I have looked through the manuals and I am a little confused.
How do you lubricate the inclosed front axel knuckles.
The manual shows a filler plug?
Mine has a grease fitting on each knuckle housing?
What kind of lubricant do you use?
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I have looked through the manuals and I am a little confused.
How do you lubricate the inclosed front axel knuckles.
The manual shows a filler plug?
Mine has a grease fitting on each knuckle housing?
What kind of lubricant do you use?
The manuals specify grease, like bearing grease for the knuckles. Some people use gear oil but it tends to leak. Some use a mix of half grease haf gear oil...known as knuckle pudding...some have found that John Deere Cornhead grease is perfect for the job. Grease takes time to thin and lube everyhere in there...oil is thinner that needed and leaks...the Cornhead stuff is in between, kind of like the knuckle pudding basically...a good compromise.
If yours has grease fittings on the knuckle, someone has mounted them in the fill plugs...modified from stock.
The fill plugs are on the back of the knuckles and are square on the sides. Heres an image to show where:
http://www.m715zone.com/jonmisc/knuckleplug.jpg
I would suggest you take the plugs out and see how much is in there...one member who put grease fittings on basically filled his axle tubes with grease by not checking the level but pump pump pumping away...when all that is needed is enough to reach the bottom of the fill hole in the knuckle...not good.
Jon said it all about your choices. Remember this. The upper bushing will only get lubricated by what is throw up by the drive shaft to it. The thicker the stuff, the less will get throw up. Also, if you have lock out hubs none will get thrown up to the top unless you drive with them locked in down the road at speed every few weeks.
Excellent points!!!
oooh....good point on the hubs. Hadn't thought of that.
"Birfield Pudding" That is a mixture of grease and 90 weight we used to use in a lot of the old Land Rover front knuckles. It was a mess, but it kept things lubed up pretty well.
thanks for the information guys.
Special-Purpose Corn Head Grease (AN102562, AH80490, TY24428, CXAN102562, CXAH80490)
Applications
· Formulated for John Deere corn head and other slow-speed gear cases
· Extra-soft grade of lubricating grease, required for row-unit gear cases of John Deere corn heads
· -30 to 330°F (-34 to 165°C)
Service rating
· NLGI grade 0
· JDMJ13A5, J13E6, and J25A
Physical properties
· Green color
· Contains extreme-pressure additives
· Excellent at high and low temperatures
· Resists moisture and water washout
· Polyurea thickened
· Contains anti-rust properties
I'm just gonna throw this out there, but how about CV joint grease? I don't know what the specs on it are, but it is about the consistency of the pudding mix. Anyone ever tried it?
The Lucas Red grease is what I used. It looks and acts like grease, but just a little temperature change and it turns into oil. Somewhere around 80 to 90 degrees it melts or loosens up into oil . I noticed some dripping from my knuckles on a warm day sitting in the sun. I'm sure I added a little too much.