TheSamba.com :: View topic - Vanagon Ball Joints - HOW TO add grease zerk fittings (new MOOG)

Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:05 pm

Have you actually pushed yourself away from that monitor and looked. In at a Good parts store?

Not pep boys or the zone.

You'll never know by just hovering over that computor.

Perhaps you are in a no parts zone and don't know.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:40 pm

Good parts store, eh? How do I search for "Good Parts"? OK, here we go down that pro-advice wormhole. All we have in Seattle (AFAIK) is Napa, Autozone, Oreilly's and a few mom/pops etc. My "Good Parts Store" was T3Technique.com but even that's at the end of a long road. 8) 8)

I'm going out to the garage to top off all my oil cups. :lol:

Terry Kay wrote: Not at all a prudent move, and you might as well have drilled, tapped, and screwed them in.

Other folks can add prudence as they wish. Pretty sure you can drill, thread, then wash the bits out with a spray cleaner with the hole facing downward. All in good sport.

Even wash the grease out to ENSURE that last 0.1%. NO MIXING of greases! Haha tell that to the thousands of farmers indiscriminately pumping whatevers in the gun into whatever fitting they's hooked up to and fooking up their valuable eqpt beyond all good getout. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:00 pm

Terry Kay wrote: 0to60in6min wrote: where to buy them?

Any local flaps.
I have always got them at NAPA, and asked for the HD joints with zerk fittings.

https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/search/?text=ba...orm-newveh

So, which of ^those Vanagon ball joints have the Zerk fittings?

Five Vanagon ball joints shown here: http://www.wagenswest.com/how_to/bus_vanagon_ball_comparison.php . None have Zerk fittings.

A Google search brings up lots of folks retrofitting Zerk fittings to ball joints, both upper and lower, on numerous vehicle types, which means they are, in fact, not as readily available as you make them out to be.

Sodo, nice work. 8)

Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:30 pm

I looked at a couple of those joints and saw grease fittings included right by the bolts.

I am more than sure I mentioned NAPA.
But if I didn't, so be it.
Now you know NAPA has them.

You only have two or three parts emporiums in Seattle?
Hard to believe.

Consider moving.

I wanna see what I'm buying, and if I'm buying brakes, I get them cut right now when I'm there.

Now I understand the communication issues here--finally.

I interact with human beings, & parts books, I'm not stuck, glued, or marooned behind a keyboard .

I can understand about the communication issues now.

My umbilical cord isn't attached to any machine man.

No comprende' senior.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:21 pm

thanks....

but I am looking for the zerk pre-fitted ball joints... (as TK suggested)... as far as now I found none...

and Sodo is the best solution for now... thanks Sodo

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:28 pm

No Terry, it was MY mistake. I totally jumped the gun, accusing you of confusing Samba members, sending them on a wild goose chase. Sorry about that... :oops:

I'm double-guilty, telling folks they have to search out special parts from T3 then drill holes & stuff when they can just walk up to the parts counter and ask the FLAPS guy for "the good stuff". They sure know their stuff don't they? Like what color undercar neon lights look coolest.

And inside the box are the instructions telling you the type of grease (otherwise they'll wear out and the warranty is void etc). Terry you're making me wonder if you have EVER purchased a single balljoint for a Vanagon.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:36 pm

Calm Down Donald---

If the NAPA parts that Kamz provided are good, here's an upper ball joint with the zerk included--yes you do have to screw it into the bottom of the joint--

No pins. no pads, no drilling, tapping, hammering, or pressing into the fixture--just twist it in.

And if the ball & spring ever freeze up--yank it out and install another one--

Bada Boom, Bada Bing--

Yes, there is life beyond the keyboard-- :roll:

You do have a phone--right?
You don't even have to move away from your computer, just call ahead prior to driving over to the "Good Parts Store"

Ta-Da---

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:37 pm

Sodo wrote: No Terry, it was MY mistake. I totally jumped the gun, accusing you of confusing Samba members, sending them on a wild goose chase. Sorry about that... :oops:

I'm double-guilty, telling folks they have to search out special parts from T3 then drill holes & stuff when they can just walk up to the parts counter and ask the FLAPS guy for "the good stuff". They sure know their stuff don't they? Like what color undercar neon lights look coolest.

And inside the box are the instructions telling you the type of grease (otherwise they'll wear out and the warranty is void etc).

You guys are making America great again!!! :lol: :lol:

why use grease? soap will take care of it 99 percent of the time??? yikes time to study lubrication as too what is needed, why some lubricants are better than others, proper application etc.... for the guy that was on a crusade for purified tranny lube, it is strange that there is zero concern about what is lubing the ball joints and the very real issue of incompatible lubricants mixed, resulting in lack of proper lubrication.

good luck

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:49 pm

Hmm interesting. OK Uncle. But is that for a Vanagon? Got some extra bolts & holes.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:57 pm

Hell, I don't know--
Kam came up with the page with ball joints at NAPA.
You didn't look at the page she popped up with???
You're at the computer--your super store--

I don't think she was posting ball joints for a Hudson Jet, or a Kaiser / Frazer.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:02 pm

Terry Kay wrote: Hell, I don't know--
Kam came up with the page with ball joints at NAPA.
You didn't look at the page she popped up with???
You're at the computer--your super store--

I don't think she was posting ball joints for a Hudson Jet, or a Kaiser / Frazer.

Thanks to NAPA's stupid web site, anyone but me clicking on that link may not see the specific results for my 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon. Therefore, of the four upper ball joints NAPA lists, they are:
NCP 2601231
ATM L1016201
ATM 251407361
ATM SD64083

None of which appear to have Zerks.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:13 pm

Understood.

I'll find them tomorrow--it's too late to call now.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:16 pm

Yikes, I'm not sure how a topic as innocuous as this can become contentious, but as I think was mentioned earlier, the rubber boots seem to be the Achilles Heel on most contemporary suspension joints. Perhaps silicone boots for BJs and tierod ends would be a sweet addition to the mix. I had a set of brand new Taiwan made LCAs for a Mercedes sit behind my shop in the environment, but never in direct sunlight or rain for about six years. The boots cracked just sitting. Once the boots lose integrity, no matter how much or what type of grease is in there, the road grime will wash it out and impregnate the remains with grit. Some Lemfoerder joints come with a synthetic rubber boot, but most just come with a cheap rubber compound. Silicone seems to be the logical solution.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:22 pm

TK and Bluebus are big on drama. Can't say I'm much better. :oops:

If you search on eBay "silicone Balljoint boot" there's boots, with dimensions included. I might order some before installing. Might take awhile, they come from Bulgaria. Bulgaria's thwarting planned obsolescence (making America great again). Or so we think. Does anyone REALLY know how long silicone boots last? One of my LBJ boots is still good at 27 years old.

This eBay (Bulgaria) boot is very close to the Vanagon Lower Ball Joint size.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:35 pm

Wait a minute--

How long are you gonna have this van?

As I mentioned before, the idea is when you changed the oil was to grease all the fittings under the car.
Same with a Semi, or pickup truck.

The boots were all nothing but rubber, and the water and whatever else was behind that plain old rubber boot smoozed outa there.

That was the object of greasing the vehicle.

So what you are saying is to not grease the ball joints or tie rods because it will distort the boots?

Poor Rubber babies--they will get all pushed outa shape.
Don't be PC and grease the hell outa them joints.
They will last a bunch longer.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:41 pm

The boots have a spring ring at the top, probably because there was no zerk. Now theres a zerk. I'm worried it will pop the boot off the large end if the grease can't get out the small end. I'll test it with/without the ring before final assembly, and report back here in this thread.

And measure boots for crossover to the silicone units.

This could be useful information. Hope folks can find it amongst the drama.

Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:07 pm

Sodo wrote: ....

This could be useful information. Hope folks can find it amongst the drama.

Thanks Sodo, it is. Great write up and tutelage for most all of us I believe. Now I'm looking forward to replacing ball joints. Whoohoo!

Drama can be quite entertaining and often educational, assuming one has a good drama filter - and a remote. Not all do :wink:

Mark

Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:38 am

You mean to tell me that after I remove the clothes from the washer, that I don't fold them FIRST and then put them in the dryer ? :shock:

Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:43 am

silicone is not all good, some silicone products maybe poorly formulated for this application just as some rubber parts are, so beware of that.

then again stick with the stock bellows, for if the mixed greases are not compatible, the joint will fail before the belows does for lack of lube. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:15 am

I don't know how tough the silicone is against bushes, sticks. Also who knows if it really "lasts".

Maybe order silicone boots now ($5.50/pair) confirm fit, and then keep as spares in case the MOOG boots don't last. Kinda like folding clothes before they go into the dryer. But how to "store spares" such that they're not thrown out over the next ten years?