What is the mercedes spec for the grease used in the ball joints,
 

What is the Mercedes spec for the grease used in the ball joints in the ML. What grease would you folks use and why??

I know the ML has the Seal Fittings "good for life" (no grease fittings). I am thinking about drilling a putting in my own to grease the ball joints.

So I need in more info on what grease to use. I am concern using the regular all-purpose auto-suspension ball joint grease would deteriorate my ball joints boots.

Also what grease would you use folks under the CV boots.

Why would you drill a hole and regrease them if the grease isn't leaking out? If the grease isn't leaking out and the ball joints are causing problems then regreasing won't help and they should be replaced. Now, to answer your question: I believe NLGI 2 grease is recommended for the ball joints. Will they deteriorate your boots? Eventually your boots will wear out and fail. If you switch to a polyurethane boot then that will not be degraded by grease and will endure and last longer than the oe rubber. Same with cv joints. Another thing to try might be to coat the rubber with a thick (30k cst) silicone oil for protection. Silicone is able to withstand a wide range of heat/cold, it is water resistant, and also will keep the rubber from drying out.

ismally,

I don't think I current have a problem with the ball joints (in fact I am pretty sure).

I am thinking about greasing as PM (preventative maintenance).

Modern joints don't have grease fittings because the boots do a very good job of keeping grease in and water out. If fittings were installed and grease added, the boots would burst.

If you drill for fittings, you run the risk of introducing metal shavings into the joint.

You can buy a grease needle and punch it through the boot to fill up the ball joint. I have done it both to quiet a squeaking joint that was not worn out, and to add life to old joints that were not causing problems. I used regular chassis grease. Ball joints without zerks are suspect after about 10 years.

in newer joint assemblies the fill is a polyurea thickened EP grease and having an NLGI3 viscosity. I was bored and found a pdf file on the web from lemforder explaining this grease charge.

I believe older joints were filled with regular lithium soap chassis grease.

before you go drilling into the joint - study and understand how the joint is loaded - some are loaded upwards towards the stud (like W124 ball joints) some are loaded downwards to the ball (W123, W210, W140 etc lower joints).

you dont want to compromise the strength where the joint applies its most force.

Have a ball joint grease question. W126. Replacing old lower ball joints due to looseness. New joints are Moog, bought about year 2009 made in Germany with conventional shaped clearish white boot. Removed boot to install joint. Has yellow-brown grease in the boot but not much visible in joint. Has no grease fitting.

Is there a practical way to grease the new ball joints? Or is there no way? Or is there no need?

I do not plan to drill and install a grease fitting. Have read elsewhere that ball joints with a grease fitting have a pocket or channel for grease to travel in. Ball joints without grease fitting might not.

Boot is now off as I just pressed ball joint in.

Read about puncturing boot to inject grease, but is this of any use? I could just put grease wherever I can with the boot off before installing boot.

Might be of little use to add grease just under the boot. After all, grease is not oil and might not actually go to the ball part of the ball joint.

A damaged boot is the beginning of the end of the joint - water or muck gets inside and then the joint dies. So don't make your own holes.

Where I live the boots are "not allowed" to be sold separately any more - "they" want to encourage new joint fitment.

On the whole these joints should have enough grease to last their life time. Problem is these days "their life time" is a bit of a subjective discussion...

The boots on my 84K mile 201 are severed, but the joints are still okay. So I ordered new boot kits from Pelican, and I plan to use Mobil 1 grease when I install them.

It appears that with the front control arms on jackstands, I can lock the brake with a clamp, loosen the two pinch bolts that retain the stud to the knuckle, then use a floor jack to raise the knuckle assembly at the bottom of the rotor enough to gain sufficient clearance to install the boots, and I've made up a tool to spread the retainer ring to slip it over the stud/boot and seat it at the bottom of the boot.

Duke