I added these grease zerks. You need to do it yourself. I have never seen any with them installed. Drill and tap. Do it a little of center, i recommened tring it on a old one first. It will only take about a half a pump of the gun. Yeah i know they may get knocked off on the bottom but if this makes them last 1 more month its worth it to me...
PresidentailGrizz
Ball joints with grease zerks
I added these grease zerks. You need to do it yourself. I have never seen any with them installed. Drill and tap. Do it a little of center, i recommened tring it on a old one first. It will only take about a half a pump of the gun. Yeah i know they may get knocked off on the bottom but if this makes them last 1 more month its worth it to me...
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still waking up....will look at mine later (XP) and decide if it is a good idea to drill on an XP.
idea apprecoiated Grizzly guy...
Here's a thought for any zerk that may get knocked off:
use a blank as shown.
one place I practice that is on my trailer. My leaf spring suspension was upgraded to a lube system. Most times you can leave the zerks acceible for greasing. A couple of the zerks are dangerously close to the tire. You know which ones. So everyso often when I take the tires off to rotate and grease I have to have my little kit. Note: slightly snug is sufficient. You don't have to tighten the hell out of it.
Another place to consider the "blank" trick is on the front of a tractor loader bucket. Those bottom links where the bucket attaches. Don't ask mehow I know.
idea apprecoiated Grizzly guy...
Here's a thought for any zerk that may get knocked off:
use a blank as shown.
one place I practice that is on my trailer. My leaf spring suspension was upgraded to a lube system. Most times you can leave the zerks acceible for greasing. A couple of the zerks are dangerously close to the tire. You know which ones. So everyso often when I take the tires off to rotate and grease I have to have my little kit. Note: slightly snug is sufficient. You don't have to tighten the hell out of it.
Another place to consider the "blank" trick is on the front of a tractor loader bucket. Those bottom links where the bucket attaches. Don't ask mehow I know.
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What if you removed the grease zerks after greasing and installed some kind of plug for the hole that is less likely to get knocked off?
This winter, I am going to install Alemite fittings into my ball joints. Similar to a Zerk fitting, but uses a pointed adapter on the end of your grease gun. Flush style Alemite fittings were designed to be used in areas where the head of a Zerk fitting may get knocked off, such as in material buckets on construction equipment. About $2 each, 10 minutes to install, and hopefully provide at least double the life of the ball joints shipped with almost zero lube in them!
I still use my stock wheels from time to time they are only 12" and they wont fit with tie rod on top...
derek1 i used a small tap to get the zerks in.
I also thought of taking them out and plugging still thinking about it.
TO ALL JUST REALIZE THE BALL IS VERY CLOSE TO THE ZERK THATS WHY YOU NEED TO PUT IT OFF CENTER AND DONT OVER TIGHTEN LIKE SAID ABOVE... It steers way easier and no squeeks!!!
i'm interested in the flush style fitting thing and will look at some today.
Trusting that they don't allow any grit/ debris to enter....cause the smallest little spec of stuff that gets in and your grease gun won't pump.
I should have said in my post above that a little cleanliness and care is used despite the photo looking like they were in a sand storm.
Trusting that they don't allow any grit/ debris to enter....cause the smallest little spec of stuff that gets in and your grease gun won't pump.
I should have said in my post above that a little cleanliness and care is used despite the photo looking like they were in a sand storm.
To the best of my knowledge (and it is fading with age) The tie rod ends are always mounted to the Bottom of your steering knuckles on a RZR. If you put them on top, you will get a condition called bump steer.
Not to beat the topic to death, but an Alemite fitting has a one way check valve and is every bit as effective as a Zerk fitting, but it does need a bit of extra effort to clean prior to applying the grease nozzle.
On a side note, I used to service golf course equipment. We had a few machines that you had to remove a plug, install a grease Zerk fitting, grease the joint, and then remove the Zerk fitting and reinstall the plug. And we used Food Service Grade grease.
On a side note, I used to service golf course equipment. We had a few machines that you had to remove a plug, install a grease Zerk fitting, grease the joint, and then remove the Zerk fitting and reinstall the plug. And we used Food Service Grade grease.
curiosity was gettin to me again -
half was what is inside a ball joint anyway
half was the George Costanza in me thinking maybe they really need zerks
so i drilled, tapped, greased, and cut-away a ball joint. It was bad already; spindle bent from a wreck.
Findings:
) the black plastic bearing race is hard durometer - almost a thermoset plastic. Easy to see why they wear out.
) if you feel a need to do this use a common 1/4-28 not a 1/8-27 npt
) if...drill towards the center
) if...there seems to be plenty of meat to hold the zerk and shouldn't hurt that outer housing at all.
) the engineer in me says don't presume all grease is compatible with that plastic. Odds are that it is but a good engineer knows the presume part and doesn't necessarily need to know the 2nd part.
half was what is inside a ball joint anyway
half was the George Costanza in me thinking maybe they really need zerks
so i drilled, tapped, greased, and cut-away a ball joint. It was bad already; spindle bent from a wreck.
Findings:
) the black plastic bearing race is hard durometer - almost a thermoset plastic. Easy to see why they wear out.
) if you feel a need to do this use a common 1/4-28 not a 1/8-27 npt
) if...drill towards the center
) if...there seems to be plenty of meat to hold the zerk and shouldn't hurt that outer housing at all.
) the engineer in me says don't presume all grease is compatible with that plastic. Odds are that it is but a good engineer knows the presume part and doesn't necessarily need to know the 2nd part.
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one more problem..........
in order to tap that hole you need to drill deep.
remember taper, plug, bottoming taps?
Drilling into the ball joint might not weaken it but you are gonna leave a burr on top of it where the drill entered.
My drill bit was reasonably sharp yet the shavings produced were small magnetic shrapnel crap leaving some inside.
regarding 45º serts, good luck getting it to rest where you want it. you are likely to strip the thread in that thin wall. Orienting a 45º/ 90º sert is only successful in thicker wall and the taper threads.
Then again you could take the wheel off during maint?
in order to tap that hole you need to drill deep.
remember taper, plug, bottoming taps?
Drilling into the ball joint might not weaken it but you are gonna leave a burr on top of it where the drill entered.
My drill bit was reasonably sharp yet the shavings produced were small magnetic shrapnel crap leaving some inside.
regarding 45º serts, good luck getting it to rest where you want it. you are likely to strip the thread in that thin wall. Orienting a 45º/ 90º sert is only successful in thicker wall and the taper threads.
Then again you could take the wheel off during maint?
I thought the same exact thing with the metal shavings. Looks to me easier to just toss ends and install new vs screw with it.
hmmm...its late - more RZR grease fitting questions....
just noticed the A-Arms zerks are a tapered thread 90°. and SAE? 1/4-28?
cause there are no small tapered metric zerks.
It was suggested to use a 6mmx1...but my zerk kit is SAE.
Can somebody look up the zerk on xp.
also notice the sway bar zerks are a short height. They don't need to be. Can somebody look that up too? Are the sway zerks special also. Can't resist taking a jab. I've never seen an XP sway zerk greased yet but a special one is there in case they start? It is 2013. Maybe they will announce that at the dealer Expo so people had a reason to go.
And no i don't take the wheels of to grease.
just noticed the A-Arms zerks are a tapered thread 90°. and SAE? 1/4-28?
cause there are no small tapered metric zerks.
It was suggested to use a 6mmx1...but my zerk kit is SAE.
Can somebody look up the zerk on xp.
also notice the sway bar zerks are a short height. They don't need to be. Can somebody look that up too? Are the sway zerks special also. Can't resist taking a jab. I've never seen an XP sway zerk greased yet but a special one is there in case they start? It is 2013. Maybe they will announce that at the dealer Expo so people had a reason to go.
And no i don't take the wheels of to grease.
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