# What is the best ball joint grease? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota, camry\ **Created:** [October 21, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124 "2021-10-21T14:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/21 "2021-10-22T01:32:14Z")
No bearing buddies? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/22 "2021-10-22T01:58:02Z")
> [@Barkydog](#): > > No bearing buddies? No, I just don’t see the benefit in them. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/23 "2021-10-22T03:05:46Z")
I’ve used general purpose, red grease, and moly with no issues at all from any of them. Red and moly are best IMO. Any grease is better than no grease IMO and you may be overthinking this issue. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/24 "2021-10-22T03:07:09Z")
Squirt new grease in, no muss, no fuss, 35 years and going strong. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/25 "2021-10-22T04:21:16Z")
> [@Barkydog](#): > > Squirt new grease in, no muss, no fuss, 35 years and going strong. Where does the old grease go? How do you know the bearings are good without looking at them? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 4:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/26 "2021-10-22T04:46:48Z")
If they start grinding I know the bearing is bad. I do not know where the grease goes, only that it goes. ---
**Author:** ![YoshiMoshi3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@YoshiMoshi3](https://community.cartalk.com/u/YoshiMoshi3)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 11:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/27 "2021-10-22T11:56:19Z")
So I have looked into this some since my original post. NLGI certification certifies grease to certain standards and testing. [https://www.nlgi.org/certifications/product/](https://www.nlgi.org/certifications/product/) Apparently they are tested to ASTM D4950. NLGI-LA or NLGI-LB certified greases are greases that are certified for chassis components. NLGI-GA, NGLI-GB and NLGI-GC certified greases are greases that are certified for wheel bearings. NLGI-GC-LB certified greases can be used for chassis components or wheel bearing applications. I have seen NGLI-1 and NLGI-2 greases before at stores. I guess the NLGI-2 certified grease is more thicker than the NLGI-1 certified grease. So it seems for ball-joint grease I would wont a NLGI-LB or NLGI-GC-LB certified grease. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/28 "2021-10-22T12:08:45Z")
My boat trailer has drilled spindles, zerk is on the end of the spindle, grease goes to the center then lubes both inner and outer wheel bearings. “I do not know where the grease goes, only that it goes.” Trailer hubs get warm to hot on the road, then immersed in cool/cold water, water is drawn into the hub, washes grease out. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/29 "2021-10-22T12:38:11Z")
I had Bearing Buddies on my box trailer. It never got dunked in water so 5 pumps of grease in each of the 4 wheels each year kept the bearings happy. I never had to replace one. I have a fixture with 2 cone shaped parts and a spindle that allowed me to drop tapered roller bearings in and pump grease through before installation. Less messy than pushing in with the palm of your hand. Used for my race car that got the brakes and then bearings very hot. I used the same grease for my ball joints. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/30 "2021-10-22T13:36:33Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > I used the same grease for my ball joints. Yep, bearing grease works just fine for lubing anything on the chassis But you don’t want to use chassis lube on bearings. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/31 "2021-10-22T14:10:30Z")
> [@It\_s-Me](#): > > Yep, bearing grease works just fine for lubing anything on the chassis > > But you don’t want to use chassis lube on bearings. Yeah, bearings live a hard life, lots of load at high rpms. Ball joints and tie rod ends? They live on Easy Street! ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/32 "2021-10-22T14:25:40Z")
Probably not technically a ball joint since there’s no up and down motion, the only motion is steering. I’m surprised there are no grease fittings there on that old rig. I can’t remember if my old solid axle Jeep had zerks there or not. I do remember a lot of zerks…ujoints had zerks, 4wd lever, clutch bell crank (didn’t see that one until I had to replace the bushings inside!), along with all the other normal steering parts. My 05 Sierra has zerks for the ball joints. I was kind of surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/33 "2021-10-22T15:25:05Z")
By 1980 Fords twin-I-beam axles used ball joints which had grease fittings. A needle grease gun adapter is available that pierces the rubber boots on sealed chassis components and properly using them can keep original sealed components lasting indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/34 "2021-10-22T16:56:47Z")
You’re overthinking this. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/35 "2021-10-22T21:12:21Z")
> [@NYBo](#): > > You’re overthinking this. This is starting to sound like the trans pan bolt debacle. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/36 "2021-10-22T22:40:57Z")
I’m thinking that there should be a rule that every five years or so, everything ever written by a person on line should be purged and off to a fresh start. ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/37 "2021-10-22T22:44:07Z")
then how would other people searching for answers on their vehicles find the answer if everything is purged? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/38 "2021-10-23T01:33:12Z")
> [@weekend-warrior](#): > > then how would other people searching for answers on their vehicles find the answer if everything is purged? A five year old answer would be questionable. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/39 "2021-10-23T05:24:54Z")
I enjoy reading old threads, 90% of the replies are bad advice. Perhaps those who posted would like those treads closed. ---
**Author:** ![YoshiMoshi3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8dc957/32.png) [@YoshiMoshi3](https://community.cartalk.com/u/YoshiMoshi3)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124/40 "2021-10-28T00:07:09Z")
I live in a the rust belt where it sometimes gets below zero degrees F in the winter. Should I used a NLGI 1 or NLGI 2 grease? [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-the-best-ball-joint-grease/180124.md?page=3)