Chasis Lube

[kathydavidb]

I am able to change the oil & filter on my class A gas MH. However I haven't lubed the front end or chasis for awhile now. How often should the grease job be done? Is this something that you do with each oil change or do you let it go for awhile? Dave.

[skp51443]

I don't know if this applies to your rig or not but on some front axles you need to lift the front tires off the ground to grease the bearings, I'd check to be sure.

[nana25k]

We intend to do it every year!!

[Kirk W]

Do you have a copy of the chassis owner's manual? It should tell you how often and also if there are any places to grease. My 99 F-53 chassis had 14 lube points and the manual said to lube every other oil change or once per year. The Ford owner's manual has a picture of the chassis and of the front axle that shows all lubrication points. If you don't have an owner's manual, there is a post on IRV2 which has a small scale copy of the two pages, located here.

[Al F]

When you grease the "king pins" it works best if you lift your front tires off of the ground. A real nuisance. I have gotten some grease to go into the king pins with the tires on the ground, but I really have to pump hard and frequently the grease gun fitting slips off of the zerk fitting before I get any grease into the bearing.

 

I block the rear tires and use the leveling jacks to get the tires off of the ground and jack stands to be sure the MH jacks don't give away.

 

Picture of king pin. Not exactly the same as on a MH but it gives you an idea of what to look for and where it is located.

[JRP]

I do it once a year during my oil/filter change. Its cheap & easy to do, although a bit of a dirty job. After time you'll notice that some fittings take more fresh grease than others.

 

I am able to change the oil & filter on my class A gas MH. However I haven't lubed the front end or chasis for awhile now. How often should the grease job be done? Is this something that you do with each oil change or do you let it go for awhile? Dave.

[kathydavidb]

Thanks for all the great info. Again I've learned something. Now I need to get a good grease gun and the proper grease. Is there any particular grease that is the best? Dave.

[Al F]

I usually buy the bearing grease in the tube at Walmart. When you buy the grease gun, be sure to get a long, 18" or so, flexible extension for the grease gun so you can reach all the fittings.

[skp51443]

I think most use an NLGI #2 grease, any quality brand should be fine. I always keep a spare tube on hand since running out half way through a lube session is an aggravation.

 

I'll add Amazon links to get you started, buy anywhere but watch out for junk as a lot of the guns out there are very low quality.

 

Grease: http://smile.amazon.com/Valvoline-VV985-SynPower-Synthetic-European/dp/B000CQ4DK0/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1413396661&sr=1-3&keywords=nlgi+2+grease

 

I'd read reviews on Amazon to find a grease gun. No way I'd pass up having a flexi hose on the gun as it makes things so much easier.

 

Top rated guns: http://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_72_0?rh=n%3A15684181%2Cn%3A15706941%2Cn%3A15707701%2Cn%3A15707831%2Cn%3A15707871%2Ck%3Agrease+gun%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A3921092011%5Cc3921099011%2Cp_72%3A1248861011&sort=relevancerank&keywords=grease+gun&ie=UTF8&qid=1413396274&rnid=1248859011

 

You will want a good storage place for the gun as the grease can seep a bit in hot summer temps, we used a RubberMaid storage box for both the gun and spare tube of grease.

[Jimalberta]

Also buy a pistol grip grease gun. That way you can fill with one hand and hold the end on with the other hand in awkward situations. The 2 handle grease guns can be a PITA.

[fortytwo]

After struggling with a few of the "very hard to get to and then pump the grease gun" fittings for a dozen years on my F53 chassis I bought a battery powered grease gun at Harbor Freight. Problem solved, and halved the time.

[OldDoggy]

I use a DeWalt 18v grease gun on my Ford, F53 and all 9 front end are done in a jiffy. Takes more time to lift it up to take the weight off the ball joints than the actual greasing does.

 

Just Another old Doggy, Don

[roadster]

Thanks for all the great info. Again I've learned something. Now I need to get a good grease gun and the proper grease. Is there any particular grease that is the best? Dave.

Amsoil synthetic , nothing but the "BEST"

[Jimalberta]

Worst part is getting under and crawling around under there...not much room.

[Guest Lostinaz]

Wipe the dirt off the grease fittings before greasing them.

Otherwise you might inadvertently push some dirt into what you are greasing.

When I have the steering axle jacked up greasing the kingpins, after I grease

them I steer the wheels back and forth before putting the weight back down on the kingpins.

Maybe a little anal, but it works for me.

[Ray,IN]

Thanks for all the great info. Again I've learned something. Now I need to get a good grease gun and the proper grease. Is there any particular grease that is the best? Dave.

Speaking as a present old man, buy a battery-powered or air-powered grease gun. Sure its 3X the cost of a manual lever grease gun, but with a powered grease gun you may hold the coupler on the zerk fitting and handle the gun with the other hand, just pull the trigger and you've greased the fitting. Seems like when using a manual lever grease gun I need 3 hands.

 

As to type of grease, I use a waterproof grease, it seems to last longer .

[Biker56]

A lot of chassis manufactures recommend to lube, plus do many other items to check at 6,000 miles or 6 months, which ever comes first.

Check the maintenance manual for the chassis you have as it could be different as to do sooner then above or later.

 

My Freightliner has lube at 6,000 miles or 6 months and oil change at 15K miles or 12 months.

I only run around 4K miles a year now and lube once a year. And do the oil change at 2 years.

 

I had a battery power grease gun once and spent more time trying to get it to work then it took with a manual gun.

Now have a air gun with a pressure regulator(low pressure needed for drive line U joints)that works great and no longer need 3 hands that the manual ones need at times.

[rockintom]

Wipe the dirt off the grease fittings before greasing them.

Otherwise you might inadvertently push some dirt into what you are greasing.

When I have the steering axle jacked up greasing the kingpins, after I grease

them I steer the wheels back and forth before putting the weight back down on the kingpins.

Maybe a little anal, but it works for me.

 

OMG.........I finally met someone that does it the way I was taught. Wipe the zerk first for the reason you mentioned.....and then wipe again when done to leave it clean. It makes sense to me....but I've never talked to anyone else that does it. Talk about anal...I'm a retired automotive service engineer!!!! Thanks for sharing. Gosh, I feel better!!! rockin'

[Kirk W]

 

OMG.........I finally met someone that does it the way I was taught. Wipe the zerk first for the reason you mentioned.....and then wipe again when done to leave it clean. It makes sense to me....but I've never talked to anyone else that does it. Talk about anal...I'm a retired automotive service engineer!!!! Thanks for sharing. Gosh, I feel better!!! rockin'

I was taught that same thing, but have always kind of "assumed" that it was obvious, which perhaps it isn't. I grew up on the farm where we greased equipment daily or more often when in use as well as just prior to storage for the off season. I have always carried a rag in one had and the gun in the other. I may be wrong, but I would think that most here do it that way. I have seen some shops that do so also.

[Ray,IN]

Me too Tom! I worked for my uncle at his filling station in the 50's, and he always stressed that procedure to everyone who worked there. Grease or oil + dirt make a crude grinding compound.

[kathydavidb]

How much grease is enough? Can you put too much in and hurt something? I want to give it a good greasing but not hurt anything. Dave.

[Kirk W]

Dave, most grease accepting bearings are designed such that any excess will actually squeeze out of the bearing. Add until the first sign of that. You can also hear the excess come out, often before you actually see it.

[skp51443]

Depending on the bearing I like to add a lot of extra grease beyond what it takes to fill it up. Continuing to add grease after you see the old grease being forced out of an open bearing doesn't hurt anything on an open bearing and if you look at the old grease being forced out you can often see it carrying some dirt and grit out of the bearing. If you continue to add grease until the grease coming out is clean and looks new you will have removed a source of wear for a few cents worth of grease.

 

I do wipe off most of the grease that has been forced out, no sense slinging it on the underside of your rig or letting it end up on the highway when it falls off.

 

edited typos

[Phaeton10]

I bought a grease gun and grease I used it one time and said to myself no way. Gave the grease gun away, now pay some one to do it for me. I would prefer to do it myself knowing it would be done right and no fittings missed, but getting way too old to roll under there.

[Ray,IN]

Yes you can add too much grease for some enclosed-booted bearings. The rubber boot is there to resist water and dirt from entering. If too much grease is added it can expand the boot to the bursting point or push the boot away from the sealing surface. If the zerk is on an open piviot point, then no, all it does is as described by Stan and Kirk.