Knuckle Rebuild:What grease to use?

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Good to know. So, I understand the difference between "acceptable" and "optimal", but what is the big deal then with lithium grease and molybdenum disulfate additives? I'm not being argumentative, I just wanna make sure I am not going to regret (in $) my choice of grease.
 
Tofudebeest said:
Good to know. So, I understand the difference between "acceptable" and "optimal", but what is the big deal then with lithium grease and molybdenum disulfate additives? I'm not being argumentative, I just wanna make sure I am not going to regret (in $) my choice of grease.
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I'll let the lube experts respond to your specific question. RavenTai?

But if you re-lube the Birfs and knuckle bearings at 30K or so like you're supposed to, I wouldn't pull anything apart right now.
 
Were you talking about some front driver's CVJ's I'd say they need to be cleaned & repacked immediately. CVJ's exert a lot of contact pressure on their grease and run at higher temps than do wheel bearings. Even disc wheel bearings. Birfields differ in design from a front driver's CVJ's by only one small detail, the angle of the grooves that the balls run in. I treat them all the same.

Given what & where they are I'd say let your use be your guide. If you pound on the front axle frequently, then the lith should probably be on it's way out.
 
Question about service :
When you do the service on the brif you remove the top bolt right and inject the grease right? If that is the process then I am unsure of how the grease gets into the brf.

cheers,
 
Grease runs towards heat. When the axle turns there is heat generated by the birfield joint. The grease will run into it when the temperature is right and if it is the right type of grease.


bh205 said:
Question about service :
When you do the service on the brif you remove the top bolt right and inject the grease right? If that is the process then I am unsure of how the grease gets into the brf.

cheers,
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Pumping grease thru that hole fills the Birf cavity. Birf's are open enough that grease in the cavity means that there's also grease in the birf.

edit: d'oh! repetitive......
 
but what about the 75% rule?, if you put in too much can it cause some to blow out the inside knuckle seal ie the felt/rubber
 
Since there is no zerk there I doubt that you can truly fill up the cavity and eliminate all of the air pockets. It's probably possible to do, but I've never felt like I could do it.
 
3pits said:
but what about the 75% rule?, if you put in too much can it cause some to blow out the inside knuckle seal ie the felt/rubber
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I've wondered that too. If you're filling it from the fill hole, how would you know you're put enough in or too much?

When you're packing it after a fresh rebuild, you're only suppose to fill it with grease to 3/4 of the way(all the way around)to the edge of the knuckle lip.

Hmm
 
What harm is there in the Birfield being filled full? I fail to see any.

The Birfield will simply eject any excess grease so long as the whole cavity is not stuffed full. Since it is not easy to seal the grease gun nozzle in the hole (& I wouldn't consider trying) the odds are pretty low of being able to pump the whole cavity completely full of grease with no pockets of air. I usually stop pumping grease in while there is still air volume visible thru the hole. I do this not because of over-thinking this whole thing, but simply because my arm is tired!
 
Of all the recommendations I like NT's the best: Red Line CV-2. So how many 14 oz tubes per Birf & how many per hub?

And I still like AmsOil, which I'm using in the tcase & diffs, & Mobil 1 in the crankcase, tranny (4L60E), & PS pump. Wish I could settle on one brand, but it doesn't seem like any one covers all the bases equally well.
 
It's been so long ago that I had Patch's (Mini) Birf's opened up that I don't recall exactly how many tubes. I think that I bought 3 of them, but I seem to recall not using all of all 3. I'll know better when I get into doing the front Diff on Wallace (FJ60) as then I'll do the Birf service & Marlin seals, but that's of no help now. I'm still slowly working to get Wallace base-lined & reliable.

I feel that Redline comes the closest to covering all of the lubrication bases, but I've not used most of their products in my own stuff from a cost standpoint. I have a hard time justifying an expensive lubricant that may just get blended with something not so costly while out on the trails somewhere, and some of these things I've had to open up all too often. I'm also, ahem, Cheep. That said, in locations where a superior lubricant means that I'll not likely need to do anything more for 10 years or more (like quality wheel bearings - remember that I'm in the Left Coast's deserts - very few water crossings etc. to worry about) then the cost over the long run is actually less than with the premature wear from of a cheap lubricant.

From my racing employment days I've come to have Redline and Swepco as my first two gear lube choices, but I am sure that there are other choices that are good too. At one time Texaco's Dexron was the best dino based ATF available. I've no idea if this is still the case.

Amsoil's marketing method leaves me dubious. Some of their proponents come across like Born-again's or Jehovah's Witness' in their zeal to inform the heathens. Regardless of how good or bad their product might be, I just can't get past this. I wouldn't slander their product as I know several folks who are quite happy with it, but it's not for me.
 
I used the full synthetic valvoline moly in the birfields and on the wheel bearings, because it was the only moly I could find with out ordering it online, and it seemed thick enough,

I wanted to use the amsoil or another type other than the valvoline,,,,, but really did not have a choice and if the grease from the birf got into the wheel bearings I wanted it to all be the same thickness since I have read that different types of grease can cause each other to break down faster,,, the advance brand had a higher temp range but was thinner than crisco,,, so I will use it on the tractor FEL joints and bushhog points,,,

on a second note, my TRE do not have nipples, I am installing them and filling them with lucas hd grease.

I bought 4 1# containers and pretty much used 90% of it.

about the 75% rule, I think that without the air buffer, the grease squirts out the felt side and make a mess

what do you use the tubes of grease for? I just use the containers
 
D'Animal said:
So what grease did you use?
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Finishing this up today with the help of Manuchao...

I ended up buying Amsoil Synthetic Multipurpose grease and some Amsoil Moly fortified grease. I simply followed the FSM recommendation and using each where it's called for.

They point out what grease to use and where. The Knuckles and the Birfs do take the Moly grease for sure.

:wrench:
 
I emailed Bobby Long & he replied "ANY CV GREASE IS FINE". Terra said "ANY HIGH QUALITY BEARING GREASE IS GOOD. WHAT WE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER GREASE". They must think I'm deaf - they used all caps.
 
Tofudebeest said:
I used Lubramatic Marine Corrosion Control and Trailer Wheel Bearing Grease.


Marine Wheel Bearing Grease, 16 oz. Tub $4.69 (Home Depot)

"LubriMatic® Marine Trailer Bearing Grease contains a special calcium sulfonate complex, water insoluble formula which is ideal for marine applications. It provides excellent corrosion protection under severe conditions caused by salt water and air. Use on wheel bearings (including disc brake wheel bearings), swivel hinges, pins, winches and anchor chain reels. Rated GC-LB by NLGI. NLGI #2, drop point 550°F."

It has no molybdenum disulfide, nor is it lithium-based, so the friction reduction properties (sliding) are not as optimal as lithium-based greases with EP (Moly) additives. My light wheeling should not make my grease choice regrettable though. Thank about a massive boat on a trailer and the pressure it would put on those wheel bearings. If you wheel hard or regularly, go with a Moly grease, for sure.

They also make a "Moly EP" grease, and a specific "CV Joint Grease" (Lithium based grease with 3% Moly for extra protection. For use when repairing and replacing joints and/or protective boots. NLGI#1-1/2, drop point 400°F.)

I spoke with the tech guy at Plews Edelmann, who makes the Lubrimatic products, and while he was clear that the CV joint or Moly EP product were the better choice, I should be OK with the Marine Grease. If it won't handle the pressures and lubrication requirements, I'll hear creaking and graoning from the knuckles, indicating wear.
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So, if you knew that wasn't as good as the lithium based moly grease, um, why did you use it?
 
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