Dana 44 closed knuckle disc brakes

[jeffahart]

I have some John Deere AN102562, just because they are the ones that developed it for their corn heads. Nice for certain gear boxes that develop class III leaks, as a stop gap before maintenance or replacement. But it can be used as a maintenance free long term oil in some gear boxes if you live in a warmer climate. Good to have on your shelf for sure.

[Bruce A. Frank]

There has been debate over the use of the Corn Head grease in closed knuckles on 4X4s. This type of grease has been on the recommended list for closed knuckle lube since such axles have been in use.

It is true that with good lip seals with the ball surface in good condition (smooth) 90W to 140W gear lube works well. But over time the ball wears, particularly evident on older vehicles, that make it near impossible to keep the gear lubes in the knuckle even with new seals and wipers.

But you will find that Dana included these 00 liquid grease lubricants on their recommended lists of proper lubes for closed knuckle axles.

There has also been some debate about some grease formulations' compatibility with bronze bushings and other non-ferrous bearings. Selecting a modern synthetic version of the 00 grease just eliminates the question.

Let me add that my first 4X4 was twenty years old when I got it. Over the years of putting 250,000 additional miles on it with different standard and liquid greases in the closed knuckles, I never say any corrosion of the bronze bushings or bearings in my axle. There may be technical info that says there might be such problems, but nothing showing in 250,000 miles seems a reasonable longevity test.