How to Grease Truck Ball Joints

Handling your own truck maintenance is a great way to become familiar with your vehicle and save time and money. This is true also for replacing your truck ball joints. One of the steps in the process is to grease the new truck ball joints, which is vital in the function of the truck ball joints.

Instructions

1

Invest in a good new ball joint system. The new, and slightly more expensive, truck ball joint systems have the option to add grease as needed. This greatly extends the life of the ball joint, as the most common cause of failure is all of the grease being used and causing the part to fail.

2

Place the grease fitting into the hole of the joint. This fitting will come with the new ball joint system. Screw it into place and then use a quarter inch ratchet with a seven millimeter socket to tighten the fitting. Only go to snug; there is no need to torque or over-tighten this fitting, as it could be damaged if you do.

3

Reinstall the truck ball joints. This will require starting with the lower joint, then the upper joint. Use a ball joint press to get them back to where they are supposed to be. This will take a little time to make sure you are doing it correctly and safely. Next, insert the jerk fittings, slide on the dust boots and install the knuckle. Torque the nuts to the required specifications according to your vehicle's manual.

4

Grease the ball joint. Place the tip of the grease gun against the fitting you placed in the ball joint earlier. This acts similar to when you fill a tire. The stem is pressed in to prevent the grease from coming back out as it is pushed into the joint. It is easier to do this before reinstalling the axle and hub.