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Greasing Ball Joints


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Hey guys, anyone here grease their own joints?  I don't trust the dealership, rightfully so seeing as how my hard to reach joints seemed  bone dry before I greased them the first time after my free oil changes were up.

 

i grease them twice now, every 5k miles during the oil change. I use Mobil 1 grease and have the 90' fitting.

 

anyway I've never greased shit before. It seems every boot has a pin hole in it that oozes out grease when it's full.  I'm worried the techs caused these pin holes? Or are they purposely there? I don't want to blow the boots out but not sure if they already are.  The lower control arms ooze out of a 1/4" slit between the boot edge and the LCA.

 

when do you guys know they're full?

 

also, some boots ooze out black grease, some blue, some green.  

 

Mobile 1 is red and I have yet to see any of I ooze out.  Every boot seems to need about 3-4 squeezes before ooze.

 

finally, fck the cheapskates at GM and their waxed frames. I end up filthy every time I go under the damn truck and have to touch up the bare spots for fear of rust.

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Lol.  Mine were bone dry after 2 dealer services on it.  Put about 20 shots in every boot until it finally puffed up and started to ooze.  Yes they all bleed so they don't rupture from the air you are displacing with grease. The front end of this truck is just like greasing a 4x4 since 1988 so I am plenty used to it.  Can't do the inners unfortunately on these but oh well.  

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Good to know they're supposed to ooze a bit.  I really love the ability to service the joints ourselves.  The front end better last long with all the effort!

 

Does the Ford 3/4 have grease able ball joints too or is it a different setup with it being a solid front axle?  I looked under my wrangler a while back and couldn't find any grease fittings

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5 hours ago, SierraHD17 said:

Lol.  Mine were bone dry after 2 dealer services on it.  Put about 20 shots in every boot until it finally puffed up and started to ooze.  Yes they all bleed so they don't rupture from the air you are displacing with grease. The front end of this truck is just like greasing a 4x4 since 1988 so I am plenty used to it.  Can't do the inners unfortunately on these but oh well.  

Holy crap 20 pumps!  Seriously....that is absurd it's not a piece of farm equipment?  2,3 pumps MAX!  

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3 hours ago, mookdoc6 said:

Holy crap 20 pumps!  Seriously....that is absurd it's not a piece of farm equipment?  2,3 pumps MAX!  

Lol.  It's not your truck and I have been doing this for a very long time.  To even get the boot to swell at all was 15 in the lowers... indicating they had nothing in them beyond what they get sent out with. I have surpassed 200000 miles of hard sandy mud backroads with my 05 1500hd and it's still original and tight... it was literally just "professionally" checked about 2 weeks ago and the guy couldn't believe the front end parts were still factory in the truck.  Once it's as I have them now it's a couple pumps every time and that's it.  It works just fine lol.

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1 hour ago, SierraHD17 said:

Lol.  It's not your truck and I have been doing this for a very long time.  To even get the boot to swell at all was 15 in the lowers... indicating they had nothing in them beyond what they get sent out with. I have surpassed 200000 miles of hard sandy mud backroads with my 05 1500hd and it's still original and tight... it was literally just "professionally" checked about 2 weeks ago and the guy couldn't believe the front end parts were still factory in the truck.  Once it's as I have them now it's a couple pumps every time and that's it.  It works just fine lol.

I see 2005 1500hd makes a little more sense bone dry, not good 20 pumps still seems quite absurd to me but not my truck that is for sure!  Anyway, the 2005 1500hd LOVED those little beasts!  Tanks they were!  I personally really enjoyed that series of trucks!

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The 05 is just an example of miles and time... the truck I responded about this too is my 2017 2500HD which came with no grease in anything nor got any from the GM service department either obviously.  If the op was able to do a couple pumps and have grease ooze from the boots they were already swelled and full from someone previously greasing them before he touched it.  Its ideal to have them full... displaces any water, dirt or anything else that could get in and always has adequate lubrication on the joint.  Show me sparsely greased trucks driven offroad for 200000 miles with original parts in them... because I can't even find highway runners that make it that long generally. 

 

Could go the other way like my 04 light duty 2500 was.  Bought it used with 70000 miles and it was never greased.  The front end in that truck was completely worn out and falling apart lol.  

Edited by SierraHD17
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On ‎9‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 1:39 AM, SierraHD17 said:

The 05 is just an example of miles and time... the truck I responded about this too is my 2017 2500HD which came with no grease in anything nor got any from the GM service department either obviously.  If the op was able to do a couple pumps and have grease ooze from the boots they were already swelled and full from someone previously greasing them before he touched it.  Its ideal to have them full... displaces any water, dirt or anything else that could get in and always has adequate lubrication on the joint.  Show me sparsely greased trucks driven offroad for 200000 miles with original parts in them... because I can't even find highway runners that make it that long generally. 

 

Could go the other way like my 04 light duty 2500 was.  Bought it used with 70000 miles and it was never greased.  The front end in that truck was completely worn out and falling apart lol.  

I understand too.  The one time I let the GM service dept do a free oil change I got...No grease, tires rotated back to positions I just changed and specifically told not to "rotate" oh..and they overfilled crankcase 3/4 qt telling me it's not a big deal............ 

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I do my own semi truck oil changes and lube jobs, my 2500 is a cake walk.  I am loathe to let any dealer or shop do my services.  I do my own Xfer and diffs also.   I do have a good trans shop do my transmission fluid and filter changes.  More a matter of time involved.  I have enough irons in the fire, so time is valuable.  A complete fluid change and filter change, it is worth it to me to have my preferred shop do it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You should pump grease until it just starts to ooze at the first location of leakage then stop.  I use rapid, forceful pumps to force the grease into areas that might not be filled using gentle strokes.  The similarities to sex are a total koinkidink.  A real pro will pump a few strokes, then rotate the steering wheel to opposite lock to re-locate the ball joint then complete the pump until leakage but that's a lot of work.  The key is to keep it full at every service.  My 2016 was bone ass dry from the factory........so much for dealer prep.......I wouldn't let those creeps touch my truck.......

Edited by ickyoldman
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They all have air bleeds when they are greaseable.... sealed joints are just that.. sealed with no grease nipple.  If you didnt have a bleed of any kind you would pop the boot the first time you put a gun on... air has to go somewhere when its displaced by grease.

Edited by SierraHD17
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25 HD Grease Points

2-One at each inner tie rod, the zerk is on the centerlink more or less.

2-One on each outer tie rod end.

2-one on each upper ball joint.

2-One on each lower ball joint.

2-One each on the idler and pitman arm, at the point closest to the engine.

1-At the top of the idler arm pivot point, which is attached to the frame of the truck.
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