What is the correct way to lube a ball joint or tie rod end?

The ball joints are tight as new. There''s no slop in them. That's how I know the grease is still good. As long as the boots hold, the grease isn't exposed to air and thus it's not degraded. Ever pop the lid on a thirty or more year old bucket of grease ? That's never or rarely opened ? It's still good as long as the can stays sealed 99% of the time. Leave the lid off and hte stuff will dry out. Same thing is true for ball joints.

 

I usually read the entire thread before I post. After I post the first time I don't always go back and re-read it - which gets me in trouble at times.
I posted an email to the tech guys at MOOG to find out what they recommend but I was taught to give it two pumps and walk away - new or old - always two pumps.

 

How much volume is two pumps? My 1963 chevy truck has huge ball joints compared to my 1978 mercedes. And for my U-joints, my chevy's are way big, two pumps will not fill all 4 corners. I just took my Maverick to get my e-breaks checked and asked them to lube everything with grease nipples a few weeks back. when I was underneath the car today checking to see if the transmission's vacume line was damaged I remembered about the whole lube conversation on this thread, all my ball joints are tight with no play and I noticed that the mechanics forgot to wipe the overspill, so they did grease until some squeezed out.

 

You just think they forgot to wipe. Unless I made a good spooge I never wiped

 

hmmm, what exactly are you talking about

 

I wasn't going to go there...

 

How does this post keep going there? LMAO!!!!!

 

I think I know why....and this guy has something to do with it:

 

Gene if you have 150,000 on aq Dodge truck one thing you better make sure you grease well and grease often is the front wheel bearings. Of all the goofy things I have seen, my 96 Dodge 1500 2 wheel drive truck doesn't sealed bearing. I had never replaced the brakes (bought the truck with 8?,000 miles on it) and right around 150,000 the front wheel bearing went out and tore up the front spindle. I pack the wheel bearing on my trailers and some other stuff but never thought about a 1996 pickup having wheel bearings that werent sealed. I didn't pack them and almost lost the drivers side from wheel, brake rotor and all.

 

THey changed the wheel bearings on the 03 model. Now, you just drive them 100k and then you have to swap out the entire hub. Wheel bearings are not lubeable and are cast right into hub assembly. Kinda expensive, but easy to swap out.

I was on my way to meet wagesofsin last summer, hit 100k half way there, and started hearing a "grind". Sounded like we were driving on a gravelly road. Hubs were getting warm, but no slop in them, so we kept on driving and keeping an eye on them.

Got home, pulled off the wheel and disk, and that hub spun really easy, but with a light grinding sound on it. We put another 2000 miles on it AFTER I started to hear it, but it doesn't damage anything until the wheel falls off. It just keeps eating at the bearings.

 

Thanks for the concern. Mine is 4 wheel drive and as Scott said, they are sealed. I have done brakes 4 or 5 times to the front now and I never find any play in anything.

 

I wasn't going there... It was everyone else who thought it was going there

 

Remind mem not to buy a Dodge if they come with sealed bearings. That's a new one on me. I thought all front wheel bearings required grease to be added when repacking the hubs.

 

That's been pretty standard for the last 10 years or so on just about all cars and trucks.....