Suspension Stupid + Grease Gun = Hours of Confusion

[marks10cc]

After laying under the truck with my grease gun for a couple hours on Sat. and a few more on Sun., I realized that I know NOTHING about suspension. I also am not real sure what a 'zerk' looks like. Laying from the front of the truck, towards the back... I found two metal nipple looking things on two joints on a rod just in front of the axles (Where the inner tie rod meets the idler arm?). And the rod (tie rod?) that goes towards the wheel has a bolt with rubber grommets, but no bags (and no zerks again) I also could 'feel' the upper and lower ball joints, but no zerks to be found (the bolt that comes out the bottom from the plastic/rubber round cap on top looks more like a spark plug...)



Anyway... I'm lost, please help? Would a Chilton or Hayes manual help? Prolly not, huh? The latest ones seem to be useless (I flipped through one at the parts store and under lubrication it just says 'Hit with a standard grease gun' I'm smart enough to know I shouldn't smack the rod with the gun, so what does 'hit' mean?).



I always avoided suspension, now I regret it and would like to learn. Reason for my sudden interest is I just got my truck back from an inspection, and I asked them to lube (I do my own oil changes). When I checked the bags, they were flat against the metal (only found 6 bags so far) and the right front upper ball joint is covered in grease. I hope they didn't break the bag. I think I'd be better off on my own, well... after I learn what I'm doing



God I love this site!!! Even if I don't learn, it just feels good to vent sometimes.

[ExMoparMan]

The front steering and suspension has 11 grease points on it, When I do mine I find it is easier to remove the skid plate but you don't have to. Just look all around the front end for the little silver tips on the parts that move in the steering system. A couple of zerks on the steering linkage may have to be replaced with some 90 degree ones I could not get a grease gun on but that is the only two. As for "hitting" a grease zerk that just means to shoot a couple of pumps of grease in the zerk. I usually do about 3 or 4 pumps. The upper and lower ball joints for me are the hardest ones to get to, you have to turn the front wheels to get to them and I had to lay on the ground just behind the front wheel to get to them. Turn the wheels all the way to the left and go to the right front wheel and get those, then turn the wheels to the right and do the left one, no problem. I hope I answered some of your questions

[a2b]

let me start by saying, i love your title



i know your confusion. it took me a good year to find all of them



its not hard. take another afternoon with good light. take off your front wheels so you can really see. (you dont have to, but for your first time finding them, its way easier) take a rag and clean up all the excess grease. on top of all the ball joints are the zerks. you will have to have a ext hose to get to all the grease points and be creative. it helps to move the steering back and forth to get to steering compenant zerks. i havent installed any 90 degree ones but i hear it helps. i do just fine with whats there.

glad you found the idler arm, thats the one i couldnt find. in order for me to get to it. i lay under the the truck with my feet sticking out under the front bumper and i take my left had with the ext hose and come up under around the pitman arm and work my way over to the idler arm. i dont try to go straight there.

if its hard to find, the for the first time, take off your skid plate and you will find it easier.

i hope your bags are busted, probably not. but they need greasing soon. so i hope you find them....just take your time

[a2b]

also, read this thread and see if it can be any help to you.



http://henryj.lifelesspeople.com/phpBB2 ... light=zerk