The factory shop manual for my 92 Grand Am said to pump gently until grease came out. The seals lasted 10 years of every 6 months.
Basic question about greasing tie rod ends
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Grease should not be backing out of the Zerk. There is a little spring loaded ball in there that is supposed to seal preventing grease back-flow when the grease gun is removed. If grease can get out through the fitting water and dirt can get in. Replace the Zerk fitting if grease backs out.
There are many different sizes of grease fittings. Bring the old one with you to be sure you get the right size. You might even have to find a real parts store -- as opposed to the mass merchandisers who's counter persons work from a computer and can't find anything without it.
Terry
There are many different sizes of grease fittings. Bring the old one with you to be sure you get the right size. You might even have to find a real parts store -- as opposed to the mass merchandisers who's counter persons work from a computer and can't find anything without it.
Terry
Kestas
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Mine aren't sealed, so I keep pumping and flush all the old grease, water, and contaminants out.
If yours are sealed, I believe the technique is to grease often but to add just a little bit. I imagine the sealed volume is designed to expand over the lifetime of service to accept the extra volume.
If yours are sealed, I believe the technique is to grease often but to add just a little bit. I imagine the sealed volume is designed to expand over the lifetime of service to accept the extra volume.
I've got a 1997 Mazda B2300 pickup, 187,000 miles. The ball joints in the tie rod ends have zerk fittings and are greasable. (There are four - two outer and two inner.) My question (and it's a bit late to be asking this, but it'll be good for my fund of knowledge) concerns greasing technique. I've been greasing 'em forever, but I still wonder if I'm really doing it right. (Granted, they're still devoid of play, so apparently I'm not screwing up too badly....)
I've got me a grease gun, and I can squeeze an appropriate grease in there just fine. Sounds simple, right? Perhaps it should, but I've been confused about this for some time.
I force some grease in there, adhering to Haynes' warning not to over-do it lest I rupture the boot seal. The boot gets a bit firm, so I move on to the next one. But....I'm not really replacing the grease inside the joint, am I? Actually, it seems like I'm just cramming more and more in there each time - which seems either bad for the seal or a violation of mass conservation. Where does the old grease go?
Some seems to slowly back out of the zerk, but again - it feels like I'm just replacing the stuff nearest the zerk over and over, while not touching the stuff that counts, deep inside.
Should I be forcing grease out of the upper portion of the joint, away from the zerk? Haynes appears to specifically warn against this, but I'm just getting confused, really.
How is this supposed to work?
I've got me a grease gun, and I can squeeze an appropriate grease in there just fine. Sounds simple, right? Perhaps it should, but I've been confused about this for some time.
I force some grease in there, adhering to Haynes' warning not to over-do it lest I rupture the boot seal. The boot gets a bit firm, so I move on to the next one. But....I'm not really replacing the grease inside the joint, am I? Actually, it seems like I'm just cramming more and more in there each time - which seems either bad for the seal or a violation of mass conservation. Where does the old grease go?
Some seems to slowly back out of the zerk, but again - it feels like I'm just replacing the stuff nearest the zerk over and over, while not touching the stuff that counts, deep inside.
Should I be forcing grease out of the upper portion of the joint, away from the zerk? Haynes appears to specifically warn against this, but I'm just getting confused, really.
How is this supposed to work?
Thanks, everybody.
Different cars/trucks have different requirments. GM and Ford liked spec'ng vaseline for their front ends, so the directions were often: pump till new grease appears.
Chrysler spec'd a high-zoot (for the era, 1960's) long-fiber, super-tacky grease and warned specifically to use only this grease AND NOT to overfill the boot/cover.
A lot of MOPARS went off the road early -- and gained a totally undeserved reputation for short-lived front ends -- due to ignorant, know-it-all grease monkeys and owners.
Regular small applications with proper grease is the key, IMO. Every few thousand miles on some components, many on others; ALWAYS at manufacturer interval.
Chrysler spec'd a high-zoot (for the era, 1960's) long-fiber, super-tacky grease and warned specifically to use only this grease AND NOT to overfill the boot/cover.
A lot of MOPARS went off the road early -- and gained a totally undeserved reputation for short-lived front ends -- due to ignorant, know-it-all grease monkeys and owners.
Regular small applications with proper grease is the key, IMO. Every few thousand miles on some components, many on others; ALWAYS at manufacturer interval.
Sealed boots, you stop adding grease when the boot puffs up. If you have and unsealed component flush with clean grease and clean it off.
My folks old dart would not stay aligned on good roads and not hit curbs. Their other car went years and years and the Dart was later found to have to soft a metal in their front ends allowing them to bend and stretch to go out of alignment. I'd say they dereved much of their reputation.
Not withstanding with modern parts such as Moog and what not, an old Dart would be kind of fun now. That being said I love my Neon.
My folks old dart would not stay aligned on good roads and not hit curbs. Their other car went years and years and the Dart was later found to have to soft a metal in their front ends allowing them to bend and stretch to go out of alignment. I'd say they dereved much of their reputation.
Not withstanding with modern parts such as Moog and what not, an old Dart would be kind of fun now. That being said I love my Neon.
On the Dart it was probably a unit-body out of whack from the factory. I've not ever heard of improper metal strength. The front end could be fixed, but few shops wanted to mess with it (the bad days of detroit service).
Plenty of them still going, just check the ads. Or, on moparts.com
Now, the Aspen/Volare were junker rust-buckets with a redesigned front end. None too good.
As for a bad front end (by design) the Falcon/mustang/maverick/torino was the worst, IMo.
Plenty of them still going, just check the ads. Or, on moparts.com
Now, the Aspen/Volare were junker rust-buckets with a redesigned front end. None too good.
As for a bad front end (by design) the Falcon/mustang/maverick/torino was the worst, IMo.
I read on here, somwhere, that one guy actually used the 18 gauge needle attachment and pierced his sealed balljoints to lube them...
gonna do it to my galant tomorrow...and one is already shot, gonna seal with silicone.
gonna do it to my galant tomorrow...and one is already shot, gonna seal with silicone.
too late, time will tell.
I have a 98 f150, its supposingly a greased for life application.
At 80k miles, all the balljoints had so much play, they needed to be replaced.
I'd recommend piercing the boot and sealing it, a couple times a year.
At 80k miles, all the balljoints had so much play, they needed to be replaced.
I'd recommend piercing the boot and sealing it, a couple times a year.
I heard the same thing on the FTE site
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