Old CJ5 lubrication question

What do you guys use to lube your steering knuckles and joints?

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I have been using Mobil 1 grease for all my chassis lube and wheel bearings but I guess it doesn't matter long as you got lube in them? I still have to check at least every 6 months or sooner if I go through alot of mud / water.

 

No joke Mr. Sparks actually a reason to my madness, Closed knuckles have been using SAE 140 for my 56. Ultimate reason for this question I was just fed up getting into my driver side knuckle and wondered if there is something else out there I could try other then having to rebuild of that knuckle. Sometimes I get fed up wiping excess drip of grease / oil off that side.

 

This is probably the most asked question about an early cj. Do a search on knuckle pudding that will solve all your problems about lube in the knuckles.

 

Thanks Mcruff I'll try it. I googled the recipe.

"WillysTech.com- I have found that most folks make "knuckle pudding" to go in their steering knuckles. You start with a one-gallon can of ordinary yellow/green wheel bearing grease. Slowly add 90-weight gear oil while stirring. You are trying to get a mixture that will just start to hold a peak when the stir stick is removed. Knuckle pudding will not leak from the steering knuckles but it provides enough movement to keep fresh lube in the king pin bearings. Since I put it in I haven't had one drop leak out and my steering knuckles are doing great."

 

I was told by a toyota guy that all he uses in the toyota knuckles (which I assume are purdy similar to the early axles) is regular ol grease. Uses half a tube per knuckle and calls it good. Would their be any side affects to doing this rather than mixing it with gear oil?

 

Solid grease may not work it's way into the u-joints as well and won't "fling" up and lube the upper knuckle bearing. That's why you mix the gear oil in with the grease, to make it flow better but still keep it thick enough so it doesn't leak out.

Toyota's use Birfield CV joints which is a different animal.

 

for the time and effort required to make the pudding and install it, I'd rebuild the knuckles and use gear oil.

 

I was thinking the same Karl, I noticed my leak was not as big as I thought when it came to all that work. Funny how things go. I do things over and over expecting different results. :? I know that is close to the edge but It is that JEEP oil drip torture that got to me. :evil: I keep wiping that spot off and refilling the level. Take the wheel off, hub, grease, reinstall twice in the last year. So all is good and the option is there for making the grease/oil mixture change with some buy in from the site at least lets me know I'm not the only one experiencing this disorder. Someday I might just acomplish the change. I might just drill and tap and install grease fittings on that side. All said and done I will not give up on the 56.

 

Skeptical that you're going to be happy with the result. Maybe ... These parts have seen a lot of weather and wear, and getting the seal to perform like it did with factory-fresh parts may be difficult to impossible.

Even when new, the seal isn't perfect. I don't know what fraction of owners were running knuckle pudding back in the day, but I expect it was quite a few.

 

Cantankerous discribes my old JEEP and me to a " T ". My littlest son (7)mentioned to me only yesturday " your old JEEP is not alive only animals and plants are alive, right?" I had to add that. I think he heard me using colorful words under my breath, I told him that this old JEEP sometimes get to me but it is all worth it. He sai " Yeh, it is!" I do plan to make some of that knukkle pudding stuff up and I will report back the results.

 

Dana 30 stops the leaksR). But seriously, I made knuckle pudding for mine when I had the Dana 27 and use it in the 25 on my 3B. No leaks.

 

I followed the directions and made knuckle pudding a couple of years ago. I've been very pleased with the results: no more leaks. It really works well.

Too bad you couldn't use it in the transfer case too!R)

 

My old Dana 27 had knuckle pudding in it as well.