I can't believe nobody in this group has done this. How about some help, guys. As for them being shot, I have a real problem with that one! They were installed in June of 2002. The bus was not driven from August 2002 until July of 2003. I really can't understand why they (it) started making noise. I was just hoping somebody who had done so could tell me whether there's really any meat to tap threads into on the top cap. Guess I'll figure it out myself - so when somebody else asks the question at least somebody will be able to answer them!
There is an attachment for grease guns, available at any FLAPS. It's a small needle that you can poke though the rubber and inject grease that way. The needle is small (and sharp) enough that it doesn't ruin the boot, and you can seal the tiny hole with some tire "vulcanizing" glue.
If you do this. it's a good idea to regularly inspect them, just to make sure.
Are you sure it's the ball joints???? Another post was about noise and it turned out ot be the Shocks..................yeah, the rubber mounting portion was lubed a bit and they stopped making so much noise.
It's a shot in the dark from my area, but maybe...................
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It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's. It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs. -- Oxford University Press, Edpress News
Yeah, I thought shocks, too. It's only from the right side, squeaks from upsy-downsy and lefty-righty and I pulled the shock loose and the squeal stayed! I greased with great vigor (!) the upper and lower arm pivots at the beams and that made no difference either (prolly blew out the seal!) I also popped the steering damper off. Everything else that moves is well greased. Other thought was the rubber that the antisway bar attaches with. I sprayed some LPS1 in there to see if it changed its tune and it did not. My hearing has deteriorated so badly that it is not very directional, so I can isolate to general areas only, but the general area is the right side ball joints!
Yes, Alan, I have a few different types and thicknesses. I have not tried it because I assumed the joint is tight enough I could never get any grease to where it's needed by that method, but if nobody comes up with a "Sure. I do it all the time..." type answer, it's certainly worth a shot before taking a chance on what could possibly be a major screw-up!
I'm sure there is plenty of meat to do this with type 3 ball joints, but I don't know about yours. Have you looked at the cross sectional views in the Bentley manual? I don't know how the bus ball joints are made, but even if it is just thin sheet metal there, it is probably still thick enough to force one of the small tapered thread Zerk fittings in and have it be secure.
If you do it, be sure NOT to over grease them. If you put too much grease in there, the boots will balloon out and then when you go over a bump and the joint flexes the boot will burst. On older VWs, where the joints came with holes for these fittings, the greasing instructions said to squeeze the boot between your fingers and to stop greasing as soon as you could feel grease starting to fill the boot.
In other words, you want the boot to stay "loose."
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----------------------------------------------- Jim Adney snipped-for-privacy@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711 USA
Okay Guys, I just sent Bus an E-mail w/pics on how I did it. E-Mail me off NG and i will send you the same msg w/pics. And, yes, Jim Adney is right; just give them enough grease so that you can feel it enter the boot/seal. Too much and they will blow out. El Paso Bob
Thank you for your concern about safety. I think you might be surprised by what I have done over the years, but my posts in RAMVA date back only about 5 years, seldom asking for help - usually giving help to others. I have also expressed safety concerns for others numerous times and can understand where you're coming from, but the question was about installing zerk fittings in ball joints. I have a complete set of front brakes in inventory as well as wheel bearings and seals for when they are actually needed.. The noise is from one or both right side ball joints and they have less than 10,000 miles on them. The original set went about 300,000 and were only moderately worn when I replaced them. Incidently, when the bus is parked and I turn the steering wheel right or left, the squeal occurs in unison with the motion. If I bounce the vehicle, the exact same sound occurs in unison with the motion. Upon hearing the sound, the first thing I checked was a loose wheel, then the wheel bearings. At first the noise was prevalent mostly while turning, so I popped the steering damper loose, figuring since it's original it must be the source, but it was not (and still works smoothly.) When it got worse for up & down motion, I decided to pop the shock loose although it did not fit the M.O. The shock is about a four year old gas KYB and was still functioning properly and without noise. The right side caliper has been a source of frustration over the 4 or 5 years it has been on there, but it is not the source of this squeal nor is this squeal sounding anything remotely similar to a brake squeal.
Let me reiterate that the squeal I am describing is not produced from any rolling motion - every aspect of it can be replicated while the vehicle is parked. Thank you again for your safety concerns. Duly noted.
The question was a technical one related to the actual installation of the zerk fittings and I thank all the people who have e-mailed me and replied for their specific and helpful replies. If anyone has more to offer on installing zerk fittings, I certainly would appreciate it.
Bob Hoover warned me of a series of ball joints that were assembled in Italy some time back that were improperly assembled. That is a possibility. In fact, in my opinion, these must have been improperly assembled to be running dry already. I do need to go through all the attaching points and be certain that nothing has come loose and allowed a slightly different angle to come into play, but there is no actual looseness and no tightness in the normal movement of steering.
- Dave Tow-Driver wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
Thanks for the pics. And thanks Jim Adney. It looks like it's gonna be a bit tight with them still on the vehicle, but I've been wanting to buy a right angle drill for a few years now!
........................If and when you ever do change out those ball joints, it would be intertesting to know what you find when taking one of them apart. Maybe the mating surfaces were machined improperly.
............uh oh..........I said 'mating'..............
I thought you already were...........my bad..............LOL
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It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's. It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs. -- Oxford University Press, Edpress News
I bought a Makita close-quarters right angle drill that I've been wanting for over two years now, I bought some 1/4" - 20 zerk fittings, I drilled and tapped (straight tap works fine) with grease on the drill and on the tap to catch chips. I put the fittings in and pumped a few pumps of grease into each one and now they are quiet.
Had to pull the caliper loose and pop the S-bend brake line out of its retainer but I did not have to open up the brakeline. BTW - there's only about 10mm of brake pads left! Looks like I'll get to put the new ones on in a year or two!
Wheel bearings are due for re-pack this spring. They get replaced when the new brakes go on.
Thanks for the information "Busahaulic". I see that you are on top of the situation and not just questing as some people do. If I stepped on your toes, I apologize whole heartedly. Please let me know how it goes.
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