Need a Grease Recommendation

[offroadrider12]

I have a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500

I have replaced one of the U joints with a greaseable U joint because it was bad.

I am looking for a locally available grease that will be good for the tie rod ends, ball joints, and U joint. I can get another grease to pack wheel bearings on other various projects if need be. I also need a grease for lawnmower wheel bearings, spindle bearings, and string trimmer spindles.

The greases available to me locally include:

Valvoline
Green Grease
Lucas Greases
Super-tech (walmart)
Shell Rotella (Walmart)
Mobil 1
and I believe I have seen Mystik

I have been using the super tech w/ moly but I really don't know a whole lot about greases and wanted to make sure I have a grease that is good for my application.

Thanks. Looking forward to hearing your input.

 

[chubbs1]

The Mobil 1 grease (The red stuff) is good for wheel bearings, ball jts., U-jt. They make things way too complicated with grease so you think you need a different type for each thing. Pick a high quality name brand synthetic. As I said I would go with the M1.

I do know some vehicles have different requirements.

Your truck is pretty straight forward though.

 

[offroadrider12]

I have a tube of Mobil 1, but wasn't sure how good it would stick in the ball joints and tie rod ends? Seems kinda runny. The tube (not in grease gun) has quite a bit of oil separation and it's only about a year old.

 

[Trav]

Don't use moly grease in U Joints or wheel bearings, Mobil 1 is a good all round grease and works great U Joints and wheel bearings. It holds up great in wet applications.
Personally i really like Schaeffer's 238 in chassis parts, it has a high moly content and can be found online for cheap in single tubes.

I use one gun with Mobil 1 for U Joints and wheel bearing packer and another with the 238.
If i had only one choice because i had to buy locally it would be Mobil 1.

 

[chad8]

I like white lithium synthetic marine greases for a universal applications other than high loads like ball joints .Then you want moly grease. The lithium soap greases are cleaner to work with and have high heat and water resistance. Brand doesn't seem to matter. The moly grease is a lithium grease with moly added which sticks better to metal.
Mobil one would be fine for your uses. The grease will separate a bit from heat so no worries. Just use it.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Don't use moly grease in U Joints

Perfectly fine trav in U joints,we do it all time here in heavy trucks and equipment and yard P/U's,best thing i found to control wear on the joint stubs.

i agree not the best for w/bearings.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: Trav
Don't use moly grease in U Joints

Perfectly fine trav in U joints,we do it all time here in heavy trucks and equipment and yard P/U's,best thing i found to control wear on the joint stubs.

i agree not the best for w/bearings.


Why has Ford recommended (and uses) moly grease for wheel bearings for many years?

There seems to be no consistency in any of the recommendations made, and that troubles me.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: Trav
Don't use moly grease in U Joints

Perfectly fine trav in U joints,we do it all time here in heavy trucks and equipment and yard P/U's,best thing i found to control wear on the joint stubs.

i agree not the best for w/bearings.


Why has Ford recommended (and uses) moly grease for wheel bearings for many years?

There seems to be no consistency in any of the recommendations made, and that troubles me.

I have no clue but it's stated many time not too,but...on the other hand i have used it in slow turning implement bearings with out issues.

 

[Warstud]

Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: Trav
Don't use moly grease in U Joints

Perfectly fine trav in U joints,we do it all time here in heavy trucks and equipment and yard P/U's,best thing i found to control wear on the joint stubs.

i agree not the best for w/bearings.


When did they stop using bearings with U-Joints?

 

[offroadrider12]

grease is so confusing

so moly in U joints yes or no?

I don't mind having 2 grease guns. I'd just like something that doesn't separate as easily as M1 for the ball joints and tie rod ends if possible. Something that will stick in place. If I need to use it on the wheel bearings and U joints thats fine I just don't know if I need a moly grease for U joints or not.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: daman
Originally Posted By: Trav
Don't use moly grease in U Joints

Perfectly fine trav in U joints,we do it all time here in heavy trucks and equipment and yard P/U's,best thing i found to control wear on the joint stubs.

i agree not the best for w/bearings.


When did they stop using bearings with U-Joints?

What are you talking about? i meant roller bearings you confused or don't know the difference?

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: offroadrider12
grease is so confusing

so moly in U joints yes or no?

I don't mind having 2 grease guns. I'd just like something that doesn't separate as easily as M1 for the ball joints and tie rod ends if possible. Something that will stick in place. If I need to use it on the wheel bearings and U joints thats fine I just don't know if I need a moly grease for U joints or not.


For universals yes you can use it.

 

[Trav]

You maybe right but i have to take the word of the drive shaft builder in Worcester Ma who has been doing this for decades.
He told me straight up "no molly in the joint bearings just use Mobil 1 red". That being said i doubt if 1% moly would bother anything but i would be wary of 3% or more.

Take a look at this from a drive shaft manufacturer. Okay these are lager shafts than in in an average car or truck but they use Cardan and U joints, same construction just bigger.

http://www.theclineco.com/pdf/Universal-Joint-Catalog.pdf

From Schaeffer's
Quote:
Ultra Supreme is not recommended for use in passenger car automotive wheel bearing applications.

 

[daman]

Right on high speed wheel bearings yea i can see maybe, but u joints it's fine.

do what you feel is right for you i guess..

 

[offroadrider12]

well, I guess since it's controversial to use moly in U joints I'll just use a non-moly fortified grease. I don't see a non-moly grease hurting anything.

Another store I found local had LPS brand grease. They have quite a few different greases. They all have different specs, but I have no idea what I'm looking at. I'll post up the specs on a few.

Thermaplex Aqua: Aluminum complex, NGLI 2, Dropping point 500*F, Temp range (-4*F to 300*F), Creamy paste, Flash point 470*F, Base oil viscosity 920 SUS @ 100*F, Timken Load: 50lbs, Color amber, specific gravity .96, 4 ball weld load >350KG

Thermaplex Multi-purpose: Lithium complex, NGLI 2, 429*F drop point, -22*F to 350*F, craemy paste, 470* Flash point, 850 SUS @ 100 *F, Timken OK load : 50lbs, color blue, specific grav .96, >600KG 4 ball weld load

The next grease is identical specs to the one above but is high load and contains 3% moly.

Then there is Thermaplex High temp. NGLI 2, Lithium complex, 536*F drop oint, -15*F to 392*F, creamy paste, 470* flash point, 525 SUS @ 100*F, TIMKEN OK load 70lbs, specific grav .96, >400 KG 4 ball weld load

Last one is LPS BIOGreen NGLI 2, Aluminum Complex Soap, 450* drop point, -10* to 370*F, creamy paste, 278 SUS @ 100*F, color green, TIMKEN OK load > 40lbs, 4 ball weld load > 500KG, water washout
what is the timken OK load and 4 ball weld load? I'm assuming higher numbers are better? Can anybody attempt to explain what I'm looking at?

 

[Tempest]

For wheel bearings, you usually want to look at Timken. The higher the better. For disc brakes, high dropping is important to have. 4 ball is for sliding applications like a ball joint, and higher is better.

I'm running CAT Desert gold in one of my wheel bearings (5% moly) and so far no problems. I does state that it is formulated for high speed applications, though. Probably too thick for Michigan wheel bearings I'm guessing. The Thermaplex High temp looks pretty good for bearings.

For ball joints it's hard to beat a calcium sulfonate base with moly. CAT (and Amsoil) formulate their top of line grease with this combination. If it will lube a D10 dozer that slams into a earthen wall numerous times a day, it will do really well in a typical ball joint.