How Much Grease To Pump In When Lubricating Chassis, Until it oozes out?

**jbeall** · 09-08-2009, 08:43 AM

Hi All,

My Hayne's manual says when lubricating the chassis, "Pump the gun until the component is coimpletely lubricated. On balljoints, stop pumping when the rubber seal is firm to the touch. For all other suspension and steering components, continue pumping grease into the fitting until it oozes out of the joint between the two components."

Seems reasonable to me, but I've had others tell me that you should never pump until it oozes out, you've blown the seal, and that you should *never* pump until it oozes out, just pump until you feel the resistance increase.

So, who is right here?

This is on a 2003 Yukon XL.

-Josh

**moosetags** · 09-08-2009, 09:08 AM

All my life I have always pumped the grease until I see it start to appear between the two fittings being lubed. I don't recall ever being told that this is the way to do it. I have just always done it that way. On the other hand, I was never told not to do it that way.

I'm watching this thread with interest to see the responses on this one.

**1st Synthetics** · 09-08-2009, 09:42 AM

You should not pump untill it oozes out, this is not good. When doing so you open the seal to contaminants. 2 or 3 pumps on most points should be sufficient, you should notice the seal firm up a little.

**jbeall** · 09-08-2009, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by 1st Synthetics

You should not pump untill it oozes out, this is not good. When doing so you open the seal to contaminants. 2 or 3 pumps on most points should be sufficient, you should notice the seal firm up a little.

The Haynes manual seems to imply that the balljoints have seals and the other components do not. I got the quote wrong, here it is with the part I omitted in bold:

"Pump the gun until the component is completely lubricated. On balljoints, stop pumping when the rubber seal is firm to the touch. Do not pump too much grease into the fitting as it could rupture the seal. For all other suspension and steering components, continue pumping grease into the fitting until it oozes out of the joint between the two components."

When I read that, I think "balljoints have seals that could be ruptured, and the other suspension and steering components do not have seals that could be ruptured and you should pump grease into until they ooze."

Is the manual in error, then? All the components that you grease are going to have seals, and thus you should be careful with all of them?

**jbeall** · 09-08-2009, 09:55 AM

By the way, here's a thread from a Toyota forum where they discuss grease pumping, and the "don't pump until it oozes" thinking is mentioned several times:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...ler-shaft-4wd/

**Loggerhead Mike** · 09-08-2009, 10:32 AM

i pump it about 2/3 full, only because if you fill your whatever boot completely full, how long is it going to take for that old grease to disipate so you can add more? if you fill it around 2/3, every oil change you can add a few more pumps and not bust your boot.

**jbeall** · 09-08-2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Loggerhead Mike

i pump it about 2/3 full, only because if you fill your whatever boot completely full, how long is it going to take for that old grease to disipate so you can add more? if you fill it around 2/3, every oil change you can add a few more pumps and not bust your boot.

How do you know when it's 2/3 full?

**Mean_Green_95** · 09-08-2009, 10:38 AM

I pump it the grease until it oozes out, unless its a ball joint, or a throwout barring that can be greased. You could definitely rupture the ball joints and if you grease a throwout barring too much, the grease will get on the clutch an then u have not clutch, in a sense.. But you want the grease to be on every square inch of where there is metal on metal contact to insure that they operate smoothly and don't prematurely wear out.

**Loggerhead Mike** · 09-08-2009, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by jbeall

How do you know when it's 2/3 full?

by pushing on the boot. its like a balloon, it should be firm but you should still be able to push it in with your finger

again this isnt text book only my way of doing it

**Chevymomma** · 09-19-2009, 11:38 AM

So how hard is it to change a boot when it is blown. I did a front break job on my 1993 suburban a few weeks ago and found that the last owner blew out the right side boot. Dad said just keep it greased but I would like to change it. I like to do my own wrenching but everything is over torqued on this truck, it took my husband and one other man to get the lugs off for the break job.