Upper Steering Shaft CV Grease Zerk

Tom Katzenberger

Well-known member
Jun 26, 2019
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Hello all,

Has the grease fitting installed on the upper steering CV joint been found to be beneficial?

Thanks,
Tom

--
Tom & Oki Katzenberger,
Kingsville, Maryland,
1977 23' Birchaven, 455 C.I.D.
 
The answer to that's sort of a "why not?", IMHO. I installed one while I
had it apart greasing it 10-15 years ago and give it a shot of Synpower
every now and then when I think about it. I haven't had any more "sticky
steering" incidents, but I really don't know why.

To explain "stick steering", I probably should repeat the tale I've told
here repeatedly: On the way to Orlando once, the steering would bind
enough that I would pull into WalMart parking lots and do squirrely turns
to attempt to "reseat the ball bearings". When I got to Jim B's Coop, I
pulled the upper CV joint and cleaned it thoroughly. There was NO sign of
any damage, so I oiled it up and using a couple of screwdrivers, handles
into the ends of the joint, as levers to move the joint around. It
exhibited the same binding I'd had on the road. So, Jim got on the phone
to try to find a replacement joint for me. Wandering back into the shop, I
found the first tube I'd ever seen of Valvoline Synpower Synthetic Grease
with MSO2. I opened the tube and packed the CV with the black stuff.
Instantaneously, the screwdrivers flopped around where ever I leaned the
joint! So I got Jim off the phone and reassembled the steering column.
I've never had any steering binding since -- and have tried to never grease
any joint on any of my vehicles with anything but that stuff! And I've
advised others to try it; it cured their steering binding too!

GREAT stuff, IMHO.

Ken H.

> Hello all,
>
> Has the grease fitting installed on the upper steering CV joint been found
> to be beneficial?
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
>
>
> --
> Tom & Oki Katzenberger,
> Kingsville, Maryland,
> 1977 23' Birchaven, 455 C.I.D.
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>
 
Thank you Ken, I have it apart now. I just powder coated the bearing cap. I will look at adding the zerk, but will definitely be using the synpower.
--
Tom & Oki Katzenberger,
Kingsville, Maryland,
1977 23' Birchaven, 455 C.I.D.
 
Synpower is discontinued but same is now called Valvoline full synthetic in a new look tube.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
 
Tom,

Greasing that joint is probably the main reason that that joint is disassembled, and if you've followed Alex Ferrara around you'd know that there's a
high frequency of reassembly with it not clocked correctly.

Since the cap is already off installing the zerk is a ten minute job. No downsides, all upside.

Richard
--
'77 Birchaven TZE...777;
'76 Palm Beach with 18,477 verified miles;
‘76 Edgemonte