factory 3/4 ton 4x4 axles who uses them?

[travz500]

does anyone actually keep there original axles front and rear in a 4x4 it seems like all the front ends with the sealed knuckles I see seem to leak even after being rebuilt I have a pair of 3/4 tons out of my 65 that leak so i am gonna put my 87 3/4 ton axles in it along with the springs and shackles

[padresag]

most don't put the proper lube in them. it should be 140wt gear oil. sometimes they do need new seals and wipers and the knuckle polished up
ron

[MikeS.]

I didn't, my Burb came with a Dana40 closed knuckle axle. I swapped in an 87 4x4 Burb axle, mostly for the disk brakes.

[maxwoof]

I still have the factory axles in my 62 3/4 ton. I packed the wheel and knuckle bearings with grease the same way you would pack the bearings in an open knuckle. No leaks that way.
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[padresag]

quite difference between bearing grease and gear oil
ron

[maxwoof]

Think about it. With the exception of ball joints vs. knuckle bearings, the closed knuckle and open knuckle hubs function very much the same. If you grease everything in the closed knuckle that would otherwise be oiled, you are operating the same way the open knuckle does.

If you take a closed knuckle hub apart, you can see that hoping to get adequate lubrication to the outer bearings and the upper knuckle bearings is a stretch, especially when you consider how little oil the hubs hold. And they would leak even when new. When I took mine apart, the outers were dry, and the upper knuckle bearings were in pieces. Not anymore. Running grease since 2009 without any problems so far.
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[padresag]

Originally Posted by maxwoof

Think about it. With the exception of ball joints vs. knuckle bearings, the closed knuckle and open knuckle hubs function very much the same. If you grease everything in the closed knuckle that would otherwise be oiled, you are operating the same way the open knuckle does.

If you take a closed knuckle hub apart, you can see that hoping to get adequate lubrication to the outer bearings and the upper knuckle bearings is a stretch, especially when you consider how little oil the hubs hold. And they would leak even when new. When I took mine apart, the outers were dry, and the upper knuckle bearings were in pieces. Not anymore. Running grease since 2009 without any problems so far.
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what lubricates the knuckle itself

the reason that it leaks is because there may be a problem with wear. the unfortunate part of a 4 x 4 is that they need maintenance once in awhile esp the older ones and people these days really don't like doing maintenance.
Dana recommends 140 wt gear oil in the knuckles
so if your eng is going to leak are you going to stick grease in it. everything leaks eventually
I had a detroit in mine for 18 years. every once in a while you have to replace certain gskts. they didn't earn the nickname "road oilers" for nothing. with a little maintenance one could keep it to a minimum. seen a lot of small blocks that were leakers and a lot that weren't. all depends how you look after them
I do think about it!
ron

[j.kirn]

i still have mine

[travz500]

I got a set that came with a 65 I bought they look neat but I dont want them and I was just curious how many people still used

[maxwoof]

what lubricates the knuckle itself?

If you are talking about the knuckle bearings which allow the spindles to pivot for steering, you pack them with grease just like the wheel bearings. They are tapered roller bearings, very similar to wheel bearings, just smaller.

If you are referring to the universal joints on the axles, they need to be packed with grease the same way they would be in an open knuckle system.

Lastly, grease the wipers and the felt seals as well. At that point, I would say the knuckle itself is lubricated. And, it won't drip out every 500 miles or so.

Also, please don't think I was suggesting you don't think about things. I was just trying to express my thoughts to any reader that they should think about how similar the open and closed systems are.
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[padresag]

Originally Posted by maxwoof

what lubricates the knuckle itself?

If you are talking about the knuckle bearings which allow the spindles to pivot for steering, you pack them with grease just like the wheel bearings. They are tapered roller bearings, very similar to wheel bearings, just smaller.

If you are referring to the universal joints on the axles, they need to be packed with grease the same way they would be in an open knuckle system.

Lastly, grease the wipers and the felt seals as well. At that point, I would say the knuckle itself is lubricated. And, it won't drip out every 500 miles or so.

Also, please don't think I was suggesting you don't think about things. I was just trying to express my thoughts to any reader that they should think about how similar the open and closed systems are.
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this the link to Dana-Spicer bulletin to these frt axles and their recommended lubricant
http://www2.dana.com/pdf/5305.pdf

oil and grease both lubricate but they work under different circumstances
in this application the oil is installed to a certain level and the pieces move within it and it also splashes up so that it can lubricate the top king pin brg and the knuckle joint surfaces. grease cannot do this unless brought up to a certain temperature. brgs and u-joints that are usually packed with grease are usually contained so that the grease stays even if it gets hot. not so with the knuckle joint. once the grease gets thrown from those u-joints how is it goin to get back in there unless you pull it all apart after every use and reapply. same with the knuckle joints the felt wipers will push the grease away eventually and they will become dry and you what things are like when they are dry. with gear oil, it gets splashed back up in there continually. which one do you think will last the longest.. they are an early design and may have their flaws and may leak a little. live with it or change it up to something newer. your day may come when you'll be faced to wear "Depends". what will be the answer then; grease it?
ron