About how much grease should be squirted into the grease fittings of the driveshaft? I have read anywhere from 2 pumps to half a can of grease per oil change. Kind of a big difference in opinion.
The way I read it in my '71 Plymouth's shop manual was that the outer edge of the seal had a raised lip that fit securely into a groove at manufacture to seal the ball joint from external nasties. If too much grease was pumped under pressure, the lip of the seal would blow out of its sealing groove thereby allowing moisture and dirt in over time. No worse than previous unsealed ball joints, but thereafter needing as frequent attention as previous style unsealed ball joints until the joint would eventually be replaced due to normal wear.quote:
Originally posted by Kestas:
I don't see the big deal with bulging of the seals ... They'll bulge to let the excess grease out, then return to their normal position once all excess grease has purged.
I had a 79 504 wagon. Same deal. I did a bit more then you. I even put it up on a lift and had the thing spinning while I cranked the grease in. I also got reminded to do the knuckle at the trans end. I don't think that you had this since I think you had IRS and the tube was probably fixed. I had some trip through some state park (dirt roads) and that thing really didn't want to allow the axle to articulate. You wouldn't feel it on normal roads.quote:
Originally posted by Ray H:
My '84 Peugeot 505 had a torque-tube enclosing the drive shaft. There was a center carrier bearing and exposed grease nipple, but no way to observe grease squishing out of the hidden bearing. I just gave the exposed nipple two pumps o' the ol' grease gun lever and called it quits at each oil change. Always kinda wondered how much waste grease ended up lining the inner wall of that torque-tube. Sacre bleue ! - Le Frog technologie...
Experience like yours is vastly more meaningful than all of the grease salesmen in the world. Would you mind telling us exactly what brand/grade grease you prefer?quote:
Originally posted by widman:
If you are using the vehicle in slow speed dry, paved streets, any of the above will do.
However, I not only service hundreds of off road vehicles, but have 12 that see very little pavement. I have daken apart dozens of failed U-Joints and center shaft bearings. I have refilled and cut splines in shafts. In 10 years I have learned:
1. Sealed U-joints (no fittings) are garbage. Live is less than 10,000 miles. Water and dust gets under the seals and rusts the little needle bearings.
2. Pump grease into U-Joints until it comes out of ALL 4 ends. There is often one that is hardened or dirty, not receiving the grease, and failing. It only takes one side to fail.
3. Use a high temp grease. There is a lot of heat generated internally and I have seen some famous brand greases used by the local Toyota dealer spin out and cover the underside of the chassis.
4. Use a water resistent grease. Crossing rivers and flooded streets turns lithium greases to a milky fluid. I use a Bentonite/graphite/moly grease.
5. The central bearings are not designed for water or dragging through sand and dust that is deeper than the chasis. It is positioned in the drive shaft for an "average" load, in the opinion of someone who never drives it. Driving with a heavier or lighter load changes the angle significantly on most vehicles and causes more stress on the bearing. Also, the vibration set up by a bad U-joint or an out-of-balance drive shaft causes severe wear. A lot of mechanics, when changing a U-Joint put the drive shaft on 180 from original, changing the counterweight position. Grease until the dirt and water comes out
6. The splines have little stress when used on level paved roads, and could probably get by on little. But the seals are either nonexistent or poor. A lot of water gets in when crossing floods or rivers. Everytime the wheels go up and down the drive shafte extends or contracts, dragging grease and dirt with it. When I went into the pit under my pickup at the end of a 1200 mile trip I saw the famous brand grease dripping from the spline. Grease heavily with a tacky water resistent grease.