?? about grease fittings

[mlh]

I have a question about the 4 grease fittings under the front of my C. It is a 2010 E-450. I am attaching some pictures to go along with my questions.

This is what one of them looked like not long after I bought it.




Here are what they look like now.











Here are my concerns....Do they look too flat? I've greased them a few times and they do not take much grease before they start overflowing. They do not get much bigger when greasing them up. They obviously have grease everywhere and it seems as if they are leaking. Is this normal? Did I put too much grease and cause them to leak like that? Do I need to replace them? If so, are they easy to replace? Would I need an alignment afterwards?

Sorry for so many questions, I just want to make sure they are safe.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

[mlh]

Thanks for the answers guys.

Many manuals for vehicles tell you to pump grease until you "see" grease coming out which is exactly what I did. Isn't that "breaking the seals"?

I go back to one of my original questions....do they need to be replaced?

[tboss]

X2 good advice Ray..

[tboss]

🙂

[super_camper]

Harvey51 wrote:
Thanks, Ray. That's what my dad taught me but you never know for sure until you look it up.

but if you look it up on the internet you still don't know for sure!!!

[Harvey51]

Thanks, Ray. That's what my dad taught me but you never know for sure until you look it up.

[Raymon]

eHoefler wrote:
Keep pumping grease into them until grease squirts out. Continue pumping until you see clean grease. the purpose of greasing them, is to purge any water, dirt and "used" grease. You are essentially doing a grease change.

I respectfully disagree with you. When new, the "dust boots" are attached/sealed at both ends. This is to prevent water and dirt from entering the boot and contaminating the grease. The worst thing that can be done is to pump in too much grease and dislodge the boot from either end where it is attached. Too many service places are guilty of pumping in too much grease and breaking the seals.

These grease points are not made to have a "grease change". You can verify my facts by searching the internet. Take care.

Ray

[mlh]

Thanks guys. I was concerned about all the grease leaking out and having metal to metal contact causing a problem down the road possibly miles away from anything. You guys explained it perfectly. I feel better about it now.

[eHoefler]

Keep pumping grease into them until grease squirts out. Continue pumping until you see clean grease. the purpose of greasing them, is to purge any water, dirt and "used" grease. You are essentially doing a grease change.

[KD4UPL]

They look like normal grease fittings to me. I've never seen one that didn't leak.

[path1]

No, not easy to replace IMO. Pull up some pic's of "tie rods" big pain in the rear to remove and replace.

I jack up the front just a little to get some weight off and give maybe 3 shots(from manual gun) before rubber starts to puff up just a little and then I stop.

Every other oil change. If I recall right, maint guide said every 3,500 miles but found that to be over doing it.

"Is it normal" one of mine also leaks grease because I think I put to much in couple years ago.

There are only 2 places in town that have lift big enough for MH (height wise) and seldom see RV on it. I think 80% of people don't bother or don't know they are even there. Or maybe an oil change place has already blown theirs out.

"Would I need an alignment afterwards?" Yes IMO, even if you counted every turn of tie rod when taking off and putting new back on, I would want to make sure it was aligned after putting in all that work. When I called for an estimate for mine they wanted almost $700 including shocks.

If it were me...I would just put enough grease to feel or see rubber start to puff up and watch front end wear. If it was blowing out all grease, there would be more of a mess.

"I just want to make sure they are safe?"

What would make them "unsafe"? They are two machined surfaces that have metal to metal contact so grease is put in to cut down on wear between 2 metal surfaces IMO

I also don't rotate my tires because they age(time out, not mileage out) and have not seen any bad wear on front tires.

Hope an expert chimes in, I'm the back yard "do it yourself" type. Wish my underneath looked as good as yours.

Usually grease mine when oil is draining. In your 3rd pic down, that rubber bushing for stabilizer bar, I've replaced it 2 times on right side on once on right rear. Not hard to replace but wonder why I chew thru them on mine.

[copeland343]

Looks good to me.