Using a grease gun

[mjoekingz28]

I recently just put in my second ever grease tube. Years ago, my first, I greased the rear sway links on a Saturn until they bled. Oops!

Then, on a Dodge Intrepid I went until a slight swell and checked later and it had busted. So I guess there was already enough grease in the boot AND it did not have the vent as some claim.


My truck has eleven fittings and I believe just one on my 3 ton floor jack.

What is the proper technique? It is not as fun as I anticipate because the gun is a lever type, not a pistol grip. So its quite an affair getting the hose on AND holding it flat so I do not lose grease at the contact point, then trying to get light into a shadowy place, then somehow using a hand to pump, whilst against a leg or the concrete floor.


The floor jack works okay. You have to be deft when lowering or it will collapse quickly. My 3/4 ton truck has a chirping going down the road over bumps. I have already greased it and it did look like it had not been current on lubrication.





So, long story short.....when and how? Every year add two pumps? Wait until the steering or suspension creaks or is notchy? How can you tell when to not bother it yet keep it healthy and not dry-rot?


Thanka

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Your vehicle owner's manual will have the needed information for proper lube & maintenance.

A Chilton or Hayes manual for your specific vehicle will explain the maintenance and care in detail..

A pistol grip grease gun would make your job far easier.

I could just tell you the answer to your question, but you would benefit more by knowing where to find the answer; not only to this question, but dozens of others..

 

[Tim37]

Usually I just put one or two pumps in. I pregrease new parts before I put the boots on so I know that they are good and. Greased up. To begin with. Doing it this way I haven't had any problems.

 

[JR 42]

Lever grease guns are great for farm equipment and anything else with a lot of zerks - they generate more pressure and won't cause hand cramps on your three hundredth pump of the day.

Less is usually more. Stuff like u-joints you can overgrease to your heart's content, but will make a huge mess. Anything sealed you need to be much more careful... usually one pump is enough.

What's making noise on your truck? Most suspension points aren't greasable, really... look at all the zerks and canvas boots on old old trucks, compared to today's stuff... I wonder when the last pickup truck to have greasable spring shackles was made.

JR

 

[slip knot]

Get the longest hose you can find. it'll make using the GG much easier.

2 tubes, really? I go thru a case a year easy.

I put 2 shots of grease in each fitting at every oil change. Most newer vehicles have damn few grease zerks.

 

[dreasoner]

Anyone had the pleasure of using the style of grease gun that had to be packed instead of changing a tube? I inherited one from an older brother and used it once before shitcanning it.

 

[JR 42]

Anyone had the pleasure of using the style of grease gun that had to be packed instead of changing a tube? I inherited one from an older brother and used it once before shitcanning it.

Not really, thankfully, but for several years I used an Oregon chainsaw grease gun (the only small grease gun made in the first world I could find) for the twenty-some pumps a year on my truck. Repacking the odd-sized cartridge every so often wasn't a big deal, but I can think of better ways to spend my time.

I couldn't bear using it for daily greasing, though, that would be a huge waste of time.

JR

 

[cliftonbros89]

Get a Lincoln pistol grip. Last long. Work great. For a vehicle they're better than a lever gun.

I know I also read a thread on here awhile back about grease guns. One guy said he went to his auto parts store to have a longer hose for his grease gun made. I think 3 or 4 foot.

 

[SAATR]

The small jaws built in to the nozzle of the grease gun are meant to grab the fitting while under pressure, so as long as you have a good tip it should hold on while you pump with both hands. Long hoses do help tremendously, so investing in an extension may be a good idea. Unless you drive off-road a lot you probably don't need to grease the suspension components but maybe once a year, if that. Greases can stick around and remain effective for quite a while, as long as there isn't anything to contaminate or wash them away. There's also the issue of soap type (the thickener they use in the grease) and things like EP additives to consider. Greases that are very tacky with a high moly content are great for suspension components, but most roller bearings (u joints) want a grease that flows well without the EP additives that can cause bearing issues. It's best to see what the manufacturer recommends and stick to it to get the best service life out of whatever component you are servicing, so reading the manual us probably the best thing to do.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Mikerodrig27]

You'll get the hang of that gun. I'd personally work with it a little before chucking it for another one.

What kind of truck is it? Typically, grease fittings only come on suspensions that have had parts replaced. Make sure you clean the grease fitting before and after you use it. If they have dust caps, make sure you put those on. If any dirt gets onto the fitting you may end up pumping that into the joint.

When suspension components squeak, they typically already have some play or something else wrong with them. There are some simple test for play. A basic one is grabbing the wheel at 9 & 3 and 6 & 12 o'clock and wiggling them. This will check for steering and bearing play. checking ball joints for play is a little more involved. Sometimes you have to jack up the lower control arm and use a long pry bar to push the tire up and down while looking at the ball joints for play.

Do you hear clunking when going over bumps? Do your shocks looks moist like they have a oil on them?

 

[theoldwizard1]

Anyone had the pleasure of using the style of grease gun that had to be packed instead of changing a tube?

Those are meant for heavy equipment that have dozens if not hundreds of fittings, most of which should be service daily.

They are refilled for a bucket/barrel with a pump which typically has a pneumatic pump.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I was taught to add grease until you can see old grease come out of a vent hole or the bottom of the boot.

On trailer bearing that are designed to be grease via a zerk in the hub (typical for boat trailers), I pump until I see it move.

 

[dreasoner]

Hey Wizard, I learned something today. Pumping the grease into the gun from a bulk source makes total sense. The gun in question dated back to the 60's. I was just a dumb kid. Now i am hopefully a somewhat smarter old man.