Hidden grease fitting

[Highway]

Does the 2013 have the front driveshaft hidden grease fitting? I have looked but can’t find it anywhere

Highway

 

[Wild one]

1500's don't have the hidden grease fitting,only 2500's and heavier have it

 

[WY-Dave]

It is a bear to find it, watched many YTs. I found it and used a grease pencil to put an arrow on the drive shaft and still takes me forever to find it. One thing to remember is that it is not the typical zerk fitting, it is a needle fitting.

I use brake cleaner to get all the crap off to hopefully help find it.

 

[Highway]

It is a bear to find it, watched many YTs. I found it and used a grease pencil to put an arrow on the drive shaft and still takes me forever to find it. One thing to remember is that it is not the typical zerk fitting, it is a needle fitting.

I use brake cleaner to get all the crap off to hopefully help find it.

Is yours a 1500 ?

 

[Wild one]

Is yours a 1500 ?

WY has a 2500 or 3500,i forget which one,but his has the grease fitting.your 1500 doesn't have that fitting

 

[WY-Dave]

ha ah

Yup a 2500 since it was already pointed out that 1500s don't have the fitting, I just wanted to add the lil info if a 2500. I don't know if there ever was a 5.7 2500 but stranger stuff has happened

 

[diymirage]

View attachment 542749ha ah

Yup a 2500 since it was already pointed out that 1500s don't have the fitting, I just wanted to add the lil info if a 2500. I don't know if there ever was a 5.7 2500 but stranger stuff has happened

My 2017 is a 5.7 2500
It has the fitting, but it is NOT hard to find

 

[chaosh1]

Man I have looked and looked and cant find mine. 2018 2500

 

[Jeepwalker]

Is that the double-cardan joint grease fitting?

 

[chaosh1]

Is that the double-cardan joint grease fitting?

yes

 

[diymirage]

Man I have looked and looked and cant find mine. 2018 2500

Ill see if i can crawl under mine and grad a picture shortly

 

[Jeepwalker]

The 'ball'... the one that gets real rusty after a bunch of yrs! I actually prefer a double-cardan.. you can replace/service that ball as long as the bearing stud isn't boogered up.

 

[62Blazer]

View attachment 542749ha ah

Yup a 2500 since it was already pointed out that 1500s don't have the fitting, I just wanted to add the lil info if a 2500. I don't know if there ever was a 5.7 2500 but stranger stuff has happened

Every Ram 2500 with a gas engine was a 5.7 from 2003 to 2013 (did they still offer the V-10 in 2003?). The 6.4 wasn't even available until 2014 with the 5.7 still available up to 2018 . So only a few million 2500's with the 5.7 were produced

 

[Sluck1]

They quit putting grease fittings in when they realized that parts and new auto sales went down ! 60 years ago if you serviced your car every 3000 miles they lasted forever. During the 80s they started building junk cars that would only last 3 to 4 years ( actually the mid 70s recycled metal) so everyone would buy new. These days if cars didn't have badging you couldn't tell a Chevy from a Mercedes!

 

[Jeepwalker]

I think it's just comes down to newer technology. A polished stud clamped in a teflon cup ...with a little grease. Cheaper to produce, saves maybe a couple ounces, no maintenance.

We've driven several vehicles with non-greasing joints well past 200k miles which were still tight when we got rid of them.

That's not to say all new greaseless joints last a long time. In rough service, the teflon can crack. Wet conditions are not good on them. Once the polished ball gets water in it, it corrodes and the rough texture (rust) tears up the teflon. Whereas in the old days a guy could shoot in grease and chase the water/moisture out. *If* he remembered to do so. So I will defnitely agree with you that in many circumstances the greasable joints are a better fit. Particularly rough service.

 

[AKAllen]

My 2013 5.7 2500 has it and I ended up writing my own version of a technical service bulletin for my RAM service writers. Seems every time I take it in for oil change, half of the service techs say it doesn't have the fitting on the carden joint. With the turnover in service writers, I keep a copy of my writeup in the glove box to show them if we get into a debate. I'd attach the bulletin but the file is too large; so I'll attach some pics instead. They can't see the fitting if the truck is on the lift with the front wheels off the ground because the steep drive line angle obscures the pin hole fitting. It's easier to do with the truck on the ground with drive line nearly straight. You have to jack up one side of the front axle with a floor jack and rotate the tire so the shaft spins. While laying on a creeper under the truck, a flash light in one hand and grease gun in the other, you can rotate the tire or drive shaft by hand while looking for the fitting. Even then it's hard to see. Gotta love those ENGINEERS!!