Does anyone know if you can use Lithium grease in the tie rod ends.

 

I didn't think we had to lube these, something about them being lubed from the factory for the life of the truck.

 

I believe those are two out of the three lube points the factory says to do. The other one being the hard to find front drive shaft fitting.

 

No, you don't want to use Lithium grease. You want to use a quality synthetic IMO. I use Redline's standard synthetic in a grease gun. I think there are three greasable TREs on these trucks... one at each steering knuckle (at the wheels) and one at the pitman arm (steering box).

 

yea its time for my 1st grease job, was wandering about the front 4x4 u-joint it says to use a lithuim based grease, is lithium complex the same? I think i seen 3 fittings- tie rod ends and front u-joint.

 

Good quality lithium grease is fine.

 

I use Valvoline Synpower...in anything that needs grease and exposed to the outside...rod end, ball joints, u-joints, and wheel bearings.

 

The factory service manual specifies grease that meets National Lubricating Grease Institute standard LB, the highest standard for chassis grease.

As long as the package has the NLGI logo with LB below it, it should be fine.

I keep Mobile synthetic in my grease gun that meets LB and GC (highest standard for wheel bearings) so that I can use the same grease in whatever application.

 

I have the Mobil synthetic in my gun as well.

The mention of a fourth locations at the steering box has me thinking I should be searching for that one...

 

Ok... Forget the Lithium Grease... It is junk and basically just soap.
Get some high quality aluminum complex based grease... I am using scheaffer syn grease because it has a very hard film strength and something called reversability... That means that when there is an impact that forces the grease to move out from a place >>> It will move back as the impact rebounds.
LB Grease does not do that and it does not handle higher temperature and easily washes out when water gets on it.
The good greases usually last 2x as long and only cost about 50% more...
SO.... You get better protection and save money and work half as hard... I look for that combination in all areas of my life!

Oilguy

 

I second the Mobil 1 synth grease. I have used this on my bikes (BMW) and also all my leather machinery (which are notorious for seizing, none such problems with the mobil1, lots with dino-grease) also, the Chevy I had kept its balljoints LONG LONG LONG past when the service guys could believe they would last (3X longer and still good per service tech dood). I am sold on it.