U-joint with grease fitting
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 317
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From: Minnesota
U-joint with grease fitting
I replaced mine with greasable ones. I like them much better even though you have to climb under to grease them. It is better to have to grease them than to wonder if there is still grease in the non-serviceable ones. They last longer too.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
U-joint with grease fitting
The greaseable u-joints are not nearly as strong. They have the hollow inside where the grease resides, while the non-serviceable ones are solid. For those of us that use our trucks hard, go with the solid non greaseables, for those of you who rarely go wheeling, pull heavy loads, or do clutch drops, the greaseable ones would probably suit you fine.
Ryan
Ryan
New User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
U-joint with grease fitting
i replaced all of my u joints with grese fitting ones, about 3 weeks i chirped all 4 33x12.50's on dry pavement trying to pull out a tree,also i lay the hammer down in deep mud swamps. i love the u joints with grese fitings. 5.0 also
john reed
john reed
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: Ottawa Ontario Canada
U-joint with grease fitting
>The greaseable u-joints are not nearly as strong. They have
>the hollow inside where the grease resides, while the
>non-serviceable ones are solid. For those of us that use
I've never broken one, and I use my truck pretty hard. I actually seek out the greasable kind, since if you off road in any kind of mud or water, being able to grease the joints will allow you to get all the water out. I am always amazed how much water squirts out when I grease my truck after off roading.
Greg.
>the hollow inside where the grease resides, while the
>non-serviceable ones are solid. For those of us that use
I've never broken one, and I use my truck pretty hard. I actually seek out the greasable kind, since if you off road in any kind of mud or water, being able to grease the joints will allow you to get all the water out. I am always amazed how much water squirts out when I grease my truck after off roading.
Greg.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
U-joint with grease fitting
If you do use the greaseable u-joints, you should never put enough grease into them to push stuff out of the seals, doing so breaks the seal and it will no longer do what it is designed to do, if you do use the greaseable u-joint, put just a bit of grease into them, not pump them full. Have fun wheeling.
Ryan
Ryan
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
U-joint with grease fitting
Go with the greasable ones if you dip in the mud and water often, or even occasionally. But if you do alot of heavy duty pulling (stump pulling, off-road retrieval) go with the solid ones. They are more unlikely to break under high-stress situations. If you don't use your truck too hard, I would go with the greasable ones, they generally last longer due to the fact you can regrease them.
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 393
Likes: 3
From: Merrill
U-joint with grease fitting
>If you do use the greaseable u-joints, you should never put
>enough grease into them to push stuff out of the seals,
>doing so breaks the seal and it will no longer do what it is
>designed to do, if you do use the greaseable u-joint, put
>just a bit of grease into them, not pump them full. Have
>fun wheeling.
>
>Ryan
I am sory I have to disagree with you on this one I am a certified mechanic and those rubber seals are accually designed to purge out the contaminants you should be greasing them until you see clean grease come out the seals that way you get all the water and crap that might seep in. the seals are designed to alow the grease to flow out but not come back in.
Not to start an argument, I am sure everyone has there own opinion on the subject but the paper work that comes with ours on the trucks I work on specify to grease them this way.
Scott
>enough grease into them to push stuff out of the seals,
>doing so breaks the seal and it will no longer do what it is
>designed to do, if you do use the greaseable u-joint, put
>just a bit of grease into them, not pump them full. Have
>fun wheeling.
>
>Ryan
I am sory I have to disagree with you on this one I am a certified mechanic and those rubber seals are accually designed to purge out the contaminants you should be greasing them until you see clean grease come out the seals that way you get all the water and crap that might seep in. the seals are designed to alow the grease to flow out but not come back in.
Not to start an argument, I am sure everyone has there own opinion on the subject but the paper work that comes with ours on the trucks I work on specify to grease them this way.
Scott
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
U-joint with grease fitting
I agree with Mickelsons... pump grease in till you see it come out from around the seals thus purging any contaminates that may have got in. This also goes for ball joints and tierod ends. Grease is cheap anyway. As for the grease passage weakening the structure of the U-joint I have never seen one break from excessive rough use but have seen them fail from lack of grease inspite of the grease fitting, neglect on the owners behalf.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,017
Likes: 2
From: Southeast FLA
U-joint with grease fitting
I'll have to agree, also, with the posts on greasing these parts until clean grease comes out. If it were the type of seal that wasn't supposed to be greased-out, it wouldn't come off with the caps so easily.
Funny we're talking about this - I just put a "PRECISION" brand U-joint in the rear of my truck this morning. Thankfully I had the unexpected help of a pro mechanic (and friend of the family) who dropped by with the most unbelieveable good timing.
I pounded and pressed while trying to get it out, but the caps really weren't moving much after the first few millimeters. After a bench-vice and heating of the driveshaft's flanges it was still a no-go. Finally we took it outside and he used an acetylene torch to cut the U-joint out. Impressive! (In doing so he saved me at least two hours work, if he didn't save me from total failure!)
The caps were easier to hammer out toward the inside with the U-joint gone.
No more vibrations atover 55 MPH, and no squeaks either.
I learned I've got to be less afraid of torch-cutting old parts out.
Funny we're talking about this - I just put a "PRECISION" brand U-joint in the rear of my truck this morning. Thankfully I had the unexpected help of a pro mechanic (and friend of the family) who dropped by with the most unbelieveable good timing.
I pounded and pressed while trying to get it out, but the caps really weren't moving much after the first few millimeters. After a bench-vice and heating of the driveshaft's flanges it was still a no-go. Finally we took it outside and he used an acetylene torch to cut the U-joint out. Impressive! (In doing so he saved me at least two hours work, if he didn't save me from total failure!)
The caps were easier to hammer out toward the inside with the U-joint gone.
No more vibrations atover 55 MPH, and no squeaks either.
I learned I've got to be less afraid of torch-cutting old parts out.
