How much axle grease?

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
How much grease should I look to pack into clean transmission flanges? Or, is this just a matter of packing additional grease into the joint itself?

I'm swapping out a transmission and the replacement (fresh rebuild) has no residual grease in the flanges. I've never messed with CV joints before ). With past clutch jobs I've done, same transmission(s), I just connected the axles back up, didn't add any grease.

Not wanting to go through all the hassle of cleaning and repacking. The boots are all fine, in which case I'm pretty sure that the CV joints are good (have experienced no signs of them being bad/stressed).

If I need to add grease am I looking at having to run out and get grease from the dealer (for compatibility), or can I add a good aftermarket grease?

Also... Should I replace the gaskets? (had not done that previously)
 
Last edited:

KrashDH

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2002 Golf
If you're starting fresh, I'd say new seals for sure. Don't want to let all your hard work be erased because a cheap gasket blew.

I helped a local driveline shop rebuild mine. The rebuild kit came with a small packet of grease. We packed that in there and it didn't add up to much. The shop has done a lot of these axles too. We went ahead and packed those joints as full as we could possibly get them. Long as your seals are good, you should be good to go.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
OK, Thanks for the replies!

I'll just fetch whatever I can find at the local auto store and look to pack the joints and bolt it all back up!
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
You don't really need to try and pack the boot excessively. If you overfill, then when the joint flexes the excess will be squished out the end of the boot that's on the axle and make a mess. If that end of the boot is tied down like the big end on the joint, then the overfilled boot will be fine for a while, unless the stress of too much grease makes a weak spot that fails and makes a mess. In the former mess you'll think the boot failed while it didn't, and in the later your boot will have failed.

And CV joint grease is the same as any other wheel bearing grease. It is generally referred to as EP for extreme pressure grease, noted because of the molybdenum sulfide anti-wear additive. There's other additives as well, I am sure, but this is the one that provides the best anti-wear, and it stink the most too.

Cheers,

PH
 

KrashDH

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2002 Golf
I haven't had a drop off grease squeeze out. Lucky maybe? I didn't pack it till it was overflowing, just filled as much as I could in the cavity
 

carl20320

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Location
SW WA
TDI
2004 Mk4 Golf GLS TDI 5spd
When you buy a new Inner CV joint, they include a tube of CV grease. It is a 90 gram package for a brand new clean bearing. Instructions said to use that, and only that much. I keep hearing about packing the boot, or transmission flange... YMMV
 

jokila

Vendor
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Location
Houston, Texas
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS, Manual
You don't really need to try and pack the boot excessively. If you overfill, then when the joint flexes the excess will be squished out the end of the boot that's on the axle and make a mess. If that end of the boot is tied down like the big end on the joint, then the overfilled boot will be fine for a while, unless the stress of too much grease makes a weak spot that fails and makes a mess. In the former mess you'll think the boot failed while it didn't, and in the later your boot will have failed.

And CV joint grease is the same as any other wheel bearing grease. It is generally referred to as EP for extreme pressure grease, noted because of the molybdenum sulfide anti-wear additive. There's other additives as well, I am sure, but this is the one that provides the best anti-wear, and it stink the most too.

Cheers,

PH
I have used plenty of regular or synthetic wheel bearing grease and they don't look anything like CV moly grease. In fact, I recently repacked my boat trailer's axle bearings with some Mobil syn grease. I am not sure what how you meant they are the same.
 

BeetleDragon737

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2014
Location
Bend, OR
TDI
'99.0 New Beetle
I have a very similar question, so I figured I would add it here.

I ordered a new axle from IDParts (GKN), and the axle comes with grease already packed into the upper boot area that mounts to the transmission. When I pull the old axle off, there will be grease left on the transmission side. Should I clean that grease off before installing the new axle? If so, should I replace it with extra, new grease? Or do the new axles come with all the grease that is needed?
 

jokila

Vendor
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Location
Houston, Texas
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS, Manual
I have a very similar question, so I figured I would add it here.

I ordered a new axle from IDParts (GKN), and the axle comes with grease already packed into the upper boot area that mounts to the transmission. When I pull the old axle off, there will be grease left on the transmission side. Should I clean that grease off before installing the new axle? If so, should I replace it with extra, new grease? Or do the new axles come with all the grease that is needed?
I was faced the same thing. I would clean it because there could be dirt/dust (especially if the boot was torn) or just old grease, and throw in a half of a dose of the cv grease into the joint. I have no real knowledge of if adding more is necessary, but i felt the amount of grease in the new joint was a little low for my comfort. I know you can put too much, but i didn't think there was 90g of grease in there.
 

KrashDH

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2002 Golf
I have a very similar question, so I figured I would add it here.

I ordered a new axle from IDParts (GKN), and the axle comes with grease already packed into the upper boot area that mounts to the transmission. When I pull the old axle off, there will be grease left on the transmission side. Should I clean that grease off before installing the new axle? If so, should I replace it with extra, new grease? Or do the new axles come with all the grease that is needed?
Just for what it's worth, my axles are disconnected because I'm pulling the transmission out to do the clutch. While it's out, I'm pulling the drive flanges off and replacing the seals in there.

I'm leaving what grease is in the axle side, and I'll be re packing the transmission side. I'll likely pack it pretty close to the lip of the flange.
 
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