u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

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tbh726
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u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by tbh726 » August 29th, 2021, 9:58 pm

So i went to grease my A2 mutt for the first time since i bought it and planned to do it like the manual says and i found a few thing that i am not sure about. One bubba did something with electric tape that confuses me why would anyone...the u-joints all seem solid, no play, and drives great. Needless to say this one is going to get replaced. two the steering linkage in the manual says there are grease plugs at each of the linkage points (like 6 of them) however there are none anywhere on the linkage. Three on the propeller shaft how do you get a grease gun to the plugs? my grease gun just cant get in there.


tim
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Mark
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by Mark » August 29th, 2021, 10:15 pm

You put a needle type with a blunt pointer tip on it., ask this site for pics of it.I don't know why the black tape would be wrapped on the joint take it off to have a look see.Unless the holding clips are gone, but I can't imagine the tape holding the joint together long.
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by Mr. Recovery » August 30th, 2021, 12:29 am

Here's a photo. :)
P1010001_zpse812d5e2.JPG

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1960 M151 Run 1
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by 1SGCAV77 » August 30th, 2021, 7:38 am

Additional photos. This is a mini grease gun with needle adapted. Works like a champ. No hassle. The size is prefect to handle.
88E19B21-F6EC-4521-804F-49A60E7ECA65.png
Purchased mine from Harbor Freight. Required hardware from ACE hardware.
C1704C48-E3BB-4FE5-9B36-BA577A121636.png
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svramselaar
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by svramselaar » August 30th, 2021, 7:43 am

hi

only the first mutt has at the steer linkage grease nippels
the tape holds the U joint together if you take the drive axle from the mutt
you can try is one bold near the nippel is out there is room for the grease gun

george

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by lpcoating » August 30th, 2021, 7:50 am

Napa sells a needle point that attaches to the standard fitting of a rubber hose grease gun. I have one but I'd recommend the solid style that was pictured as it can be a challenge attempting to seal the needle with enough pressure and pump the grease gun at the same time. Gets interesting...

The tape might have been an attempt to control excess grease from flying all over. Just a guess...

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by rickf » August 30th, 2021, 9:49 am

Most of the newer ball joints and steering joints are permanently lubricated and do not have grease fittings like they did when the manuals were written. The tape on the joint was probably there if the previous owner flat towed the vehicle and pulled the drive shaft out for towing, this kept it all together. I can see that the tape is twisted where a socket ran against it on the bolts so that is the most likely scenario. If this is only on the rear shaft then it was probably towed on a car dolly. Or, he had the same issue as you and could not grease it and pulled it apart to grease it and used the tape to hold the caps on as it was greased. And the tip that screws on to the gun is the best choice. I have several guns, some with regular tips and rubber hoses, some with regular tips with metal tubes and some with metal tubes and and pointed tips for close clearance. You can use the close clearance tips on any fitting. Grease guns are cheap so it is easier (and cleaner) to just get several and set them up as needed.
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by raymond » August 30th, 2021, 10:34 am

The first pic that 1SGCAV77 posted is my mini grease gun.

I think I got my mini grease gun at Wally World. The needle is made by Lincoln and I got it at the local parts store. I added a short section of pipe to reach farther.

It's easy to grease the u joints with this set up. If you have never used a grease gun needle, you press the needle into the little ball on the end of the zerk hard enough to seal. Then you pump the grease gun as normal.

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by acudanut » August 30th, 2021, 3:05 pm

I would add. That nothing on the m-151 is rated for more than 55 mph. Towing it at 70+ mph is going to cause serious issues in the axles and center section..aka 3rd member. Please get a trailer.

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by tbh726 » August 30th, 2021, 7:56 pm

good info on the towing... i did tow dolly it about 20 miles to the house, but lucky i took back rural roads did not want it to have it break down on hwy. so we never got above 55 with it... when i get the u-joint replaced i will find out about the electric tape

ok i have ordered a mini grease gun, and one of the needle parts... i am sure it will be an experience...

thanks for all the info

tim

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by rickf » August 30th, 2021, 9:00 pm

Is the u-joint bad? Don't replace it just because it has tape on it. The tape was there to hold it together during transport or assembly. Anyone who has ever dropped the caps off a u-joint and then picked through the dirt and gravel to find all the needles and clean them all and get them all back in is very liberal with the tape. I tape any joint as soon as I take the joint out of the yoke. You will find these joints are getting rather hard to find so don't replace it unless it is bad.
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by m3a1 » August 31st, 2021, 12:44 am

Yup. It may well be the fellow who installed it simply neglected to remove the tape!

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by rickf » August 31st, 2021, 9:39 am

Or simply left it on there so he did not have to reinstall it for the next transport. That joint has very little movement since both ends of the shaft are attached to solid mounted units.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by tbh726 » August 31st, 2021, 8:51 pm

there is no play in it at all, i just figured it was a bubba move... it does seem in decent shape, need to grease it i guess that will tell me if i should replace it... waiting on the needle attachment now

tim

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Re: u-Joints - steering linkage and grease

Unread post by tbh726 » February 20th, 2022, 10:17 pm

So i was finally able to spend time using the grease needle and it works great thank for that... however when i got to the u-joint that connect to the transmission, the grease nipple was not there, do not know if it was recent or that way for years... as dirty and nasty as it was i have to say for sometime... i took the nipple off of a old u-joint that was in a box of parts when i got the jeep. I clean everything up and was able to put grease in the bearings. The question is was it too late? i know next to nothing on u-joints and i read the mutt is hard on them... i did give it enough grease that it came out the caps. Another question is how do i know if the joint is going bad? i tried shaking it, jerking it to see if there was any play, if there was it was like a movement the width of a hair or two.

thoughts

tim
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