Any Thoughts on Using Wheel Bearing Grease for a CV Joint?

[Wes Craiglow]

'01 Taco...

I was out wheeling last weekend and caught a fallen tree branch with my CV boot. The boot fared well, but the CV boot clamp was bent beyond repair and the boot itself was pushed off of the outer axle seal bell housing. This allowed the CV joint to dump the majority of its grease out on the ground.

I zip-tied the boot back to the housing and slowly hobbled to the nearest town, avoiding mud/water as much as poss. This was the best "CV joint grease" alternative their local AutoZone could offer me at the time. I filled the CV boot with the entire package, and then slipped a 4" hose clamp over the boot. Fast forward almost one week...

The clamp is super-secure, and not a bit of grease has oozed by. Score.

However, I know little-to-nothing about petroleum viscosities. What if I leave this wheel bearing grease in the CV joint as primary lube? What is the difference b/t it and true CV grease? Thicker, thinner, temp breakdown, etc?

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.

 

[corax]

This would be the only grease not specifically for CVs that I would use -> Extreme Pressure (EP) Moly grease -- better shear stability, wear protection, load capacity, etc

I would think regular wheel bearing grease will cause accelerated CV wear, especially if you really put it under a load off road

 

[texas taco]

I just had to change the driver side inboard and outboard boots on my 03. I bought the boot kit from the dealer ship. It came with two different packets of grease. A real thick black grease and a thin golden grease. The inboard grease is the thin one. It does not have near the movement the outboard has.
The axel just telescopes in and out of that cup were the boot connects..= thinner viscosity. I am by no means a mechanic. This is just my observation. Good luck on the fix

 

[ntsqd]

I use Redline CV2 CVJ grease in wheel bearings and in CVJ's & Birfields. CVJ's put a lot of load on the grease, a lot of pressure and a lot of heat. I would not use anything less than a CVJ spec grease (field repairs excepted).

Used to be that the best CVJ grease out there was that sold over the parts counter at the VW dealership. Not sure if that is still true or not.

 

[Wes Craiglow]

Great advice fellas. Looks like once it warms up a bit I'll back that boot off, clean out the thinner wheel bearing grease, and repack with the true CV grease. Thanks for the input!