JHZR2
Staff member
Got a new Alemite 1056 grease gun and lock n’ lube coupler (and tube of Schaeffers 238). I’ve greased my chevy suspension lots of times, but not my Ram. So I went to do it.
What a mess on an old diesel, and with high moly grease! Complete and utter mess. And I’m used to working on old diesels. Grease just makes it 100x worse!
I realized I’m not sure I know the actual right way to grease suspension parts. I mean, it’s not rocket science, but how much/how far is more the question.
I don’t want to blow out a boot, but is it expected that grease flows out of the boot when doing this? On my Chevy I always just pumped as I saw the boot expand and bulge a bit. On one of the lower ball joints I would sometimes see some grease come out, but I don’t know if that was because of a compromised boot or by design.
On the Dodge, pumping 238 in looked to me like it was lifting the bolted item slightly. But most of the (old, high mileage) boots didn’t move or swell. Most of them did release some grease, sometimes just the exact new grease I was pumping in.
As you can see, new grease coming out, not much sign of old. In some cases it did seem to push old hard grease from someplace, seemingly the outside of the joint.
So what’s the best practice? Just a pump or two? Look for plumping up? Wait for observed flow out?
How do you know when too much is too much? Are there some greaseable units that by design don’t have a spot to flow out? It wouldn’t make sense to me, as grease has to go somewhere. I just don’t want to blowout a boot.
Thoughts are greatly appreciated. I know this is simple stuff, but it helps to know it’s done right, and to help diagnose the condition of greasable suspension parts on my truck.
Thanks!
What a mess on an old diesel, and with high moly grease! Complete and utter mess. And I’m used to working on old diesels. Grease just makes it 100x worse!
I realized I’m not sure I know the actual right way to grease suspension parts. I mean, it’s not rocket science, but how much/how far is more the question.
I don’t want to blow out a boot, but is it expected that grease flows out of the boot when doing this? On my Chevy I always just pumped as I saw the boot expand and bulge a bit. On one of the lower ball joints I would sometimes see some grease come out, but I don’t know if that was because of a compromised boot or by design.
On the Dodge, pumping 238 in looked to me like it was lifting the bolted item slightly. But most of the (old, high mileage) boots didn’t move or swell. Most of them did release some grease, sometimes just the exact new grease I was pumping in.
As you can see, new grease coming out, not much sign of old. In some cases it did seem to push old hard grease from someplace, seemingly the outside of the joint.
So what’s the best practice? Just a pump or two? Look for plumping up? Wait for observed flow out?
How do you know when too much is too much? Are there some greaseable units that by design don’t have a spot to flow out? It wouldn’t make sense to me, as grease has to go somewhere. I just don’t want to blowout a boot.
Thoughts are greatly appreciated. I know this is simple stuff, but it helps to know it’s done right, and to help diagnose the condition of greasable suspension parts on my truck.
Thanks!
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