Lubrication of front wheel steering on ZIL 131

[ChrisClemson]

Hi everyone.
Apologies if this has been asked before, but I have tried to search.

I need to lubricate the ball joint (?) on the steering wheels.
I assume I need to add oil or grease in by undoing the screw that is shown by the black arrow in this diagram:

Looking at other posters (which I will hopefully scan in soon), this looks like the right place, but what sort of lubricant do I need to add?
It looks pretty thick, like grease rather than oil, but any idea what kind I need to order?
Undoing the screw is another matter.... one of them is really corroded

[Grommet1]

Looks same as the Gaz 66 arrangement.ook under Gaz trucks section. First sticky is on lubrication.
For Gaz recommend 70%LM grease mixed with 30% 80EP oil. I used GL4 80/90 instead of 80ep. Mix it up and fill a grease gun/cartridge with it. That should be a grease. Nipple on top of the knuckle. Pump it in until comes out of the relief valve on the side of the knuckle.
Neat grease might not work down to the bottom swivel bearing as well. I thought of blue grease but it's pretty thick stuff.

[Abrs]

It needs to be oil really so that you can see when you have reached the level plug hole, if you use something semi-solid there's always the possibility you could overfill it, I'm not sure how much damage that might do but I imagine it would tend to pressurise as it warms up and try to force its way past the seal. I just use a straight 80W gear oil, although that said blue grease is great if you have knackered swivel housing seals and you can't be arsed changing them

[Gustav]

ZIL 131 manual says

Литол-24 every 4000 km add , every 24000 km replace 1.6 kg per side
BP Energrease LS-EP2, LS3, LC 2, LCX 222
Shell Alvania RL 2(Gadus S2 V100 2),3, Alvania EP(LF) 2, 3, Retinax EP 2
Mobil Mobilux 2, 3, ЕР2, EP3,Mobilgrease MP
Exxon Beacon 3
Castrol LM, LMX
Agip Agip F1 CR MU3, Agip F1 CP FC3
Teboil Multi-Purpose Grease
Техасo Hytex EP-2
Unocal 76 Multiplex Red Grease 2
Valvoline General Multi Purpose Grease

[Abrs]

Yeah, so basically just CV joint grease, although I still prefer oil as it's easier to change on a regular basis and it seems to stay in just fine if your seals are ok. Always a good idea to change it often if you use it in deep mud.

[ChrisClemson]

Thanks for the answers guys!
I couldn't see a grease nipple, only a flat head screw from the top:

Do you think someone has swapped the nipple for a screw?
I will look again in daylight tomorrow.

[Grommet1]

If that's the plate on top of the knuckle in the schematic and the bolt is in the middle then yes swap it for a grease nipple. Mine was missing on the GAZ

[Abrs]

Don't forget he rear hubs have to be done also ;) Sometimes the lubrication holes are missing on the back which makes servicing them a lot of fun!

[portamurda1]

Thanks for the answers guys!
I couldn't see a grease nipple, only a flat head screw from the top:

Do you think someone has swapped the nipple for a screw?
I will look again in daylight tomorrow.

The slotted screw is common to Russian kit, it was on the Niva, Gaz cars and Zil, it’s a PITA

[ChrisClemson]

I've just scanned in the the first of 15 Bulgarian ZIL-131 diagrams I bought recently. I'm going to get this one translated and see how good the results are - wish me luck!
I will have higher res versions available, but each one will be about 60mb, so if anyone wants copies of them, let me know as my server won't be able to cope with everyone trying to download it from me

[ChrisClemson]

Hopefully fairly accurate translation:

MAIN DATA (bottom left column)
Front axle......................................... drive and steering, with knuckles and steering geometry.
Front axle beam................................ supporting, made of steel, welded by two forged halves with spherical supports on the knuckles, secured at the beam flanges at the ends and a reduction gear housing of the main transmission in the middle.
Joints of the even angular gears......... ball type, the angles of turning of the steering wheels outwards 30°, inwards 25°. Angles of mounting of the center bolt and the front wheels – longitudinal slant of the center bolt (under carriage load of 3500 kg) - 3°10’; lateral slant of the center bolt: 5°. Tilt of the front wheels towards the longitudinal plane: 1°; angle of fitting of the wheels (on the rims): 2 – 5 mm.
Main reduction gear transmission....... double with a pair of conical gear-wheels with spiral teeth and a pair of cylindrical gear-wheels with inclined teeth (slanting).
Gear ratio......................................... of the conical pair: 1.727; of the cylindrical pair: 4.25; overall gear ratio: 7.339.
Differential gear................................. conical, symmetrical, with four planetary gear-wheels.

LUBRICATION (bottom middle column)
The reduction gear housing of the front drive axle is filled with 5 liters of transmission oil T-14Б or ТАП-15B. A substitute oil is ТАП-15 or ТАП-10. The oil level is checked with the control plug every 4,000 – 6,000 km. The oil has to be changed every 24,000 km.
The joints of the even angular gears and the central bolts bearings are lubricated with infusible consistent grease AM, 1.3 kg applied to each joint.
The oil change is performed with a grease nipple until draining out of the control opening in the joint support.
The wheel hub bearings are to be lubricated with 0.8 kg infusible synthetic grease 1-13c or ЯНЗ-2 each by carefully lubricating the rolls and rims of the bearings. The grease is changed every 8,000 – 12,000 km.
In case of using substitutes, the oil is changed in accordance with the operating instructions of the machine.


1. Pneumatic tire with variable pressure
2. Side ring
3. Bolt for side ring affixing
4. Wheel disc
5. Tire tap for stopping the air supplied in the central tire pumping system
6. Air-stopping tire tap body
7. Nut for wheel disc affixing
8. Pins for wheel disc affixing
9. Pins for affixing the flange to the hub
10. Flange for the knuckle of the half axle
11. Protecting sheathing of the hose for supplying compressed air to the wheel tire
12. Passage for supplying compressed air to the tire and escaping of the air from the tire
13. Blocking nut of the wheel hub bearings
14. Locking pin
15. Retaining washer of the adjusting nut
16. Adjusting nut for wheel hub bearings tightening
17. Hose of the air-stoppage tap
18. Conical roll bearing of the hub
19. Half axle joint finger
20. King pin bushing
21. Front drive wheel hub
22. Inner hub seal
23. Outer hub seal
24. Nipple connecting nut
25. Chamber nipple
26. Mounting ring
27. Tire separation ring
28. Wheel rim
29. Brake drum
30. Brake shoe
31. Hub oil deflector
32. Knuckle king pin
33. Air supply head hose
34. Knuckle body
35. Grease cup for lubricating the central bolt bearing
36. Single-row conical roller bearing of the front axle central bolt
37. Knuckle central bolt
38. Front axle drop arm cover
39. Oil seal casing
40. Adjustment sealings
41. Seal lip
42. Seal spring
43. Sealing ring
44. Spherical support
45. Left half axle with guiding finger
46. Pin for affixing of the spherical support
47. Front drive axle housing
48. Half axle seal
49. Seal holder
50. Half axle thrust washer
51. Control opening plug
52. Knuckle seal cover
53. Seal spacer ring
54. Rubber stopper
55. Knuckle bottom cover
56. Plug of the check opening for central bolt bearings play
57. Head for air supply to the wheel tire
58. Brake thrust plate
59. Joint leading pellets
60. Joint central pellet
61. Connection of the head for air supply to the wheel tire
62. Thrust ring runner
63. Air supply head cover
64. Thrust ring of the half axle joint finger
65. Seal lip of the air supply head
66. Air supply head body
67. Conical gear wheel of the rear axle differential half axle
68. Differential satellite
69. Reduction unit leading cylindrical gear wheel
70. Right half axle with guiding finger
71. Differential carter
72. Oil escape groove
73. Oil pocket
74. Leading cylindrical gear wheel of the reduction unit with shaft
75. Driven conical gear wheel of the reduction unit
76. Leading conical gear wheel of the main gear
77. Shaft of the leading conical gear wheel

[Gaz-lad2]

Well done that man !

Kieran

[ChrisClemson]

Thanks for the answers guys!
I couldn't see a grease nipple, only a flat head screw from the top:
....
Do you think someone has swapped the nipple for a screw?
I will look again in daylight tomorrow.

The slotted screw is common to Russian kit, it was on the Niva, Gaz cars and Zil, it’s a PITA

Yeah, so it seems. I managed to get one out (that I didn't need to really), and add some gear oil. The one I really wanted to get out is stuck fast, even with copious amounts of WD-40 applied to the top. I think I might have to take it to the experts

[portamurda1]

I managed to get it out by drilling two small holes (not deep) and. Using a ‘prick-punch’, gently tapping in reverse and forward direction until it eased off.
Same method for doing security shear bolts on steering column switch/lock bolts

[ChrisClemson]

I managed to get it out by drilling two small holes (not deep) and. Using a ‘prick-punch’, gently tapping in reverse and forward direction until it eased off.
Same method for doing security shear bolts on steering column switch/lock bolts

I see, nice!
I gave it to the experts to fix, but the muppets put grease in the one i'd already done instead of the stuck one, so it's gone back again today....
It probably didn't help that instead of just saying "driver's side", they wrote "off side" or "near side" or whatever, which is probably confusing as it's LHD

[portamurda1]

I managed to get it out by drilling two small holes (not deep) and. Using a ‘prick-punch’, gently tapping in reverse and forward direction until it eased off.
Same method for doing security shear bolts on steering column switch/lock bolts

I see, nice!
I gave it to the experts to fix, but the muppets put grease in the one i'd already done instead of the stuck one, so it's gone back again today....
It probably didn't help that instead of just saying "driver's side", they wrote "off side" or "near side" or whatever, which is probably confusing as it's LHD

Nearside is always the side nearest the kerb...
NOT as a lot of folk think, side nearest the driver

[ChrisClemson]

They managed to take the screw out and find some grease nipples to fit, which is good news, as well as one that missing from the hand-crank for the mast.
The bad news I guess is that it means the seals aren't in great condition :/

Oh well, it's fixed now