Colin Lindsay Posted May 30, 2020 Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 Pre-greased, that is. I wonder how many buyers have fitted these, dry, and never realised that they have to be greased on fitting? I assumed myself that they were already greased and the nipple was there for regular service when the time came, and not for an initial greasing. These are bone dry, and would have worn out in record time if I hadn't disliked the fit of the red fibre washer (metric of course!) and replaced it with a better fit, then noticed the lack of grease. If you've bought or fitted these recently, make sure you did grease them, and if in doubt, grease again. I have a couple of NOS Stanpart versions saved for the convertible so must check that they haven't suffered over the years due to a lack of grease, even in the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 30, 2020 Report Share Posted May 30, 2020 Colin ..........good spot !!!!! these things are all done to help .... but who ???? pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 Wow, it would not have occurred to me in a 100 years that they wouldn't be pre greased! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 Well I know that recon gearboxes and diffs are supplied dry and need filling with oil on installation, but would never have expected a grease-free ball joint. Live and learn! Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 Hum. Must check mine. Though not 100% sure they are greasable....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 Ooh, just looked at a picture (can't get the car out of the garage due to the skip!) and yes they have a grease nipple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 get pumping !!!! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigolf Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 I 've just checked one I fitted for last years MOT. Peering into it with my LED torch I could see evidence of a very small amount of grease, but not really enough to make it last, so out came the grease gun ! Gav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted May 31, 2020 Report Share Posted May 31, 2020 The predecessor to the Herald the Standard 10 has an excellent wishbone front suspension with many grease points. One of the problems was by the late 1950's this was considered a disadvantage as it required regularly greasing. Cost and time. Standard's took the 10's front suspension and resigned it producing a lighter version with no grease points and only two oil points, this was then fitted to the Herald. One of the selling points when the Herald was introduced was it didn't require greasing every 1000 miles. Now most of us want those grease points back. With small change the Standard 10, Mayflower and TR2-6 all had the same front suspension. I am not sure if the 10's top ball-joints, with grease-nipple, will fit the Herald set up. This maybe the Stanpart ones Colin has. Just some thought. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Just another small point re top ball joints - torque setting is supposed to be 38 - 42 ft/lb. "Ball pin to vertical link"? Having said that it also says that it's a 7/16 UNF when it's actually a 5/8 UNF, so it may be for an earlier model. Mine always start to spin round in the vertical link long before I get to that, even with the weight of the car on them, and so will not tighten anywhere near to the necessary torque. Any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 Colin, I jack up the vertical link and then push down, with my hand, on the ball joint when doing it up. When the suspension is hanging fully down the ball joint doesn't line up well hence some of the problems. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 27 minutes ago, dave.vitesse said: Colin, I jack up the vertical link and then push down, with my hand, on the ball joint when doing it up. When the suspension is hanging fully down the ball joint doesn't line up well hence some of the problems. Dave I'll try that, Dave, but the car is on all four wheels as per the WSM for torquing up some of the bolts, and I had hoped this would secure it in place. But no, it just revolves merrily... and I haven't even greased it yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Truman Posted June 1, 2020 Report Share Posted June 1, 2020 To stop the taper joint rotating whilst doing the lock nut up I first fit it with a std nut tighten it up So the taper bites and locks, then undo and remove the plain std nut and replace with the locknut, never had a problem with the assembly rotating doing it this way! Peter T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 You could try a valve spring compressor to pull things together. Using a piece of wood on top of the wishbone to protect the ball joint. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglefire Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Daft question. What grease is recommended? My grease gun is full of a molly grease. I hate to think how old it is, but suffice to say I used it when I had my vw beetles in the 80’s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 I use Lithium 2, same as for the bearings. I got the balljoint tightened - never thought to use an ordinary nut, Peter, so must try to remember that tip for the next time - but had to use quite a lot of downward force. Ever tried tightening a locknut under a vertical link that you've got one foot up on? Circuses would pay money for someone who can contort like that... Of course, as per WSM I lowered the car back onto the wheels before trying to torque up to recommended figures and on most of them my torque wrench no longer fits... too long and the head is too big... but: another job done and car back on the wheels. Now all I need to do is to sort out the bearings, which are locking up far short of where they should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimpus Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Even new regular ones I open up first to grease them. Bought greaseble ones and fitted in march.. already the gaiters are cracked like they are 30 years old.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 1 hour ago, wimpus said: Even new regular ones I open up first to grease them. Bought greaseble ones and fitted in march.. already the gaiters are cracked like they are 30 years old.. I've had gaiters split rapidly on several recent replacement ball joints. I've replaced the naff rubber gaiters with uprated polyurethane versions, available from most of the usual parts suppliers. The uprated ones are more expensive but look like they should last. Time will tell. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 2, 2020 Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 Bill (Rarebits) has previously commented that the gaitors supplied with ball joints are very poor, but even the rubber replacements last well. Same old story really.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted June 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2020 15 minutes ago, clive said: Bill (Rarebits) has previously commented that the gaitors supplied with ball joints are very poor, but even the rubber replacements last well. Same old story really.... I'll agree with that; I bought new ones that tore on fitting, but I replaced them with the rubber gaiters off a few older pre-used ones that were on the shelf - they're only held on by circlips - and they have lasted twenty years and are still flexible and useable. You can buy new gaiters separately; not sure yet if I'll go down the road of poly versions but even the photos of the stand-alone versions look to be better rubber than those supplied already fitted. Incidentally my early Stanpart versions have turned out to be for drum-brake uprights with the small 7/16 nyloc and so are too small for the later vertical links I'm using presently - I'll keep them for the other 1200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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