What is this?
A lube job replaces grease between parts of your vehicle that rub together. The grease keeps the components from grinding each other to death.

Zerks, or self-sealing grease fittings like this one, mate to a grease gun.
Back in the old days, when my brother had hair and the earth’s crust was still hot to the touch, cars had a number of parts that needed routine lubrication. These components included ball joints and tie rod ends, pitman arms, center links, idler arms, control arm bushings, driveshafts and wheel bearings — not to mention the knobs on your AM radio.

These days, most of these parts have grease that’s sealed in at the factory, so they require no additional lubrication during the life of the vehicle. So for many people, a lube job is a thing of the past.

But this isn’t the case for everyone. Because they’re often involved in heavier-duty service, pickup trucks, full-size vans and sport utility vehicles often have components that still require grease. And some cars still have parts that require regular lubrication. So, when you’re in for service, it’s worth asking your mechanic to check and see if anything on your vehicle requires greasing.

Should I do this service when it’s recommended?
Yes. If parts of your vehicle require regular lubrication, this job is well worth doing, and regular maintenance will save you a lot more money later on.

The grease gun’s flexible hose ends with a silver-barreled coupler, which attaches to the fitting.
Why do I have to do this?
Grease keeps parts of your vehicle that rub together from destroying each other. Moreover, when you squirt in new grease, you push out the old grease, along with water and dirt, dead armadillo parts and anything else that’s gotten in and contaminated the joint. This also helps extend the joint’s life.

What happens if I don’t do this?
If you don’t grease components that require it, those parts will wear prematurely — resulting in a costly surprise for you, and a bonus boat payment for your mechanic.

Can I do this myself?
It depends on where you rank on the Car Talk do-it-yourself scale:

___ There are two kinds of screwdrivers?

___ I’ve successfully hung pictures around the house.

_X_ I’ve changed my own oil.

___ I’ve fixed things on my car that involve removing more than five bolts.

___ I’ve built a working nuclear reactor out of wood.

Squeezing the handle forces grease through the fitting to lubricate this steering ball joint.
Is there any maintenance required between intervals?
There is nothing you need to do between service . . . with one caveat. If you drive under severe conditions, such as on dirt roads or off road, you should consider greasing any necessary components at least once in between the recommended intervals.

Car Talk Tip: The young guy at Quickie Oil Change may not know if your vehicle requires greasing — he may be too young to remember when all cars had grease fittings galore. Make a point of asking him to look and see if your car’s ball joints, tie rod ends and driveshaft ends need lubricating.