Quick question! Inside knuckles - snot/grease-packed or dry?

I'm deep into a kingpin rebuild and boot pack on my front axle, and when I removed the old boot, the inside is literally GUSHING gorilla snot and grease (almost looks like cosmoline).

Is this normal? I haven't really been inside a deuce axle WHILE it was on a deuce, so I'm trying to determine if I should be simply hitting the grease zerks on the Kingpins to relube, or if I should be attempting to reduplicate the messiness I see in this knuckle.

What's normal for a road-going truck? Supergreasy or dry?

Thanks in advance - I'm getting ready to button this up and a quick reply would really help out!

RE: Quick question! Inside knuckles - snot/grease-packed or

Oh yes, this is a u joint front axle!

RE: Quick question! Inside knuckles - snot/grease-packed or

Coat the parts with grease, once you have the assy together use the plugs in the housing to fill it to proper ammount. (check the TM)

Also note that if you have gear oil in the mix to prolly need to change your axle seal.

RE: Quick question! Inside knuckles - snot/grease-packed or

it needs the grease. the kingpins bushings and the axleshaft bushing need the grease even if the u joint does not.

I've considered doing without it(bc a lot of rockcrawlers do it) but I don't suggest for the above reasons.

It will also keep anything from rusting.

Just coating everything with grease is enough with a u-joint axle to keep it from rusting. All of that excess grease is from pumping it through the zerks on the kingpins over the years. The older repeza joints needed the grease, u-joints don't. The bushings get their grease from the zerks.

55Cameo said:

The bushings get their grease from the zerks.

Click to expand...

Not all of them do. the kingpin bushings do but not the axle bushing.

I put a good amount of grease in the spindle before I installed to the point some came out at the spline end.

On my next U'joint front axle service I'm going to try cornhead grease in the knuckles. My wrecker has the ball axles and GAA is necessary for those.

the main support axle bushing is lubed by the 90wt from the diff. just a little grease on the thrust and spindle bushing is all that is needed. i think the info in the tm for greasing the knuckle is from the days when it was a cv joint. i always put mine togeather dry.

Re: Devilman's comment - manual calls for 2 lbs of GAA per side.

Matt

Recovry4x4 said:

On my next U'joint front axle service I'm going to try cornhead grease in the knuckles. My wrecker has the ball axles and GAA is necessary for those.

Click to expand...

I thought that stuff had the consistency closer to molasses than peanut butter? How do you intend to fill it up and get the boot on?

Matt

m-35tom said:

the main support axle bushing is lubed by the 90wt from the diff. just a little grease on the thrust and spindle bushing is all that is needed. i think the info in the tm for greasing the knuckle is from the days when it was a cv joint. i always put mine togeather dry.

Click to expand...

I'm talking about the support bushing out on the stub end. there is no way 90wt can get to it. it's on the wrong side of the seal. basically the bushing thats inside the stub where the inner wheel bearing rides.

Thanks for the feedback, gents - much appreciated! I assembled side one dry last night, and greased the KP zerks after installing new bronze KP bushings.

FSBruva said:

Recovry4x4 said:

On my next U'joint front axle service I'm going to try cornhead grease in the knuckles. My wrecker has the ball axles and GAA is necessary for those.

Click to expand...

I thought that stuff had the consistency closer to molasses than peanut butter? How do you intend to fill it up and get the boot on?

Matt

Click to expand...

Fill plugs...after the boot is on.

Good call! Obviously didn't think of that!

Matt

This has been a long debated subject with some saying add the grease and others saying leave it out.

When I replaced a u-joint and boot on my truck I didn't know what to do. In the end I ended up adding the grease. I can't really see as it doing any good but it had it in there when I tore it down and it can't hurt anything (other than dealing with the mess the next time you're in there).

m16ty said:

... the next time you're in there.

Click to expand...

A very realistic expectation!

Matt