The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Steering gear lube

I'm going to a town that has a Tractor Supply store on Saturday. I have read many times the discussions about corn head grease. The tractor supply store has a product that I want your opinion on. It is: Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00. would this be a good product for my 47 Chevy truck? I'm currently using 90wt gear oil. My shaft does not leak but the lock nut leaks a little bit. I'll address that soon. Just thinking of replacing with something more appropriate.

00 grease is good. Corn head grease is not self-leveling...which is what your steering box was designed to use. I mix corn head grease about 50/50 with 90 weight oil to get a blend that is thicker than plain 90 weight but is still self-leveling. If you can't pour the grease you're using into your steering box then it is probably too thick to be a good choice. Good luck. I bought the last corn head grease (believe it or not on another forum a fellow refers to it as corn bread grease) at the John Deere store.

How do you empty what's already in there? My truck didn't have a cover on it when I got it and I'd like to clean it out.

Would the 00 Grease from NAPA be good for the steering box without the corn head grease?

Yes

00 grease was specified. Tractor Supply

Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00 - Cornhead 00 Grease

Here goes. 00 grease is self leveling. JD cornhead grease uses a polyurea soap thickener. Super S (TSC) OO is Lithium complex soap based. Polyurea is good but is not compatible with lithium. If you remove the gearbox and clean it out, Polyurea is ok. Most automotive greases are lithium based. Read the label, tag your gearbox. The foundry I worked in used 3 or 4 different grease types. You have to keep them separate.

Never tried this but I had a guy tell me to use STP in the steering box. Uses it on all his old tractors and trucks. According to him tightens thing right up. But slippery enough that it doesn't binde things up.
Just a thought

I’m not sure I’d use STP in a steering gear. Especially where I live. I use it once in a Model A transmission and one morning when it got below freezing I nearly bent the shift lever trying to shift gears. It would be like anti-power steering in a steering box.

Stan58, so the Super S 00 grease should be compatible with the automotive grease & oils used in our trucks? I picked up two quarts and I'll look into it on Monday, as far as self-leveling and such. It does seem like it is a thick oil type product and comes in a squeeze bottle.

I'm following along as I am intending to use the Tractor Supply 00 Grease in my gear box.

I put Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00 from Tractor Supply in my truck several years ago. It works well, doesn’t leak and it’s less than seven dollars a quart! You can’t go wrong.

As long as the John Deere grease isn’t in there.

00 grease used to be used on a lot of industrial applications when seals were labyrinth or felt. Hardly used now. Industry has been going to lighter and lighter oils, with tighter clearances.

I have Tractor Supply 00 in two of my old Willys Jeeps and I think it work fine.

Do a test to satisfy yourself, put a small amount in a little Dixie cup and then take a spoonful out...does it leave a hole or does it level itself back out? You can also put it in the freezer and try the test again later if you live in a cold climate.

Mike B

Has anyone tried Castrol Shl 00 Grease or Prime Line Premium '00' Grease both available from NAPA Canada?

Both look to be lithium complex 00 semi fluid greases. Should be good. Used in big truck hubs.

Added the Tractor Supply 00 grease to my steering gear today. A little hard to tell if it is full so I will check it after the added grease has a few days to settle.