knuckle;is all that moly grease really needed??

[GvsB]

Regarding the Rover knuckles using gear oil, all later rovers now have moly grease installed from the Factory. The knuckles do not have drain plugs fitted anymore.

Also, they recommend grease to be fitted to earlier rovers also (definitely the coilers, not sure about series trucks) You can even purchase Genuine Land Rover Grease in a squeezy tube c/w Land Rover logo & a little spout for adding via the fill plug

You also get a pair of warning decals in the pack to add to the slam panel advising grease is installed & not to use EP90.

 

[WarDamnEagle]

AMSOIL - Synthetic Heavy-Duty Grease (GHD)

There are other synthetic, moly-fortified greases on the market but I use Amsoil. I think Valvoline makes one as well.

 

[RedTacoma]

next, you never over fill the birf or the knuckle housing with grease. yes, grease will HELP keep water out so the proper amount is what you want.

First of all, how does one overfill with grease in the knuckle? It is not sealed container. Overfilling means you somehow squeeze more that can be filled. Thats only possible in sealed containers.

Also knuckle filled with grease at 2/3 does me no good when water is up to the hood.
because 1/3 left will be filled with water. If it is 100% grease then there is no room for water. And I take any amount of grease before even a drop of muddy water.
Any extra amount of grease you put in will simply come out from knuckle. I just dont see how that can be overfilled.

EDIT. Its the same like sayign soembody is overfilling U-joints when pumps grease until it sees fresh come out.

 

[crushers]

:rolling eyes:

First of all, how does one overfill with grease in the knuckle?
Any extra amount of grease you put in will simply come out from knuckle. I just dont see how that can be overfilled.

EDIT. Its the same like sayign soembody is overfilling U-joints when pumps grease until it sees fresh come out.

 

[RedTacoma]

:rolling eyes:

Hey I want to know how you guys sealed your knuckles so well. I add grease up to the filling hole day before each run. I sure hope I could seal the damn thing so I can add grease once and be done with it and not worry about water.

 

[crushers]

you play in water - you will get contamination. just part of the fun.

similar to running the vent lines from the diff and t/case to the firewall or air box. it reduces the amount of contamination but if you stop in the water for any length of time you will still get contamination.

water or mud is probably the worse stuff you can play in (although i have heard that sand can be brutal as well) for damaging the seals and bearings...

you can fill the knuckle housing till it is oozing out but if you get stopped in the water the water WILL find a way in.
once water mixes with the grease you have to get it back out.

 

[Barmanus]

I used this grease in my knuckles. I chose it because it says it holds up better in a wet environment. After looking at the specs maybe it wasn't a good choice. What do you guys think? It doesn't mention it being moly fortified.

Castrol USA - Castrol Pyroplex Blue


Should I replace it with moly grease?

 

[Buckru]

First of all, how does one overfill with grease in the knuckle? It is not sealed container. Overfilling means you somehow squeeze more that can be filled. Thats only possible in sealed containers.

Also knuckle filled with grease at 2/3 does me no good when water is up to the hood.
because 1/3 left will be filled with water. If it is 100% grease then there is no room for water. And I take any amount of grease before even a drop of muddy water.
Any extra amount of grease you put in will simply come out from knuckle. I just dont see how that can be overfilled.

EDIT. Its the same like sayign soembody is overfilling U-joints when pumps grease until it sees fresh come out.

If you over fill the knuckle, you put too much pressure on the inner axle seal. This will lead to a premature seal failure. I did this the first time I rebuilt a nuckle. Trust me when I say it can happen.

Buck

 

[CreeperSleeper]

If you over fill the knuckle, you put too much pressure on the inner axle seal. This will lead to a premature seal failure. I did this the first time I rebuilt a nuckle. Trust me when I say it can happen.

Buck

Buck is right, I've done the same thing...

 

[UCBerzerkeley]

If you over fill the knuckle, you put too much pressure on the inner axle seal. This will lead to a premature seal failure. I did this the first time I rebuilt a nuckle. Trust me when I say it can happen.

Buck

Ok, so how do you tell when you have reached the proper level? It's just a hole in a container. Filling it to the top seems like the only measurement you can be sure of. This "2/3" or "3/4" recommendation is fine and dandy, but if you can't measure it, what good does that advice do?

 

[Barmanus]

Ok, so how do you tell when you have reached the proper level? It's just a hole in a container. Filling it to the top seems like the only measurement you can be sure of. This "2/3" or "3/4" recommendation is fine and dandy, but if you can't measure it, what good does that advice do?

You measure it when you are rebuilding the knuckle. Pack it with grease 3/4 full. After that, if you add, just add a little to compensate for the little bit that escapes around the wiper.

 

[xingji]

s-c-r-a-p-e off the grease thats piled on the axle housing and weigh it

 

[crushers]

ummm, i don't use the square plug hole. when i rebuild/regrease a birf i stuff grease till it is about 3/4 full.
it isn't really rocket science, you want to prevent the borken particles from getting lodged between the housing and the knuckle. close is fine. too little (ie: none) too much (oozing out the wipers) = somewhere in between...

 

[RedTacoma]

I think we all have some valid points except we are talking about two different ocasions.

1. How much grease to use while rebuilding knuckles?

2. How much grease to use when filling through fill hole while doing maintenance?

On 1.
I do semi agree with Crusher and those that said 3/4. That should leave enough room for things to submerge in grease when you bolting everything together. But I think this link explains better....
Toyota 4WD Front-end Maintenance - Solid Axle - ORN
If you follow this procedure you end up having knuckle filled 100% with grease and no seal failure.



On 2. I can not see how you would overfill through the fill hole. So adding to the top of the hole sounds for me like a good idea.
In my opinion you should do this every time you change oil like Toyota says if your truck spends most of its time on the pavement. I am completely crazy so I do this, every night before each run and sometimes during the runs ( I know but i have this feeling that if I dont top them with grease they will fail - I am maintenance psycho)

 

[crushers]

nothing wrong with maintainence but you still have to go inside and check things out every once in a while.
ESPEC if you see fluid on the ball area. if it is thick grease, no serious issue (someone just over filled the knuckle) if it is runny at all then open it up... the 80s are bad for this since they are a full time system...

 

[Tools R Us]

According to my '96 LX scheduled maintenance book, the knuckles start getting mentioned under "special operating conditions" section at 20K mi. It says "lubricate steering knuckle." One would assume that is referring to doing it through the square plug.

The next argument would be how much, my guess would be enough! Some use a zip-tie as a dip stick, but a sure way is; if there is none weeping out onto the wipers, balls there probably isn't enough inside.

My experience is the same as Doug's: When new grease is added it gets mixed in with the old and lubricates the birf. Grease transfers well by contact, so when the wheels are turned (with the steering) the cage, balls run at an angle from deep in the bell on one side to almost out on the other, this action carries grease into the birf. Remember grease isn't a lubricant, the oil in it is and it takes very little to do the job. As the grease ages it gets hard, is depleted of it's oil, so has less ability to contact transfer and lubricate.

As with any lubricated compartment, water is bad, pretty much no matter the type of grease, water will emulsify it and will need a clean and repack. My guess is the best way to get water in the knuckles is a pressure washer, car wash wand, when used at the wrong angle will drive water in every time. Dry seals/wipers/felts will leak much easier than ones soaked in oil, grease.

This is a case of dry, clean balls = bad, greasy balls = good!

 

[chapel gate]

jeepocabra, good point. i think it would be more black or white if toyota gave a volume/weight quantity rather than "3/4 full". ill count the empty molly containers i left rolling around the workshop floor.

iirc i used 1 kg of grease per side.

infact, after packing the CV you could even pump it in through the grease port by volume/weight

so how does a birfield differ from a CV joint? ive never heard this term before.(ih8mud.com)

 

[Tools R Us]

...
so how does a birfield differ from a CV joint? ive never heard this term before.(ih8mud.com)

A birf is a type of constant velocity joint. What is commonly referred to as a CV is more complex, most having angled ball grooves to allow for angle travel in two plains, wheel travel (vertical) and steering (horizontal), some types also allow for in-out movement. A birf has straight ball grooves and only angles with steering.

 

[chapel gate]

interesting, though if i asked at my local motor factors or even toyota dealer for a "birf", i would be greeted with;

 

[scottm]

As the grease ages it gets hard, is depleted of it's oil, so has less ability to contact transfer and lubricate.

That's why I always add a little gear oil in the Winter...