Front Axle Lubrication

Moderators: Sluggo, Amskeptic

Post Reply
User avatar
vwlover77
IAC Addict!
Location: North Canton, Ohio
Status: Offline

Front Axle Lubrication

Post by vwlover77 » Sun May 02, 2010 12:22 pm

I lubed the front axle of my 78 Westy today for the first time. (Please be gentle with your comments! :cyclopsani: )

Anyway, pumping grease into the 4 fittings at the ends of the axle tubes was easy, with lots of grease purging out at the joints.

The fifth one in the center at the steering pivot was different. It required a lot of hard pumping with the grease gun.. Finally, grease began to purge out through a small hole in the bottom plug, and there was a tiny amount coming out at the seal at the top. Is this "normal"?
Don

---------------------------
78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick

"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen

User avatar
dtrumbo
IAC Addict!
Location: Mill Creek, WA
Status: Offline

Re: Front Axle Lubrication

Post by dtrumbo » Sun May 02, 2010 4:22 pm

vwlover77 wrote:The fifth one in the center at the steering pivot was different. It required a lot of hard pumping with the grease gun.. Finally, grease began to purge out through a small hole in the bottom plug, and there was a tiny amount coming out at the seal at the top. Is this "normal"?
On my '78 bus where I had the wonderful "experience" of replacing the center pin, I was able to get grease to go in reasonably easy and yes, it oozes out the tiny hole in the bottom of the cap and a little out the top. On my wife's '70, where I have yet to find time to replace the center pin, I was completely unsuccessful getting any grease to go in. I'm pretty sure the bushings have turned and the hole no longer lines up with the zerk. Perhaps yours have only partially obscured the hole making it difficult to get the grease to go in or yours are completely blocked like mine and you just have more muscle than me.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

User avatar
Amskeptic
IAC "Help Desk"
IAC "Help Desk"
Status: Offline

Re: Front Axle Lubrication

Post by Amskeptic » Sun May 02, 2010 5:21 pm

vwlover77 wrote: I lubed the front axle of my 78 Westy today for the first time. (Please be gentle with your comments! :cyclopsani: )
Absolutely not. First time? First time? First time? First time? I have known you since way back when I still had a mind, youth, verve, first time? All of these long hours and days and weeks and months and YEARS your VW thirsted desperately for a little grease to help maintain its magnificent front suspension that executes a job that even a Jeep or a Hummer couldn't do half as well?
vwlover77 wrote: Anyway, the center at the steering pivot required a lot of hard pumping with the grease gun.
You would have ALREADY KNOWN had you done it four or so years ago, at which time you would have asked the same question and we would have answered it without all of this FLAK.
Colin :pirate: :flower:
(oh and yeah, it can be difficult, it is not a question of the bushings lining up, dtrumbo, the center zerk dumps directly into the cavity, it is difficult because the thing is "well assembled" in your case. Try having a kid or two turning the steering wheel back and forth while you pump the grease in, you may find a spot where the air will displace more readily)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

User avatar
Vdubtech
IAC Addict!
Location: East Syracuse, NY
Status: Offline

Post by Vdubtech » Sun May 02, 2010 6:09 pm

I hope you jacked up the front of the Bus per the service manual before you started pumping the fresh grease into the zerks.

User avatar
chitwnvw
Resident Troublemaker
Location: Chicago.
Status: Offline

Post by chitwnvw » Sun May 02, 2010 6:12 pm

This is to be done annually, no?

User avatar
vwlover77
IAC Addict!
Location: North Canton, Ohio
Status: Offline

Post by vwlover77 » Sun May 02, 2010 6:22 pm

Well, I knew I had it coming..... thank goodness that's over and done with! :cyclopsani:

(Now..... what other routine maintenance have I been neglecting?????)

Chitwn - every 15K miles for the '75 and later Bus. (Every 18K miles for '71 thru '74. What changed?)

VDubTech - Yup! Wheels up! (I actually read the manual!)
Don

---------------------------
78 Westy
71 Super Beetle Convertible Autostick

"When we let our compassion go, we let go of whatever claim we have to the divine." - Bruce Springsteen

User avatar
dtrumbo
IAC Addict!
Location: Mill Creek, WA
Status: Offline

Re: Front Axle Lubrication

Post by dtrumbo » Mon May 03, 2010 6:00 am

Amskeptic wrote:(oh and yeah, it can be difficult, it is not a question of the bushings lining up, dtrumbo, the center zerk dumps directly into the cavity, it is difficult because the thing is "well assembled" in your case. Try having a kid or two turning the steering wheel back and forth while you pump the grease in, you may find a spot where the air will displace more readily)
Good to know. I'll put the little monsters to work the next time I try this. Sorry I misled you, Don. However, it sounds like that's the least of the abuse you're likely to encounter in this thread! :blackeye:
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

Post Reply