Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week (Read 825 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Yahoo Message Number: 2321
This topic was suggested by Ron Hall. His logic was that we all have
the same chassis - regardless of the manufacturer and we all have
either a Duramax of Vortec engine. IMO good points by Ron.

Comments, observations and questions relating to the following points
(and any more you can think of) are welcome and encouraged.

Frequency of chassis lube - manual (mine anyway) states every 5,000
miles or 6 months. (I find this a pain since we are parked in FLA
for 5.5 months)

Are you a DIY type or do you have a dealer or other shop do it for
you? If not a DIY, who does it for you?

If a DIY:

Type of lube/grease used? Where obtained? Price?

Lube points?

How many sections to your drive shaft? (my Kodiak manual shows 2
section drive shaft but since wheelbase was stretched from 213 inches
to 225, I have three sections and an extra U-joint.)

Type of grease gun used? Cost? Where purchased?

Anything else you would like to add pertaining to chassis lube.

I'd like to keep this topic open until this time next week.

I look forward to good participation.

Don

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2322
I have been using Mobil 1 synthetic grease (about $8 a tube) since I started doing my own lube about 10,000 miles ago. I need to do the lube 2 times a year. There are 5 lube points on the front suspension and 4 on drive shaft.
Because I have not been careful with grease cleanup. My front tire covers have grease marks all over them. Best to clean up the excess grease before it gets all over everything. My wife thinks I am a grease magnet. LOL.

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2323
Ron Hall wrote:

Quote
2 times a year. There are 5 lube points on the front suspension and 4 on
drive shaft.

Do you need a flexible hose on the gun or will a straight tube fit the
locations? I haven't done my own yet on the motorhome, but will be starting.

Quote
My wife thinks I am a grease magnet.

I hate grease and no matter how careful I am, I always end up with it on
me.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2327
My grease gun has a flexible hose end. I am sure that it would be needed to lube all points.
I may have missed 2 lube point on the front suspension. Forgot about the tie rod.

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2328
I use Slick 50 grease in a hand powered grease gun that I have had forever. I buy the grease at the local parts chain for around $7.

I believe the front suspension is 4 zerks for the king pins, and 4 or 5 for the linkage. I'm pretty sure I have 4 zerks for the drive shaft.

The task is very messy, requiring me to use copious amounts of shop towels. If I don't end up with grease on my clothes or the driveway that I did a super job! The one nice thing is that there is enough clearance to scoot around under the MH on a creeper which makes the job a little easier.

I was reviewing the info in the owners manual about applying the grease and it states that on the king pins you keep on pumping in grease until you see the new grease come out. Unless you are using a different color grease each time, how can you do this? I usually just pump until some grease starts coming out, and call it good. I do this for every fitting (always have, for anything I've owned). Does anybody do it differently?

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2331

Don a picture is worth a thousand words, so I gave posting pictures a try. kodiak grease locations is the photo album name. There is a red straw on each grease zerk. Hopefully this will be usefull for your acrobat summary.
I found 8 zerks in the front end and 5 (there are 5 U-Joints on mine) in the drive shaft.
later brad
btw its nice to see diesel cheaper than gas again

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2332
Thanks Brad. Photos are very helpful (showed DW and she was impressed). Members may not realize that all they have to do is look at RECENT ACTIVITY below right and click on the NEW PHOTOS (4) and they will go right to the photos.

In Canada diesel is now much less than regular fuel but I only noticed a small percentage of the US stations on the Flying J and Pilot web sites that have diesel cheaper than regular gas. None around us here in Florida. But now that I no longer have a diesel it is not near and dear to my heart. :) On some forums we were informed that diesel would never drop below regular again. Pays to never say never.

Before we depart FLA I will get under the MH with my grease gun and coveralls on - sure can't fit a crawler unless I raise it way up on jack stands :) - and have some fun. The task will be to get more grease in the zerks than on me.

The Kodiak manuall has an interesting service chart and chassis diagram. Looks overwhelming until you realize that many items don't apply to a gasser.

Don


On 16-Mar-09, at 9:11 PM, Brad McKenna wrote:

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2333
Great job on the pictures. Gives a better idea of where lube points are.

Re: Chassis Lubrication - First Discussion Topic of the Week

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2334
, Brad McKenna  wrote:
Quote
Don a picture is worth a thousand words,

Brad,

Thanks for a super job on the pictures of the lube points!

Bill

Lubrication

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 2330
We use a grease gun with a 4 foot hose, This allows for good leverage when trying to hold the hose end on the zerk fitting. I always use a rag or paper towel to clean the zerk fitting and then push the small ball that's on the end a few time's to make sure it's not damaged or stuck. When doing drive shaft's I alway's crawl under the truck with several hose fittings that will almost always get grease into the zerk without moving the drive shaft. The most common one is a needle grease injector that goes directly onto the zerk ball and allow's you to grease it almost regardless of the u-joint position, They make several of these grease accessories that are really great, buy them at any good auto part's store.
When I do the ball joint's I always jack the front tires off the ground. I then have Carol get inside and turn the wheels full left and then full right while I apply the grease, this work's extreamly well as it allow's the joint's to take grease easier and spread's it completely in side the ball joint. Never-Ever pass on a zert fitting because you can't get it to take the grease, If necessay take the zerk fitting out and clean it with cleaner and air or replace it. If it still won't take the grease get a fine wire and start fishing inside the hole where the zert goes, it probably OLD grease which can get very hard. Clean this old grease out with a fine wire or until you can start to get grease into the joint. NEVER EVER let one pass. Grease is cheap---Parts can be very expensive.
We always grease the chassis if have been out a few thousand miles before the next trip, makes the truck steer better and prevent's premature part failure.
While the truck is on the Jacks rotate the tires by hand and listen and feel for wheel bearing's going bad, try and pull the tire up and down and feel for excessive play. Also never jack the front tires off the ground without putting jack stands under the frame.
After you have all the zerks accepting grease on a regular schedule you'll find that it become's much easier to do this nasty job.
This work's for us, Bob 06 Pony xpress Duramax