Do original ball joints have grease zerks?

[ckhd]

On my '72 K-10 'burb, the ball joints I removed had no grease zerks, or even holes for them.

Also, were the front axle shaft u-joints grasable? The one on the passenger side has no way to grease it, but the one on the driver's side has a little screw in the end of one of the caps that can be removed, and a needle fitting can be used to grease it.

Just wondering what's original. The new ball joints I put in have grease zerks.

[incoma]

The originals that I had on my c10 did have grease zerks. I can't help about the u-joints on your front axle, I don't have a 4wd. I suspect they should have zerks too.

[larry may]

Funny to me : I was thinking about this very thing earlier today. Worked with a fella in 1972 that had a 1970 c-10 . He said same thing then. There are no grease fittings in his pick up. I also had a new car in 1970 it had no grease fittings either. It was not a Gm product. Any way some had a plug in the fitting hole to be removed. Some as you mentioned had no grease fitting hole. So IMO. Some did not have some did have. my.02 cents.

[Longhorn Man]

I am under the imperssion that the 4X4 trucks didn't have any zerks for the ball joints.

[LONGHAIR]

As far as I know, none of the factory front axle joints had grease fittings. This includes Ford and Dodge too. The ones with the little needle fitting are a Spicer replacement part and even those are not the "standard" part, they are an up-grade. I'm pretty sure that the hardcore off-roaders don't use them though. They consider them weaker because of the cross drilling that makes it so the you get grease to all of the caps from a fitting in just one of them. The originals and the standard replacements are not drilled and get greased only one time as they are assembled.

So, that would indicate that you have at least one that has been replaced.

[ckhd]

Well, I guess that the only thing in the suspension/steering that has ever been replaced is the one axle joint. It doesn't surprise me judging by how road-wild that thing was. I'm going to post some bushing pictures later...

[ChevLoRay]

I believe the correct type of front axle "knuckles" for your truck are what are called Cardon Joints. They're sealed and look like they would swivel....they're round on the back side where they attach to the axle housing. I believe they are lubricated by the oil in the front differential. My book doesn't show any grease fittings on the knuckles. The book also says they're Spicer hypoid gear axle units, and the axle assembly number and production date should be stamped on the left tube assembly.

As for other suspension components having grease fittings, my book shows 20 locations for lubrication, although there are allowances made for different gearboxes and engines. But, you should check the front axle air vents, transfer case, front and rear axles, steering knuckles, drag link, tie rod ends, drive shaft slip yokes, u-joints, control linkage (shifter), wheel bearings, steering gear, throttle linkage and bell crank, brake/clutch pedal springs, rear spring hangers and the usual engine/gearbox lubricants. This is for 4WD vehicles, per the service manual. There very well may be more/less than 20 zerk fittings, but look on either end, top and bottom of any component that can move as it is attached to the chassis. Back when our trucks were new, there were very few sealed components and usual lube jobs were done at 6K mile intervals.

[ckhd]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

I believe the correct type of front axle "knuckles" for your truck are what are called Cardon Joints. They're sealed and look like they would swivel....they're round on the back side where they attach to the axle housing. I believe they are lubricated by the oil in the front differential.

Sounds like you are describing the 1969 and earlier axle. in '70 they switched to an open knuckle.

I guess I had my head up my butt. I looked in my 1972 Service Manual (the one published by GM). For the four wheel drives, it doesn't list ball joints or axle joints as lube points. Only things it lists related to the front axle are wheel bearings, tie rod ends, and drag link ends.

I guess that's pretty conclusive evidence that the ball joints and the axle joints didn't have zerks in 1972. It does list the ball joints for 2 wheel drives...

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

As for other suspension components having grease fittings, my book shows 20 locations for lubrication, although there are allowances made for different gearboxes and engines. But, you should check the front axle air vents, transfer case, front and rear axles, steering knuckles, drag link, tie rod ends, drive shaft slip yokes, u-joints, control linkage (shifter), wheel bearings, steering gear, throttle linkage and bell crank, brake/clutch pedal springs, rear spring hangers and the usual engine/gearbox lubricants...

The stuff you listed are in fact lube points, but most were not greased points, nor did most have grease fittings.

upper and lower ball joints (C models only)
inner and outer tie rods
upper and lower control arm bushings
Idler arm
Pitman arm
all u-joints
slip shaft on drive shaft if 2 piece
Some steering gear boxes will have a zerk, but I have yet to see one on a 10 - 30 truck of this gen.
manual shift trucks may have a couple on the Z bar, but I am unsure of this.

That should be all the grease fittings/zerks on your truck.