No Zerk fittings? Have no worries as we got the perfect solution in hand for you! With the simple steps discussed below, you will be easily able to grease your car without any problems.
So let’s dive right into it.
Your car certainly needs the utmost attention and once you start hearing all the creaking and squeaking you should immediately gear up and gather your tools. Often we come across the same problem as to how to grease the ball joints or other joints in a car’s suspension if it’s without Zerk fittings.
The very first thing we need to ensure is that we have the correct tools.
Table of Contents
Tools Required:
- Grease Gun
- Needle adapter for grease gun
- Grease
- Rag
- Flexible hose
The position of the car:
To make sure that the procedure is carried out smoothly, you will need to make sure that your car is raised into the air a few meters above the ground.
Do this with the help of a jack until you can view the dust boot and the ball joint.
Without a proper view, things can get messy and you might end up wasting your grease or not inserting it into the right position.
Make sure the weight is secure and stable to prevent damage.
This also allows you to get under the car and reach places easily to lubricate them.
It is appropriate to use this method for an effective result.
How to carry out the process?
The most important part of this whole procedure is to make sure that the grease correctly enters the boot of the ball joint.
Tip: before you jump into the technique, check the condition of the rubber boot and make sure that it is holding the grease between the joints properly. If not, immediately swap it with a new one.
- After confirming that the boot and the joint are both undamaged, continue to clean the material for a better view.
- Now attach the needle to the adapter of the grease gun and be extremely careful as we mentioned, this is a step that requires a lot of attention and care. After the adjustment, tighten the adapter around the needle and secure it so that your grease doesn’t go to waste.
- Insert the needle into the boot, but from the side where it is connected to the housing of the ball joint. This will allow more grease to enter and it will make the ball joint lubricate.
- Pump the grease into the boot slowly and make sure that you are checking the boot until it starts to swell. Only a few pumps will be needed, otherwise the grease will start oozing out from the hole and this will lead to damage to the rubber boot. Always make sure you are inserting the amount needed. In other cases where there is no rubber boot then you can directly inject the needle between the spaces of the ball joint. In the end, rub it with some RTV to seal it up.
- One must always clean off the remaining grease from the needle and the ball joint, so that there is no residue collected on it later as that can create a blockade.
After you are done with this standard procedure, you can take your car for a spin and let the grease run over the joints.
And always make sure to do a second check after your drive in case there is a leak or the rubber boot has split open.
Better safe than sorry!
Now that the car has been fixed, let’s look at some things that you should do and not do while greasing the ball joints.
Make sure of the following things:
- Make sure to use a hand-pumped grease gun instead of a powered one. This will decrease the chance of mismanaging the gun, and boost your control over it.
- Use a lubricant/grease recommended by a professional mechanic
- If the car keeps on making noises even after it was greased, then get a maintenance checkup done.
- The size of the hole while inserting the needle should be kept small to prevent any unwanted material or residue from seeping in.
And Don’t:
- Don’t get frustrated and lose focus (it happens).
- Do not use copper grease or ceramic grease.
Caution:
Never put an excessive amount of grease into the ball joint as it will add pressure to the rubber boot and eventually break it, causing the grease to ooze out. You will lose your expensive grease, as well as damage the ball joint. Grease joints are expected to worsen over time and it is said to change to new ball joints after a mileage of 50,000, so always keep a check on that too.
Where I can find the tools?
Grease, Grease Gun, Needle Adapter, and hose can be found in any hardware store near you or can be ordered online. The recommended grease to be used is:
- Valvoline Moly-Fortified Gray Full Synthetic Grease
- Lucas Oil Heavy Duty Grease or Lucas X-Tra Heavy Duty grease.
And the Recommended grease Gun: Lumax Deluxe Grease Gun
Remember: buy a gun according to the amount of lubrication needed.
To sum it up, following these easy steps will make sure that your car is up and running in no time without any more squeaking noises.
Hopefully, you find the process easy to carry out!
