Vitesse front ball joint

[Robin]

My front ball joints have grease nipples instead of the flat plate that seems to be more common. Can anyone advise if this needs grease or oil and if so what type?

 

Thanks

 

Robin

[daverclasper]

Hi Robin

 

I'm pretty sure the only nipples requiring oil are the front trunnions.  I would have thought just a general grease.

 

Cheers, Dave

[Robin]

Thanks Dave - what's confusing me is that most pictures I've looked at don't seem to have a nipple - just a plate - so I'm wondering if this needs any lunbrication?

[Guest]

Hello Robin.

 

Ball joints that DO NOT have grease nipples are the modern sealed for life items; giving the impression it's a fit & forget forever. That is not the case as they do wear but slowly - depending how good a quality the unit is. Some cheap units can wear out within a few thousand miles or less !!

 

Ball joints with nipples on are based on the older style units which required lubricating at the specified intervals; probably at 6K. 

 

IMHO, you have the best of the two options as you can ensure that the joints are always lubricated and that their wear is significantly reduced because of such.

 

A general high melting grease is fine and if you can find a couple of nipple caps, that will be useful to cover the ends, although not essential. The grease nipples are left in position. 

 

You will find that a lot of classic car owners are tending to steer (sorry about the pun) towards items with grease nipples so their lubrication can be monitored and serviced accordingly. A good example of this is prop shaft UJ's.

 

2 or 3 pumps of grease will be sufficient to do the job.

 

Dave is spot-on when saying that trunnions require oil (EP90) they must NEVER be greased.

 

May be worth (actually it is) having 2x separate grease guns; 1x for trunnions (oil) and the other as a gun for grease applications.

 

Hope that assists ??

 

Regards.

 

Richard.

[Robin]

Great! Thanks Richard

[Steve C]

Also worth adding that any "sealed for life" type joint sold as NOS or that has been in long-term storage may have dried out, and will fail quickly. I have just changed mine for the greasable type from Canley's, having had this happen with two brand new QH joints put on in 1990 when I started the rebuild, which managed less than 2000 miles. Sealed for life is not a lifespan without limit!

 

Regards

 

Steve C