I Have A Really Dumb Question

OK, my 61 is now driveable, and I bought some JD Corn Head grease to put in the steering knuckles. Thing is I can't figure out where to put it! I watched one video where the guy removes the top bearing cap and dumps it in there, is that it? I really wanted to avoid asking but I'm stumped. There are a million articles about which lubricant to use but apparently none on how to use it. So there it is. I'm a moron. Please help me anyway. Front axle is a 27 if it matters.

 

Should be a 1/2" NPT pipe plug on the rear side of the knuckles. No need to do anything with kingpin bearings.

 

Find the square headed plug:

 

"I watched one video..."

No comment.

Do you have an FSM (Factory Service Manual)???????

 

yes, and I looked all through it, no joy. So now I know.

 

Page 198. Figure #246, "Front Axle" part #9 = "knuckle housing filler plug"

https://www.eastcoastwillys.com/_files/ugd/7c63f5_93f7507998df4748ace9308f77f76877.pdf

 

I load the tube of cornhead grease into my grease gun and pump it into that hole once the plug is out until full. I think it takes about one and a half tubes if I remember right.

 

I have a really dumb suggestion. Why not use a more appropriate lubricant?

 

Possibly to get some lube to the top king pin taper roller bearing? A liquid oil lube (per OEM) would get thrown up there, where a grease product may not reach it?

 

Stock is 90WT. Unfortunately, the axle seal surfaces wear and pit over time causing the oil to leak out (you can see the wear and pitting in post #3). The common fix is to mix a "slurry" of oil and grease, thickening the lube enough to stay in the knuckle and still flow enough to get into the bearings and U joints. Many have recommended cornhole grease as a direct replacement for the homebrew mix.

I would suggest popping the t case in every once in a while, as the upper bearing won't get lubed if there isn't some lube slinging around in there.

 

Is that like "boy butter"?? Or is that just a Navy thing..

 

I service the king pin bearings once a year by repacking them with grease. I doubt simply putting in 4Wd actually gets any lubricant into the top bearings, and certainly not if grease of any kind is used as knuckle lubricant.

The earlier manuals listed a lubricant specifically designed for the purpose. When that lubricant became unavailable the later manuals specified 140wt gear oil in the knuckles and steering box. I have found that 140wt is too thin and will leak out around the seals, 90wt would be even more prone to leaking. For years I have concocted "Knuckle Pudding" as suggested on the Novak site, but intend to try the knuckle lube from "Metalshaper" next time I service mine.

I don't want to stir up the usual debate about Cornhead grease, which many think is appropriate for this purpose, but in my opinion it is better used for what it was designed for, and does very little to lubricate anything inside the knuckles, and can lead to premature failure depending on which axle joint you have. If you have Spicer joints you can get sealed universals for them and it won't matter too much what you fill the knuckles with.

I don't know what "cornhole" grease is, and don't think I want to know.

 

I think "boy butter" comes from the old naval frigates.

 

I don't have any opinion one way or the other on this but people on the forum have been using cornhead grease for over 20 years now. If it was rampantly wearing out upper king pin bearings and U-joints, we would know about it by now. Even it's it's not perfectly designed for jeep knuckles, it must work well enough.

The data is out there and it's more useful than opinions.

 

I purchased the product torqueking recommended called something like closed knuckle lubricant. I spoke to the guy at torqueking and he was pretty confident it was a good product. Hopefully using it in a week for the first time.

 

I use a gear oil/grease called 000.
Seems thin enough to sling and thick enough to stay in.

 

I have been curious about the Torqueking product, please let us know your results.

 

I'm curious why you criticize the Cornhead grease with a sarcastic deadend remark, but you're interested in the Torque King lube. I looked at the Torque King website because I was curious about their product, but all you get is a label that says "closed knuckle lube". There's no info about what's in it, what the consistency is, or anything else. Maybe you shop by what's on the label and since the label says closed knuckle lube it must be right, I dunno. I have cornhead grease in the steering knuckles of my Jtruck, which I pumped in about 15 years ago, honestly because I read in Peterson's 4wheel magazine at the time it was preferred over knuckle pudding, according to John Cappa. 15 years later the Jtruck steers good, handles good, no noises from the front end, and no failures. It also has 35s on it, which probably push the closed knuckle 44 to it's limits. So I put cornhead grease in the knuckles of my CJ2a and I'll probably use it in the next closed knuckle Jeep I have.

Interestingly enough, if you do a Google search for cornhead grease and read the comments posted by patrons on distributors websites it's getting used in leaky steering boxes, axles, transfer cases, hot rod guys are using. Apparently the secret about John Deere combine specific NGLI 0 grease has gotten out and has numerous uses outside it's "intended" purpose.