Zerk fitting torque specs?

A quick Google search found quite a few specs. Most seem to be 30-55 inch pounds.

Universal Joint Grease Zerk (Nipple) Fitting and Plug Torque Minimum Zerk Torque Part Number Description N?m lbs. in.

500174-1 .250-28 NF Tapered Thread 4.5 - 6.2 40 - 55 500168-2 .125-27 PTF 4.5 - 6.2 40 - 55

SLIP MEMBER GREASE ZERK (NIPPLE) FITTING SPECIFICATIONS SERIES GREASE ZERK P/N THREAD SIZE ZERK TORQUE Nm IN. LB. SPL90 500174-1 0.25"-28 3.5-6.2 31-55

If it broke that easy it must have been already about to fall apart. You should be able to get it out by wedging a small screw driver in the hole and turning it back out. It shouldn't take any more effort to back it out than you used to turn it in.

The zerk threads are usually tapered pipe threads. They don't require much torque. Just enough so that the threads seal and don't leak grease.

-jim

I googled a bunch too, but I guess your google-fu is better than mine. Thanks for the info.

I got most of the broken bit out by tapping a torx into it. However, it crumbled as soon as I turned it with a screwdriver. I fished out as many pieces as I could see, but I have a feeling that there's metal all inside the balljoint by now. I didn't have enough pieces to reconstruct the zerk. Looks like my error means ordering another part. Oh well.

Thanks though.

Thanks though.

****Some people would probably just fit another Zerk in there and see how long it lasts. Could be a LONG time.

I wouldnt do that. I can afford to be picky, and I dont like to jury rig.

Best of luck

ugh

Same here. In my youth when I was broke and down-hearted, I would Redneck Engineer all sorts of things. But now that I'm a bit older and can afford to do things the right way, I see the value in it. It sucks because my truck is up on jack stands for another week, but I have another vehicle (which needs a wheel bearing) and the $70 for a new control arm will be long forgotten.

What were the zerks made out of? If they are steel grab a small rare earth magnet and go fishing. Use the magnet to make a chunk of mechanics wire magnetic.

If they were steel they wouldn't have fragged.

However, I think you can get the thing out and clean it with compressed air, alcohol, and a Q-tip and be pretty sure that you have it all out.

It's probably pot metal that is very very soft and so a little dust left from it will not be as harmful as you might expect.

--scott

Yeah I tried using a magnet also. The ball is the only ferrous metal, which didn't surprise me.

Depends, I've got steel, aluminum, brass, and plastic zerks.

Well you could do a last ditch effort. Pull the part off, flip it over and tap the part lightly and see if you can knock the pieces out. If it doesn't work I'd take it back and when they hand you the new part, have them install the fitting before you leave the store/dealer.

If the zerks are soft metal and if it were my truck, I would get out what I could and not worry about it. I have taken ball joints apart and found that the metal is incredibly hard. More than likely what ever fragments are left will be turned to mush.

That Alemite/Zerk was probally made in China.

I have a plastic Folger's coffee jar with two strong magnets and a string taped to the magnets, the string goes up through a hole in the coffee jar lid, I have a washer attatched to that end of the string.Handy for picking up little things.I pull the string up and the stuff drops off into a trash bag. cuhulin

Btw,

I got the replacement ball joint/control arm assy in. Fwiw, the zerk that came with this one looked like it was made out of different material- it was more a steel grey instead of having that "Cadmium Oxide" look. The other surprise was that the hole in the ball joint didn't have any threads in it. The zerk cuts them the first time you put them in.

It only seemed to want to go in slightly crooked. After a couple of tries to get it in straight just let it go in at the 10 degree angle. It's in there solid and it doesn't leak, but it sure makes me look like an idiot.

Oh well. All is well that ends well, right? The truck drives WONDERFULLY now. I never realized how much play there was in the steering, how much correction I had to do after hitting a bump, and how much flopping and banging around the front suspension components were doing all the time.

Over the 12 years of driving it and having it get gradually worse, I thought all this was normal :D

-J

Thanks for the update. Makes me think of my last car... I put all new bushings in at about 150,000 miles and it was so much better.