Control the fate of the lower control arm

[gsxr]

I would not put the ball-joint end into the ZZZZ machine. No need to, and it may allow water to enter the joint (bad!), or degreaser (worse!), with no benefit other than cleaning the external BJ area which you can do by hand. Whatever solvent cleans the BJ externals will be fine.

The hole with the plastic cap may be related to manufacturing / casting of the ball joint, which is welded to the stamped-steel LCA assembly.

 

[Kridre]

I would be against putting the banjoists in the zzzzzz machine, but if you really want and have this LCA's as a spare, you can do this and make a little modification to them after cleaning, because all the grease is at the bottom of the joint, not up top.

Use this long forgotten by car manufacture's mysterious device at the cap of the ball joint and hit them with the fresh grease. If MB used something like this with this arms from factory, I think that this ball joint with frequent grease replacements maybe every 8 years would last the lifetime of a car, but why would anyone do something so stupid like this?


I was wondering if not do the same with my LCA's but because I don't have a spare one at hand I decided agains it. I will do this with the spare ones that I will get sooner or later.

You need proper gun to regrease them this way, something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Plews-Edelmann-LubriMatic-30-800-Pistol/dp/B01F2RBOB4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=31G463UR9DKJ2&keywords=Mini%2BGrease%2BGun&qid=1683484153&sprefix=mini%2Bgrease%2Bgun%2B%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-5&th=1

 

[northNH]

I remember back in the mid-to-late ‘60’s when for the previous 50 years common parts like ball joints, tie and track rod ends, universal joints, driveshaft bearings, steering boxes, even generator and water pump shafts all had grease fittings.

Their elimination was supposedly based on improved manufacturing abilities, but many of us were in doubt…

It did lead to the elimination of the “L” in LOF.

 

[jftu105]

It is just a dust cover. The TRW LCA did not come with this little rubber cover and I recycled it from the old one.

I assume that the ball joint cleaning is a lot similar to bearing cleaning. I remember doing the bearing cleaning using solvent, lots of them, at my friend's professional garage. You just rinse, brush, and rinse some more. Then let dry. After that, I applied Mobil 1 synthetic grease over the rolling elements and reassembled the bearing. It was a very expensive bearing set for a high speed machine tool spindle.

jftu105

 

[M104-AMG]

If you can't flush out the old grease from a W124 factory/OE late LCA ball-joint (my boots are torn), and the ball joint has no-play and is shiny/non-pitted, what grease is compatible with the factory grease when I re-pack & re-boot ?

I'm fresh-out of RedLine CV grease, so my local choices (all are NLGI#2) are the following:

1) Valvoline Full Synthetic Moly-fortified grease (Lithium complex);
2) Lucas Marine Grease, (Calcium Sulfonate);
3) Lucas X-TRA Heavy Duty grease (Polyurea);
4) Lucas Red-n-Tacky (Lithium complex);
5) Mobil 1 Synthetic Grease (Lithium complex);

I also have a tube of Mercedes "Green" wheel-bearing grease.

Thanks,
neil

 

[sheward]

Since temperature is not a factor but load is, I would use any thick grease with Moly. I doubt MB was using synthetic grease in 92 so I would think a non synthetic would be compatible.