Rear axle grease fitting

B

blownford

Member
My coupe has a '37 rear axle. There is a grease fitting at the end of each side next to the brake backing plate. What do they lubricate? No passage to the wheel bearing ,so the only thing I can figure is to lube the grease seal..
 
From my limited knowledge do not use that grease fitting, think it was later phased out. Others will surely chime in soon.
 
As I understand it, those grease fittings were suppose to allow greasing of the rear wheel bearings.
However, they didn't work well as grease ended up on the brake shoes.
1940 Fords have the same grease fitting.
 
You are misinformed. It is for lubrication of the rear wheel bearings and while the route for the grease to reach the bearings is convoluted, it exists. Don't use them and you will regret it
 
They do the job as long as not too much grease is used. Admittedly, not the best of designs.
 
Ford did stop using them around 39 by plugging the holes, but then restarted use about 41. Note the rear bearing take a long fiber, heavy duty, drum brake grease not chassis grease.
 
Where can i find the long fiber heavy duty grease nobody around here has had it for years, i keep looking for it ?
 
I remove the rear hub and repack the bearing when I service front wheel bearings.
I think that is what Ford had in mind when they deleted grease fittings.


John
 
It has been recommended on this forum for years to use CRC Sta Lube SL3131. NAPA has it and and describes it as "A sodium-based short fiber grease for autos & trucks with drum brake systems and slow speed industrial bearings."
 
I'm wondering if there is a fiber filled drum brake grease available in standard grease gun tubes that could be pumped through those zerk grease fittings? If not, I wouldn't suggest using standard chassis lube in those rear roller bearings. I can't tell you how many early Ford rear axles I've taken apart in the last 20 years that had excessive amounts of chassis grease pumped into the brake shoe area, and also into the axle housings.
Many of these rear axles had damaged roller bearings and excessive wear on the axle housing bearing surface, possibly the result of not using the correct type grease.
 
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It would be interesting to remove the rear drums and inject grease into those fittings and then observe where it comes out.
 
From the way I understand it, folks were pumping grease in there and expecting some to come out somewhere since they weren't checked out on procedures. The excess comes out all right but it ends up inside the brake drum and the rear axle housing for the most part. After the baffle is full then it can end up plopping down into the brake shoe area. Ford eventually changed the procedure to remove the hub/drum for service so the zerk fitting was discontinued.

Once you pull the hub/drum the the bearing surfaces are exposed and can be easily serviced. The baffle can be cleaned out and brakes can be adjusted. Having a quality puller is a must. With the zerk, the grease has to move from the zerk fitting down inside the axle housing then travel out the end and up into the hub bearing cavity from the outside in. If the shaft closure isn't up to snuff a lot goes into the axle housing instead of out the end of the axle bore. This was not one of Fords's better ideas.
 
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I just purchased two small tubs of SL3131 from NAPA. They had to go to adjacent state store to find the tubs. Counterman says I was lucky to find any, he can not longer order it.
If you use the Zerks the grease comes out from around the axle shaft.
 
What about using a grease that is recommended for truck or trailer wheel bearings, they are large taped rollers , so would be the same thing.
Thats the grease I use.
Lawrie
 
As it turns out, I was probably overconcerned about the exact grease used and needed.
With some misinformation (from this site), my lack of knowledge of the '35 model 51 full floating axle and my old memory, I made some assumptions.
Not long after I bought and got the truck drivable, my brakes got loaded with grease, and I believe some of it had to do with the incorrect grease.
However, there were several factors as I looked into the problem.
 
I had posterd on another thread (also about those chaged axle bearings) a couple of weeks or so ago, that I had bought 4 of the tubs of that SL-3131 at a local auto parts store up in the next town away. Before I bought my 4 the warehouse listed they had 16 of those tubs.
 
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