front axle lubricant

[Karl Kostman]

Hey guys sorry to keep bothering everybody with questions but here is another one. I am ready to assembly my front axle assemblies and obviously I have done to much research ending in confusion! I read about short fiber grease or soda soap grease? What should I be using for the grease in all my steering knuckles? One thing I have found nowhere is what is the proper procedure for greasing these items? should I be using this same grease to lubricate my wheel bearings, or can I use regular wheel bearing grease for those? Its my goal to do this ONCE and I would like to get it right the first time. Suggestions on what to use and how to apply it surely appreciated!!
Karl

[W_A_Watson_II]

I'd recommend "Corn Head Grease" Made, by John Deere, Case-IH, Lucas, and several others.

[Karl Kostman]

I have used this in the past for weepy Military truck winches it worked great there. So in assembling the axles and knuckles would I cover them in this grease including every orifice in the knuckles then insert the axles units into the housing then how much do I put into the steering knuckle on the outside? Do you feel it will stay inside my felts and not leak past them? I am putting all new oil deals behind the bushings but they are primarily to keep the gear lube in the differential out of the knuckles correct? If any of this corn head grease slips past my seals it wont cause any trouble in the differential gear lube will it?
Thanks much for the information if you can fill in my last few questions it would be greatly appreciated!
Karl

[Matthew Welcher PWA]

In the past in the steering knuckles themselves I use my favorite Red Valvoline wheel bearing and chassis grease.
Before I put the spindle on and after I install my retainers and felts. I by hand scoop and pack the steering ball and knuckle area by hand. Its messy but saves an hour of pumping a grease gun.

[W_A_Watson_II]

There is a procedure in the manual, about how to relocate the grease fitting to the lower plug and fill till grease comes out the top. I hack in as much grease in advance as I can after installing the inner axle and then install the knuckles. It takes a LOT of grease.

[MILO J HULL]

I used valvoline red grease also and drilled and threaded a hole for a grease fitting in the lower plate like the top plate has and I can grease the lower bearing when I do a lube job

[Cheyenne Dave]

I've been following along and was going to recomend the lower plate zerks but you beat me to it!