Moog ball joints-Greasing - Diesel Forum

kfanta · 03-07-2005, 07:50 PM

I had moog ball joints installed on my excursion. Well I went to grease them this last weekend and it was easy to get at the zirks on the bottom ball joint....however the top one was shall we say tricky. The zirk points straight down toward the knuckle joint. In order to be able to even remotely get at it with my grease gun and flexible hose was to turn the wheels all the way to one direction then engage the 4 wheel drive and back the vechicle up until the joint rotated to a point that I could get at it.

Is there a better way or easier way. If I had a small 90 degree angle end for my grease gun that might work...but I have been unable to find something like that.

So I give....what is the trick???

fordmastertech · 03-07-2005, 09:00 PM

Remove the straight fittings and replace them with some 90 degree ones.

kfanta · 03-07-2005, 09:56 PM

That is what I was thinking...but how much do I have to take apart to be able to remove the old zirks and put in new ones?

Or should I go back to the mechanic that put them in and say "what were you thinkin...would like to show me how I am supposed to grease that zirk?"

fordmastertech · 03-07-2005, 11:01 PM

Personally I would bring it back. I thought the fittings that Moog suppled were the 90 degree type for the uppers but I could be wrong, I work on too many vehicles to keep them all straight in my mind. If you want to do it get some of the shortest 90 degree fittings you can find and just put them in. You will have to rotate the axle around to gain the clearance you need to get them installed. There is not too much room in that area as you have already found out. Moog may have changed this since the last time I have used their parts. A long time ago they used to give you the 90 degree fittings to lube the joints and then you had to install plugs because the axle joints were just too close, this was on the Dana 44 axles if I remember correctly.
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kfanta · 03-09-2005, 11:27 AM

How are they removed...do they just screw into place and then I can screw in the new ones. I have seen zirks with threads. Do I just use a pair of "good" pliers and unscrew the old ones and then screw in the new ones? Or is it more complicated than that? I have seen some that are "pounded" into place?

Thanks.

fordmastertech · 03-09-2005, 12:05 PM

They should just screw in. I would use a small open ended wrench. If the pliers fit use them.

tginz · 03-09-2005, 01:24 PM

Check out the pictures of my new ball joints and zerk fittings. I installed a 90 deg. fitting in my lower ball joints. It was very close!!!!Actually TOOOOO close!!! SOOOO I bought several zerk 90's and "practiced" grinding the little nipple end down. Went through two and then got the right depth and installed the modified fitting. I've pumped grease in several times and no leaks.

Again check the pics!!!

tginz

kfanta · 03-09-2005, 01:35 PM

Thanks for the information...by nipple end I am not sure what end you are refering to. The end that goes up into the ball joint, or the rounded 90 part so it is shorter or the end that the grease guns connects to??

Thanks,

DOGdiesel316 · 03-09-2005, 07:12 PM

nipple end is the end the grease gun goes on

tginz · 03-10-2005, 07:48 AM

Sorry I was off line for a while - I guess we gotta work sometime. By the nipple I mean the "ball" on the 90 deg turn. NOT the threaded end and NOT the fitting end. The ball on the 90.

You'll notice mine are ground down to clear.

tginz

shamuex2000 · 03-10-2005, 10:08 AM

When I did mine, the 90's were too close also. You can get a 90 degree grease head attachment (not the swivel attachment) for your grease gun that will do the job. Most good farm stores and auto parts stores have them. The attachment plugs into your straight gun fitting just like a zerk fitting. It's easy to put on and take off. Dale