Where's the Zerk?

[JRZ_DAD]

Well, I feel like a ZERK for having to ask this but knowing my less-than-perfeckt mechanickal abilities, I thought I'd ask the pros...

I read on this forum about lubing the Ujoints and pumping grease into them till clean grease came out..well, I crawled under the jeepasaurus and started pumping away on the driveshaft zerks. All was going great till I got to the CV joint...I looked and looked and couldn't find the zerk. I even emptied a spraycan of brake parts cleaner in and around this CV joint thinking that either its just covered with grease or the zerk was missing (and covered with grease). Well, I now have the cleanest CV joint in SW Oklahoma...and I STILL cannot find the zerk nor can I find any evidence of there even being one on this CV joint. It is possible that they put some sort of Ujoint into the CV joint that does not require any lube? I sure could use some advice here as how I should proceed.... :confused:

[joe]

It's a flush mount zerk and you a needle tip for your grease gun to grease it. <$5 at any parts store. And YES you do need to grease it. If you have the TH400 AT and the CV joint lets go at speed you will erase major portions from the front of the transmission :(

[Hump]

Just to clarify a "CV" joint or "constant velocity" joint is only used where rotational as well as transverse motion is required. As in front wheel drive vehicles, or vehicles with independent suspensions using "halfshafts". It allows the axle to rotate as well as slide in and out due to flex in the suspension. Solid axle vehicles do not use "CV" joints, because they are housed axles that rotate only. Check out this website for further info...http://www.raxles.com/fundamen.htm

Your front axle uses a conventional style cardan u-joint. I do not know of any u-joints as -joe spoke of, but if they do exist then it sounds like a simple solution. If you cannot find any opening anywhere in the body of the joint it is probably sealed. It is manufactured with the necessary amount of grease for the lifetime of the joint. If they go bad, break, or just wear out you must replace them. If that's the case i'm sure there are plenty of guys here that could shed some light on that for you. I myself have only replaced driveshaft u-joints, but that isn't too incredibly difficult. Hope that helps.

[Bob Barry]

Some have them, some don't. I've seen them with the fittings in the crotch of the crosses at either end of the double-cardan, and I've seen them with the fittings in the end-caps of those crosses. I suppose you'll also find the "lubed until death" versions.

The center fitting is the tricky one; it's accessed through a hole in the center housing. On mine, however, there was no access hole, so there was no fitting. On my other one, there was a hole and a flush fitting, but you had to hit it *just* right, otherwise you just filled up the outside of the joint with grease, as a kind of rust-preventative resevoir once it starts spinning and spraying it all over the underside of the truck (BTDT).

The absolute best way to lube that beast is with it off the truck.

[JRZ_DAD]

Thanks guys...Lotsa good info you provided me and I certainly appreciate it too. I guess the best way to find this thing is to pull it off the truck (ala Bob Barry) and lube it that way. Thanks again for all the input guy.... :D

[BIGYELLOW78J10]

Hey,

I recently(1-yr) had my double cardan replaced with a new spicer joint(I was told via receipt). I believe it to be sealed, much to my dismay. So, you could be in the same ship. I looked at it before I put mine in, and it really didn't appear to be the same as the old one and definitely did not seem to have the standard grease setup. So who knows. You would serve yourself best to remove the shaft and get familiar with it. And maybe replace the joints with the heay duty u joints that have the grease fitting ont he end. Good luck!


Daniel

[JRZ_DAD]

Thanks Daniel, I was thinking about doing just that...My thoughts were to remove the driveshaft and check to see if I could grease it or not. If not, then I was thinking about replacing it with a joint that had the zerk on the cap. I'd sure feel alot better about pumping some lube up in there myself as opposed to taking my chances as it currently is...

:D

[garcia]

Hey Jeepasaurus -- You may have inadvertantly made a small problem by dousing your axle u-jounts with brake claener. On my 89 GW the joints are non-lubeable. When they fail you replace them. I'm thinking you may have accidentally douched out a lot of grease -- could result in an early death. Look for the needle grease fitting like mentioned (they're on the front drive line of my rig), but I'm thinking you won't find it -- Good luck. I almost always learn from my

[garcia]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by garcia:
Hey Jeepasaurus -- You may have inadvertantly made a small problem by dousing your axle u-jounts with brake claener. On my 89 GW the joints are non-lubeable. When they fail you replace them. I'm thinking you may have accidentally douched out a lot of grease -- could result in an early death. Look for the needle grease fitting like mentioned (they're on the front drive line of my rig), but I'm thinking you won't find it -- Good luck. I almost always learn from my<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>screwups -- then rarely need the knowledge again. -- Good luck

[JRZ_DAD]

Good Point Garcia...I had not thought about that. Guess thats another thing to consider once I get it off the truck...Thanks!

[jeepgods]

if youre gonna take it out to look, might as well replace the joints when you get it out. youll be sorry if you dont and it lets loose and takes out the side of your transmission.(not a fun thing, had it happen once)