Once maintained, I suppose that method is better than nothing. But if yours have not been done in X amount of years, that little bit is grease is not going to undo the wear on those bearings.
A somewhat quick way to decide if you need the bearings is to lift and support the front axle, remove the tire and tie rod end at the knuckle, and turn the knuckle by hand left to right. If you feel a roughness to the bearings, it is time. The cups normally end up grooved where the rollers sit.
You will need to order a shim kit at the same time as you order the new bearings, and you might as well order the large seal kit for the knuckle at the same time. You will also need a fish scale to set the preload on the bearings.
It is a larger job, but is one of the neglected items to the Jeeps steering system.
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