Front driveshaft U-joints greased.

[LandShark]

AMink:
If you pricked your finger you used the wrong grease fitting. There are 2 types of 'needle' fittings. One looks like a needle that you draw blood with. The other (commonly used for u-joints and CV joints) has a pointy end (maybe 45 degrees) and is not so sharp that it can prick you. I'll try to post pictures:

 

[JimScott]

AMink:

If you pricked your finger you used the wrong grease fitting. There are 2 types of 'needle' fittings. One looks like a needle that you draw blood with. The other (commonly used for u-joints and CV joints) has a pointy end (maybe 45 degrees) and is not so sharp that it can prick you. I'll try to post pictures:

I use the one on the left. I have to remove the skid plate (not all trucks have skid plates) to get at the fitting but I have been sucessful. I sprayed some orange paint on the fitting when it was clean. That makes it a lot easier to find. Now that I have my Dynatrac hub the front drive shaft is not rotating all the time so doesn't have to be lubed as often.

Jim

 

[Diesel Thunder]

Here's a tip I got from a 4x4 website, can't remember where...

After I grease the CV, I take some cheap masking tape and wrap the joint a few times. I then drive a mile or two and any excess grease that would have flung off is on the inside of the tape. Back home I just peal the tape off and the excess grease has stuck on it, not the truck.

Makes for a cleaner underside.


Cheers,

 

[SSalzer]

FYI Napa part #700-1193 does not fit this grease fitting. The needle is too large to fit in the hole.

 

[bheiting]

I use the Plews 05-037 grease gun adapter injector needle, like the illustration on
the right above. It works fine for me but it's a bit fragile and tends to bend if you're
not careful. Plews also has a 4 inch tapered adapter like the illus. on the left. that
looks much more durable. Think I might try that next. A google search will show
a variety of possibilities.

 

[SSalzer]

I ordered the Plews needle. I hope that one works.

 

[PFranzese]

Here's a tip I got from a 4x4 website, can't remember where...



After I grease the CV, I take some cheap masking tape and wrap the joint a few times. I then drive a mile or two and any excess grease that would have flung off is on the inside of the tape. Back home I just peal the tape off and the excess grease has stuck on it, not the truck.



Makes for a cleaner underside.





Cheers,

Thanks for the great tip. I tried this after finally finding the fitting and getting grease into it. When I pulled the tape off the grease was on the inside of the tape and the underside of the truck was clean.

 

[JBonpua]

Who so ever decided on this should be hung by the testicles! With the help of the great photo (thanks!), I finally found the fitting. Pointy needle in hand, I attempted to poke the fitting. Of course, the needle dropped on the cross member. Luckily, it fell point up in a hole, thus making it easy to identify as it stuck in my finger. :{ Finally got it in, hooked up the gun with a flex hose and proceeded to fill. Grease coming out other side, fill done. Pulled needle out, but the needle came out of the rest of the piece, staying neatly tucked in the fitting hole. Crawl out, get pliers, crawl back, remove needle. As I went to lower my floor jack, the handle came out of the jack, and the part the handle goes in popped straight up. Now I can't get the handle back in the jack, and there isn't enough room to get anything with enough leverage under the truck. Had to use a screwdriver to turn the valve to drop the jack. Luckily, the jack let down easy and didn't break my arm. :-laf Oh, what fun!

This is the funniest post I've read in a very long time. I've spent a good hour looking for this elusive grease fitting with no luck. I gave up and told myself should my front U-joint fails I just replace it.



BTW, I love your slogan in your sig.

 

[Wingate]

hhhmmm. . in the past, I've purchased u-joints that the crosshead wasn't tapped for a grease zerk, but the crosshead had the grease passages drilled in it... I always drill and tap one of the joint caps and install a 1/16 npt grease zerk... . Easy to get to for maintenance, no special needle fitting required...

 

[FParisi]

OK. This thread has been going for quite a while.

Since I'm coming up on my first oil change soon I'm wondering how many have just not lubed this PIA fitting?

Any failures? I'm thinking that the dealers would know about that fitting/grease point pretty quick if they were having to replace those joints.

 

[Superdawg]

Wingate,

Do you know if the stock U joints are drilled for cross passages or are they solid?

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Today I had my front driveshaft off to replace the front seal on the differential.

I am here to tell you that there is no place to grease the CV jts. It was inspected very carefully. I had a picture of the CV joint with me for reference.

 

[rraulston]

I took my truck to the dealer for it's semi-annual free oil change and lube under the free oil changes for 7 years. I told them that my truck had the grease fittings on the front driveshaft U-joints and showed them the sticker in front of the radiator that describes that. They tried to tell me that there were no greased fittings on the front driveshaft U-joints on these trucks. When they lifted the truck I showed them the fittings. I stood there until they found the needle attachment for their grease gun and watched them grease the U-joints.



If your truck has the sticker in front of the radiator that says that this truck is equipped with the fittings, they must be greased. My truck is 3 years old and this is the first time those U-joints get greased. Even 5 star dealers don't know everything.

My new 09 has the same sticker. I spent 20 minutes looking for the zirts and cant find em. Used to be a lube tech for caterpillar. Ime telling you they aint there on my truck... ... WTF????

 

[rraulston]

:{ o. k. went to the next post and saw the pic... ... ... ... .

 

[FParisi]

I did get mine greased with help from the photo! Thank You!!

Now for the outer tie rods that the manual says to grease - I could not find them on my 2009. The service writer says they are greasless, but I don't exactly trust him;-)

Are there more stealth fittings?

 

[LVrooman]

I am also looking for the fitting on the outer tie rod. Changed the oil for the first time... ... big difference in the 09 over my 96... ... I had one hell of a mess. Never expected the oil to drain as fast as it did. Had my oil drain pan under but it came out with such force, the curved bottom shot the oil up and over the edge of the drain pan. That won't happen again as I install a Femco drain plug.

 

[DanSullivan]

After getting oil on several t-shirts and all over my coveralls that is what I did ane I love it. I don't even need a drain pan any more I use gal. jugs. you can start and stop the oil when you want to , I use a short length of tube and drain it right into the jug. so nice.

 

[Regcabguy]

I am also looking for the fitting on the outer tie rod. Changed the oil for the first time... ... big difference in the 09 over my 96... ... I had one hell of a mess. Never expected the oil to drain as fast as it did. Had my oil drain pan under but it came out with such force, the curved bottom shot the oil up and over the edge of the drain pan. That won't happen again as I install a Femco drain plug.

Yeah,the new plugs are "all or nothing". I installed the Fumoto one. No grease fittings on the tie rods.

 

[RideSlow2004]

2007. 5 3500 SRW. I have no clips on my front u-joint, like the picture, holding it in, and fer the life of me, there are no little depressions in the center joint, that I could fit my needle into.



And mehbee a tip, I shoved a paper towel up in between the tie rod end, and the rotor cover, and was able to clean the excess grease right off the joint much easier.

 

[RPlamondon]

You need a needle grease applicator in order to get grease into that u joint. I make sure when getting my truck serviced that the tech knows this and gets it done. I also bought an attachment for my own grease gun so that I can do it myself on a more frequent basis.