grease? take a glob about the side of a walnut and put it
on a chunk of wood and leave it outside for several months.

If the grease stays put and doesn't change it's character to
any appreciable degree it's good stuff.

I left some "good" grease out over an entire winter... the only thing that
happened it is collected some leaves and dust.

I use either "Green Grease" or the Green Quaker State full synthetic marine grease.
As far as I can tell they are the same stuff.

the stuff is more expensive but it stays where I put it.

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