Greasing Sealed Joints?

[Arnold]

Anybody do this?
Just curious. I am thinking of greasing a few. I simply cannot see that it is a good idea to see a joint that is older..and one cannot feel any grease in the joint..(sometimes even feeling dry) and just leaving it until it gets play..then having to change it.
 I can't see that it would hurt anything. I would use a needle..(or maybe find a way under the seal/lip. Pierce the joint seal ..and use a needle fitting for a grease gun. Pump grease in until there is obviously some there. If there is an obvious risk of losing grease..(due to flex)then allow the joint to flex..and then seal up the little hole with silicone or Goop.
 I had a 1967 Lincoln..it was I think the first Ford product with
"long life" grease intervals. 30,000 miles I think. Ford thought this was a "better idea"..to remove the plugs..install grease fittings..grease the joint,replace the fittings again with the plugs.They said they did this because the fittings were not getting greased anyways..and then it was not done properly. The same reasoning I saw in print  behind the removal of grease fittings in u joints.
 Many greaseable joint seals..the idea was to have the seals fit tightly and grease them until they swelled enough that there was always some pressure forcing grease into the joint. Sure..then they got pumped full of grease until they burst..leakng grease. lol..I forget which vehicle..when this happened the grease was forced out pretty much onto the rotor..haha.
prompting the replacement joints with seals to have "vent holes" haha..and specifiying where they are to be pointed to haha.
 I don't have a problem with sealed joints where you can feel grease..and some pressure..swelling.
 Lower ball joints(sealed) that I looked at the other day..the seals..and the feel of them.I like the idea of some more grease in there

[unklian]

If it has the screw in plugs, you can remove them
and install Zerk fittings, no problemo.

Used to do many this way. LONG time ago.

[Arnold]

If it has the screw in plugs, you can remove them
and install Zerk fittings, no problemo.

Used to do many this way. LONG time ago.

 Thanks..I have done that too. In this case the axle shaft would have to come out to do that..Not happennng..lol.

[wayne petty]

greasing U joints that don't have Zirc fittings... or even plugs..

and you mentioned drive axle.. rather than drive shaft..

so i expect this is for a 4x4 front axle.. or a 4 wheel steering pickup version..

i would think that if one ... had a REALLY long thin needle..  you might be able to probe through the rubber seal. from the far side to push some grease in..

its probable that its going to be better to just change them out with new U joints.. or steering joints..

a former repair shop boss showed me the best way to remove u joint cups...   weld a nut through the middle.. before it cools... screw in the slide hammer.. i think he had a 3/8 3 pound slider hammer... and yank the cup out. while its still hot. the welding melts the plastic that many factory joints in the late 60s and 70s were assembled and locked together with..    this saves distorting the yokes by hammering or pressing them to free the cups..

the cross drilling required for a single zirc fitting to grease all 4 cups properly weakens the steering joints.. since they see a LOT more angular torque than conventional drive shaft joints..

[34ford]

I bought one of these at orileys and shoot up my ball joints on my ford explorer once a year or so.  cost less than 5 bucks

[Arnold]

greasing U joints that don't have Zirc fittings... or even plugs..

and you mentioned drive axle.. rather than drive shaft..

so i expect this is for a 4x4 front axle.. or a 4 wheel steering pickup version..

i would think that if one ... had a REALLY long thin needle..  you might be able to probe through the rubber seal. from the far side to push some grease in..

its probable that its going to be better to just change them out with new U joints.. or steering joints..

a former repair shop boss showed me the best way to remove u joint cups...   weld a nut through the middle.. before it cools... screw in the slide hammer.. i think he had a 3/8 3 pound slider hammer... and yank the cup out. while its still hot. the welding melts the plastic that many factory joints in the late 60s and 70s were assembled and locked together with..    this saves distorting the yokes by hammering or pressing them to free the cups..

the cross drilling required for a single zirc fitting to grease all 4 cups properly weakens the steering joints.. since they see a LOT more angular torque than conventional drive shaft joints..

  My bad there Wayne..I should have explained myself a little better.
Sorry.
  I am referring to lower ball joints..on the front axle of my 4x4. Yes..there is a plug..and no taking out the plug and putting in a grease fitting..is not possible unless the axle shaft is pulled out. Not happenning.
I  did this with another 4x4 front axle..and I ended up having to make..then grind..a grease coupler to grease them.
 Sorry..I am sure somehow we got our signals crossed and you probably thought I was referring to greasing the u joints in the ends of the axle shafts. Yes indeed..a lot of them were not cv joints..but conventional u joints. Many of those did come with plugs..but putting grease fittings in them often just caused the fittings to get torn off. Gets even more confusing when you go back a few years prior to 1975 when the ends of the axle housings were balls..and the knuckles had "wipers" to keep the gear oil in. Those were just filled with gear oil..and yes..conventional u joints were again used..but this time the plugs/fittings whatever were removed and left open as they were bathed in gear oil.

  Naaa..heating those "phenolic resin" sealed/cased u joint cup retainers..not for me.

  There were some u joints that came with all the caps having grease fittings..right on the ends.

[Arnold]

I bought one of these at orileys and shoot up my ball joints on my ford explorer once a year or so.  cost less than 5 bucks

 Yes..34 Ford..Thanks! I have not seen one of those quite like that! The only ones I have seen are round and would not pierce anything. I was thinking I would pierce with a needle..but that one looks like exactly what I need. Sounds like you do exactly what I am going to do.