How to "Needle grease" balljoints and tie rod ends

[Sodo]

If you want to extend the life of your balljoints you can add a little grease with this simple method. For example if your ball joint boots are in bad shape but you don't want to rebuild it yet, it makes sense to extend the life of what you have, until it becomes convenient to rebuild.

Or maybe you bought new balljoints, and want to be sure they are full of grease for the miles ahead. After 30,000 miles you can peel off the silicone and give them another pump. It's very "easy".

On a 2WD you can needle grease all 4 balljoints and 2 tierod ends. On the Syncro, to drill the the lower balljoints you'd have to remove the driveshaft.

You might be interested in another thread called "HOW TO add grease zerk fittings". I don't think it's worth installing grease fittings because you probably don't have to grease them more often than 30,000 mile intervals, if that. The main benefit, I think is to be sure they are full from the start, and if the boot breaks, you can pump the dirt out for awhile until you renew the boot. Grease fittings are a little more 'elegant' though.

You may be wondering if the silicone will come off over time. It doesn't, but it's easy to scrape off and add a dab (and a pump) in case you're wondering. With luck some member will report back after a few years. We used this method on farm eqpt 35 years ago in a similar situation and found that silicone even sticks HARD to greasy surfaces. It's strange & amazing stuff.

This is a pic of a Syncro, showing the upper ball joint and the tie rod end. 2WD looks similar.

The lower ball joint is not accessible on the Syncro. To grease the lower ball joints you must remove the driveshaft, which is not real simple.....

The lower ball joint is accessible from below on a 2WD. I would have taken a pic of drilling but I don't have a 2WD. I found this pic in TheSamba gallery.

Heres a pic where I drilled a 3/32" hole into the topside of the upper ball joint (UBJ). The drill lifted out little spirals of grease that's hard like wax.

3/32" hole in the tie-rod end cover.

This is a pic of the grease gun coupler and a "needle greaser". There are also needle greasers lik a hypodermic needle, but this type has a cone on the end. When you press the conical point into the 3/32" hole, it seals up and builds pressure.

Pumping grease into the backside of the ball joint. It's squirting out thru a hole in the old cracked boot.

Adding a few pumps to a tie rod end balljoint. This boot was intact, so I pumped carefully until I saw the boot inflate a little, and stopped.

Wait a few minutes and let the grease stabilize, so it's not backing out of the fill-hole.

Clean off the hole area with a solvent (or carburetor cleaner) so the silicone will stick. Don't have to be too anal, silicone sticks to greasy surfaces, but may as well clean it the best you can.

I used silicone on the tie-rod, and Permatex Ultra Gray on the UBJ hole. No reason, just wanted to post a pic of both. I do like Permatex Ultra Gray, it's silicone, but a little tougher.

Heres the tools and the stuff. Hope this helps someone to extend the life of their balljoints.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[dobryan]

Thanks!
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[0to60in6min]

Nice... thank you.

I will buy this kit for my grease gun...

https://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-61077L-Lubrication-...4ZM6XWX0ZP

[Sodo]

[bluebus86]

Now you will want to use the same type of grease that is already in the bearing, or purge all the old grease out if you dont know type it is. you dont want to have a mix of different grease types in the bearing as that can lead to grease failure. some greases when mixed will harden up and prevent release of the lubricating oils in them, other mixes can cause all the oils to rapidly run out of the grease, with all the lub running to spots where it cant do its job.

so always purge unknown grease fully when adding new grease, then stick with a certain type of grease there after.


good luck
_________________
Help Prevent VW Engine Fires, see this link.....Engine safety wire information

Stop introducing dirt into your oil when adjusting valves ... https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=683022

[E1]

Awesome info, Thanks for all your efforts!

I have a little grease gun with the needle tip, great use for it beyond CVs!
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Sodo]

[bluebus86]

[IdahoDoug]

While there used to be significant issues with lube incompatibility, the reality of today's SAE grease categories and the settling on common base stocks and additive package has essentially eliminated that as a concern.

I think this is a great call, Sodo. The caps you drill through on these things are little more than thick sheetmetal, so its easy-peazy to do, and even some shavings are going to be a non-issue because this is not a spinning bearing. The grease lubricates a slow moving huge surface part and functions to prevent rust - that's it. You don't even have to drill accurately in the center - just an empty chamber full of hardened grease on your Van in there.

I once looked at an old Rolls Royce that had a rubber bellows on the floor to lube the entire suspension and chassis. It had thin metal lines like brake lines to carry oil to each joint and bearing. You just remembered to squish down with your foot monthly or so and everything was kept lubed. Amazing.
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[E1]

Would there be any reason to seal the hole if one's doing gobs of dusty roads?

Or did I miss that above, maybe?
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[dobryan]

[bluebus86]

[RCB]

[0to60in6min]

I am waiting for the grease gun adapter kit and I wonder if this right angle adapter would be good since since there's not much room down there...

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-90-angle-drill-attachment-69337.html

[Sodo]

[IdahoDoug]

Blue,

Its not a machine. It's a ball joint. Would it be best if there were not a shaving in there - yes. But sarcastically taking things to the extreme serves nothing. It's a great idea that's simple and hard to screw up. That's my point.
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Wildthings]

[dhaavers]

^^^ FWIW...

Use your own drill, spend less on these and get better tools that will serve you better & longer:

$20 right angle adapter - https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWARA100-Right-Angle-Attachment/dp/B00C0VSNKQ
$10 impact drill bits - https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-BL5IM-Impact-Tough-Bl...=1-15&



- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Sodo]

The $29 HF angle drill "looks" like a much higher quality than the $39 Walmart tool. I bought the $39 HF angle drill today, so I'll have it if I need it (like insurance).
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[flyboyaviator]

Sodo, that was great info, this week end will be dedicated to do just that thanks again. Don't worry about our nuclear engineers piping in their comments, no body listens to those jerks.