Zerk Fitting for Upper Control Arm Ball Joints

[CleverUserName]

Got a question for Tim or anyone else who knows...

I want to grease my upper control arm ball joints. They have caps in right now and I need to get some zerk fittings.

Will these 6 mm x 1" Metric Thread Fitting, 19/32" Overall Length ones at NAPA work? Napa

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...007_0006381981

If not, which ones do I need to get?

Thanks in advance!

[timsrv]

You can get zerk kits with multiple sizes/configurations in either metric or SAE. Most auto parts stores have them & I've also seen them in places like Harbor Freight. I'm not sure the exact size here as I just dig into my metric kit when I need them and go with the ones that fit the best. Tim

http://www.amazon.com/Capri-Tools-10...rease+zerk+kit

http://www.harborfreight.com/32-piec...ngs-67569.html

[fuquan]

I got a small pack of metric zerks from AutoZone today. $3.99. The pack came with about 8 zerks, all about the same thread size but with different orientations.

Does anybody understand what's happening in this photo of my PS upper ball joint? Yes, the original zerk has broken off, but what exactly is in the hole? Is that part of the old zerk, or maybe the inside of the ball joint? When I first got the van I took it in for an alignment - the technician told me the old zerk threads were still in there. I finally got around to addressing this issue. Wanted to back out the broken zerk ... what I see doesn't make sense to me. The new AutoZone zerk is sitting there for size reference. I'm not sure if that's the correct size zerk for the ball joint but it fit perfectly into the capped off hole at the front of the upper control arm.

Any ideas on how to remedy this situation?
PS_balljoint_zerk1.jpgPS_balljoint_zerk3.jpg

[CleverUserName]

Grainger has a 9 pack of metric zerks for around $4. I try to avoid HF like the plague because most of their merchandise sucks!


I would say the easiest way to remove the broken zerks out of your control arms would be with an extractor.

You will need to find a metric zerk extractor in the same size and threading.

All grainger has is SAE extractors, but this is what they look like for reference.

http://www.grainger.com/search?nls=1...zerk+extractor

[fuquan]

Ok. But do you think that silver bit in the center is a piece of the original zerk in the hole atop my ball joint? I'm confused by the cone-shaped divot. Why isn't it flat? Or, why can't I see (or dig) down the hole into the ball joint? Does anybody know if Toyota used special cone shaped holes for their grease nipples? Also, I expected the threaded part to be larger in diameter. It makes me wonder if somebody tried to drill into the ball joint in an effort to extract the broken grease nipple, and perhaps just made it worse.

And yes, they were Grainger zerks that I got at AutoZone.

[timsrv]

Hard to tell from a picture, but looks to me like that arm was never drilled out and threaded. Tim