So one of my next items of for business was figuring out the lube points under the truck which need regular attention.

I found a lot of information about locations of grease fittings (and some areas without fittings). Some of it I understood, some of it I didn't. So I wanted to document what I found with pictures and diagrams, and if you can help me find other places to put grease, I'll document those as well.

So far I have found 5 grease fittings in my front end. Being a novice I'm sure I'm not naming them the correct things. I've identified them using this diagram I borrowed from LMCTruck catalog and doctored with numbers...as well as some pictures. In my pictures don't mind any wetness you see, I had to go after these with a toothbrush and wd40 to get the crap off of them and identify they are zerk fittings. I haven't lubed anything yet though - more on that after the pics and diagram:

Photos in another post in a moment.

 

Numbers in pictures correspond to diagram above...

Zerk 1 Pitman Arm facing skyward
Zerk 2 above pumpkin facing groundward
Zerk 3 drivers side facing downward
Passenger side: Zerk 4 faces ground, Zerk 5 faces front of truck and slightly skyward.

 

OK, now that I have 5 of them documented. I understand there are up to 9 possible places I should be putting grease. Though I suspect at least some of them lack a zerk fitting, based on other posts.

If you can help me find them (be patient with me) I'll document them so that folks who are looking for them can reference pictures.

For the 5 I already identified...how much grease do I pump in?

My only other experience is greasing my boat trailer bearings which is really easy...you pump in new grease until you can see new grease coming out (pushing out all the old grease). I have no sense of what this should be like on the truck, in these 5 locations.

thanks very much...the new guy (who is trying hard to contribute to others who are looking for the same answers later)....

Ray

Also if you have better names for the locations of these fittings - I'm glad to go back and edit the posts above.

 

Most of the factory installed parts WON'T have grease fittings. Parts that have already been replaced may, or may not.

Some others that might have grease fittings.
Balljoints.
Frame end of track bar.
U-joints.

 

Same procedure, pump till you see some old come out, best to do at every oil change. Always load up the zerk externally with grease to protect from the elements and ensure they don't seize. That or grab a handful of brake bleeder caps from cars at the junkyard next time you are there, they work nice.

Track bar ends
Tie rod ends
Balljoints (lowers will be either a PITA or impossible to get to)
U joints (front/rear driveshafts, front axles)
Control arms (check both ends, depends if you are running aftermarket or not)
Sway bar ends

 

Thanks both of you guys.

I don't think I have much in the way of aftermarket parts. This truck was parked for a very long time I think. It is low miles, and I've found a couple of old wasp nests and mud dobber nests under the pickup bed, and between the oil plug and the starter. Morale of the story, I don't think it was used much...and saw much in the way of parts replacement (and maybe some maintenance tasks).

So...I lubed the 5 above, and all took grease as described...I could pump it in, and after a few pumps it would start squirting out the side/back of something. A little declogging of the zerk was required but nothing awful. #3 was an exception. It wouldn't let me pump once...the gun felt resistance. I'm sure the fitting was well connected, if it wasn't I would have expected it to pump and just make a mess...but it went right on, I popped off, reattached, same result. Not sure about what to make of that. Appreciate any input.

Now - for remaining lube spots.

Based on another thread on this forum or another forum (I can't find a link now) I'm led to believe that I'm also suppose to put grease in these holes behind the front tires. There is no fitting, so I'm just suppose to squire some back there...same thread that I can't find mentions a needle for the grease gun, which I happen to have. Not sure what I bought it for, or when I bought it, but I have one, a few inches long..about the width of a nail you would use on a stockade fence. I've never used it, still in it's package....so grease squirts back there? Until it's coming out of the hole? (where else would it go without a zerk fitting to make sure it got to the back of that chamber)...

Or...am I simply misunderstanding a 15 year old thread on another forum (really regret not able to refind that site this afternoon.)

Picture of the small hole in the Ujoint behind the front tires (this is passenger side, but there is one behind drivers as well)

if so this brings me up to 7 lube points... You can see the grease I put into #4 and #5. Behind it, you can see a U-joint behind the tire, and barely perceivable a little hole, partially filled with crud it looks like.

 

In that last pic, That just doesn't look right, can you get a better pic of that?

 

More close up or wide angle? I'm pretty sure I'm smoking crack about grease there. All the stuff I thought I found poits to lube drive shaft u joints

 

Close up. The knuckle, and where the axles come together with the u-joint.

No grease points there. Those joints are supposedly 'maintenance free'...... which means they are guaranteed to fail. If the joint is actually greaseable, the zerk will be on the center of the cross, an can be fun to get to.

 

So to the left of the picture is the back of the front passenger side tire...to the right the axle. The Tiny hole that I mentioned is the one I thought I had read something about putting grease in...but now understand I was mistaken. (it never seemed right to me...grease w/o some kind of fitting)

Hope this helps with whatever you are seeing.