[Ranger]

I'm using a pneumatic gun and trying to grease the front end on the Road Runner, but the old girl is fighting me once again. The idler arm was flopping around when I got her home in Dec., so that was replaced. Otherwise the front end seems tight. Only the lower ball joints would take grease. Anyone have any old tried and true tricks for getting grease into stubborn joints?

 

[EcSTSatic]

I thought this was going to be an old guy thread.
Would it help to replace the zerks?

 

[Ranger]

Hehe, nah, I pulled one of them to check it and it readily took grease.

 

[MrHolland]

Use a small punch (center punch, or even a small nail) and small hammer to free up the ball in the grease fitting. Be gentle!!

Its possible theres old grease in the joints that's dried up.

 

[dkozloski]

If you can't get grease in it means that the old grease can't get out. I've seen high pressure pneumatic grease guns blow tie-rod ends clean apart. A postmortem usually shows that the relief channels in the mating wear surfaces have worn away to where the joint has sealed itself like a check valve.

 

[Ranger]

Not what I wanted to here Koz. I do remember blowing the top off of an idler arm once with a pneumatic gun. Boy was I surprised. :shocked2: I may give Hollands method a try.

 

[MrHolland]

If they're full of dried grease you might try gently warming them up with a small torch to soften up the grease then put fresh grease in to push out the old stuff. Don't burn your car down!!!!

 

[EcSTSatic]

I'd just replace them. They may be original !

 

[talismandave]

I thought this was going to be an old guy thread.

...I'm with you.
I have had a limp for 2 months now, I was all set for this thread when I saw the title.:rant2:

 

[EcSTSatic]

...I'm with you.
I have had a limp for 2 months now, I was all set for this thread when I saw the title.:rant2:

Likewise. I had a skiing accident in CO in Feb 2014 and messed up a calf muscle. It is flaring up again, one year later <sigh>

 

[rodnok01]

I would change the zerks anyways, sometimes they seem fine when off the car. Worth a shot. You can try the heat a little but haven't had that work much. While putting pressure on the fitting hit the joint with a hammer, sometimes it'll knock the crud loose. If you can get any grease in it drive it and see if they loosen up and will take grease. As a last resort you can shoot some oil into the joint(got MMO laying around?)

 

[Ranger]

They probably are original, but seem tight so I am trying to avoid rebuilding the front end. Will try some heat and hammer.
No idea how to shoot oil into the joint. :noidea:

 

[dkozloski]

If you're going to hammer on the joint, use a brass hammer and try to drive the stud back into the body. Don't mushroom the stud and bugger the threads.

 

[Ranger]

Success! Didn't need a hammer or torch. Believe it or not a hand grease gun worked better than the pneumatic. Slow and steady pressure got grease in all but the pitman arm and the adjoining inner tie rod. I replaced the fittings and they took grease as well.