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Ball Joint w/ Zerk

Lowrange2

Lowrange2

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Abbeville, SC
So I went thru all the trouble of installing new lower ball joints and got everything nice and squared away, took the rented tool back to the store, got home screwed the zerk fittings into the tops of the ball joints, greased them, slide the axle shafts back in for a test fit and voila - the shafts will hit the zerks if I ever decide to drive my jeep after I finish the install! WTF!?

Can I leave the zerks out or replace them with a small screw after I grease them?
 
It may be possible to install a "flush" mounted zert fitting, this is what I did on my axle shaft ujoint to avoid clearance issues. You need a special needle adapter to grease it though.
 
is that something I can pic up from the parts store? Hell theres no room to grease them after the shaft is in anyways... I could just cap it off some how and install a zerk only when I remove the shaft to grease it. EH.
 
Yes, you should be able to flush type zerks from the parts store.

Precision U-joints have two different part numbers for each size, one a standard and one with the flush-type zerk fittings with them.
 
I believe that will do fine. I wonder why the parts stores never tell anyone about the diff options... I hate when I go to the parts store and know more about autos than they do.
 
lowrange2 said:
I believe that will do fine. I wonder why the parts stores never tell anyone about the diff options... I hate when I go to the parts store and know more about autos than they do.
Click to expand...


That's usually what happens.

They do sell "plugs" for lack of a better term. It is a threaded little flush mount bolt to put in place of the zerk fitting so your shaft wont hit it.

Either that your you can get the flush mount zerk fittings themselves.
 
Purchased Master Rides from NAPA and they have the greasable lower ball joints. The axle shafts do not hit the grease fitting. There's also a 90 o grease gun adapter that's a royal PITA to get onto the fitting once everything is buttoned up. If you can use marine grease if you do alot of mudding/water holes.
 
I have a few of those flush mount zerk fittings in my u-joints, they work pretty good. Its going to be a pain if its that tight anyways.. just make sure you use good grease, and hopefully you can get the needle in there to grease it when you need too.
 
I ran into the same problem. I completely rebuilt my front end (ball joints, hubs, U-joints, splash shields, & axle shaft seals. It's a long story, don't ask). The lower ball joints I got from Auto Zone were the same part numbers, but one came with the zerk plug, and the other had a standard fitting. I got flush zerk fittings from NAPA. Only thing is, it's practically impossible to grease them without pulling the axle shafts. Oh, and one other thing. The nuts on the two lower ball joints were different. One needs one inch wrench, the other is 1 1/8. Go figure
 
apsdad said:
I ran into the same problem. I completely rebuilt my front end (ball joints, hubs, U-joints, splash shields, & axle shaft seals. It's a long story, don't ask). The lower ball joints I got from Auto Zone were the same part numbers, but one came with the zerk plug, and the other had a standard fitting. I got flush zerk fittings from NAPA. Only thing is, it's practically impossible to grease them without pulling the axle shafts. Oh, and one other thing. The nuts on the two lower ball joints were different. One needs one inch wrench, the other is 1 1/8. Go figure
Click to expand...

Mine was the same damn way! Same numbers but one was silver and one was black one had a plug and a zerk and one just had a zerk and at that they were different kinds of zerks.
 
Timber said:
The Spicers I just recently put in came with both zerks and plugs in the boxes for just that reason.
Click to expand...
Huh? The factory Spicer ball joints don't have greasable lowers for that reason: you can't get to it.

That, and the factory ball joints were WAY cheaper, 48.00 a side (for both).
 
lowrange2 said:
So I went thru all the trouble of installing new lower ball joints and got everything nice and squared away, took the rented tool back to the store, got home screwed the zerk fittings into the tops of the ball joints, greased them, slide the axle shafts back in for a test fit and voila - the shafts will hit the zerks if I ever decide to drive my jeep after I finish the install! WTF!?

Can I leave the zerks out or replace them with a small screw after I grease them?
Click to expand...

Is it a 90 degree zerk? If so, it might be a two piece zerk and you can unscrew the straight part from the angled part and use it. That's what I had to do...the other side I put in didn't have a zerk either. Probably because some guy sitting in a cubicle figured they needed to be greasable.
 
Gaius said:
Huh? The factory Spicer ball joints don't have greasable lowers for that reason: you can't get to it.

That, and the factory ball joints were WAY cheaper, 48.00 a side (for both).
Click to expand...
Well, I ordered them from Trailquest.com and they were supposedly Omix-Ada, but they came in Spicer boxes. Just as I said, they had both zerks and plugs for the lowers and uppers, ~$35 per side.
 
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