Is Dodge Kidding me?!?!

[JCockerill]

Greasing this front driveshaft CV joint is a joke. . I have the needle point grease attachment on my gun, and there is no way to get grease or tell if you are even getting any grease into this thing... it just turned into to a mess so i said f**k it! #@$%! if it blows out i'll just replace it. . it will be easier than squirting grease all over the driveshaft. . dodge should rethink this one!!

 

[DBentley]

I feel your pain man

The fitting(not really a fitting but a shinny hole) hidden away in the cv is a bugger to grease. Every few months when its time i get Pi$$#d before, during and after greasing it. I try to do it when no one is home cause I swear like mad. But remember the early 3rd gens didnt even have the grease hole so we should feel blessed.

 

[Blu-meanie]

I remove the driveshaft, get grease all over everything, cuss a lot, clean it up, then reinstall it. It's a bi#### even with it out!

 

[Spooled-up]

I agree, it's a huge PITA. I have it down now though. At first, I couldn't even find the thing. It is hard to tell if you got the grease in there.

 

[MoparDave]

I painted the area where the fitting is and put a slight bend in my Grease needle attached to a one handed grease gun. It not easy but i get it done. good luck

 

[jgillott]

I painted the area where the fitting is and put a slight bend in my Grease needle attached to a one handed grease gun. It not easy but i get it done. good luck

I agree, the slight bend in the needle does help. I am never convinced however that I am getting enough/any grease in it though.



On a side note... . I asked the service manager at the dealer once if they have any tricks to make it easier. His response was, "We've never done one".

 

[MountainMan1]

Mine were never greased... had to replace at 360,000 miles! I'd forget about the grease!

 

[JCockerill]

Mine were never greased... had to replace at 360,000 miles! I'd forget about the grease!

my thoughts exactly!! if they cant put grease fittings on the ball/knuckle joints. then screw the front cv joint! i'll be greasing it when it blows up!:-laf

 

[JimB1]

Cone of grease gun neede tip must point straight into bowl shape of grease fitting socket.



Resulting matching surfaces restrict pumped grease from escaping off to side of needle tip.



Pumped grease can now build enough pressure to unseat tiny ball check valve of grease fitting thus allowing pumped grease into bearing assy.



I use standard generic size grease gun with flex hose and needle tip.



Take plenty Q-tips and rags under the truck with you, clean fitting first.



Start with easy slow partial pump. If needle tip isn't properly pointed, grease will immediately be visible escaping around needle tip.



Stop right there and use Q-tip to re-clean fitting.



Try again with slightly different angle of needle tip.



When you "hit it", feeling of grease gun handle is entirely different since you're now building a bit of back pressure due to unseating check valve of fitting and nearly zero grease leakage waste around needle tip.



About 5-7 full pumps, with no leakage around needle tip, should show bit of grease purging somewhere around bearing assy and that's where I stop.



I don't bother wiping away any little bit of purged grease, it'll take care of itself.



If you get frustrated when trying to get needle tip angle correct and just pump away thinking some of it's getting in there as you build big wad of waste grease around needle tip, I don't think any of it's getting in there 'cuz you've not unseated fitting check valve.



Keep repeating method of partial 1st pump and clean-up of waste grease until angle is correct.



I'm also going to bend the needle tip just a bit next time to help get the angle correct.



But first I'll use some small diameter rod or maybe wire and bend that into a template piece that looks about right then bend the needle tube to match.

 

[DieselFiend]

I don't have any problem greasing mine or telling if I got enough grease in there. If you look on the aft side of the joint after you've greased it, you should see new grease coming out. I can never tell just by looking at the needing area though.

 

[Tinman]

I use a 18 gauge hypodermic needle inserted directly in the whole. Then I put the needle tip grease gun in the butt end of the needle where the syringe would go. Works great. You just have to pump slowly as it takes some pressure to get the grease thru the needle. About three or four pumps and I'm done.

 

[Jim W]

I am still using my CV joint greasing tool that I bought for my 1974 full size Jeep. This style of CV joint has been around since the 60's maybe even earlier. I know that the angle and rotation of the CV Joint will not allow any other style of fitting. O' by the way this was also used in my 1979 full size Jeep also. Most vehicles stop using this style of drive shaft when they went to the independent style suspension instead of a solid axle.