Greasing springs

opus · May 02, 2011, 06:41:40 PM

So most of you have air bag suspension but I thought I would give it a go. I have a big handful of spring bushings I cant get grease in. No rust or caked grease in them. I have tried everything. Any tricks that I might not have heard of?

Now before you start with new zerks or lifting the weight off, etc, I have a lot of mechanical experience, heavy equipment, ranch stuff and so on, so skip the simple ideas.

robertglines1 · May 02, 2011, 07:10:54 PM

they make a grease driver /gun you strike with a hammer to drive grease thru a zerk once you break the jam you can use a regular grease gun. I've had mine for years. Think it came from napa.

bevans6 · May 02, 2011, 07:15:47 PM

One of my go-to's is to load a really good grease gun or a hydraulic pump with something like Marvel Mystery Oil and pump that in with a direct connect hose (no zerk fitting, high pressure hose to the NPT hole direct) and apply 20 or 30 tons of pressure with the thin oil.

Somethings gonna give, you just hope it's the caked up grease!

Brian

opus · May 02, 2011, 07:24:03 PM

Did the hammer tool....nothing. Took out the zerk and hooked a 10 ton porta power to it, nothing. It wouldnt pump anymore than what the bushing would take. I cleaned all the grease out, used carb cleaner and got it all clean. Whacked it, put the zerk back in and greased it til it stopped. Put a propane torch to it. Whacked it, spit on it, whacked it again, hit my elbow, heated it, whacked it.....sigh.

robertglines1 · May 02, 2011, 07:29:39 PM

drill thru the bushing. nothing to loose at this point

opus · May 02, 2011, 07:32:06 PM

Explain please..... You mean through the zerk hole? How big a drill? I did run a drill in there that was roughly the same size, to try and clean it.

robertglines1 · May 02, 2011, 07:34:33 PM

was thinking maybe bushing spun in bore and is covering hole. drill new hole for grease to enter in to

opus · May 02, 2011, 07:37:24 PM

Where would I drill a new hole? The zerk, of course is on the end of the bushing. The bushings didnt spin. They look awfully new and tight to me.

robertglines1 · May 02, 2011, 07:48:29 PM

I understand now the grease enters thru the center of the pin.It is probably rust welded and I understand your flustration. Other than cleaning that passage way out I think you have have done it all. Maybe coating with used motor oil and letting soak with repeated applications for days might work. It sometimes works on our antique equipment. Good luck Bob

opus · May 02, 2011, 07:53:34 PM

I did PB blaster too. I figured when I greased it and put a torch to it, with the zerk in. The grease would melt and also pressurize. You cant get at the back of the bushing to punch it out either. Its more than likely from the dust on gravel roads that thickened it. They must have missed it once or had difficulties and let it slip. I cant stand sloppy service mechanics!

There is no noise from the springs. Shy of letting them wear and get sloppy, I am stuck. I surely dont want to bring it to a spring shop and have them do it. I cant begin to think what that would cost, just to get grease in them. Even with all the antique stuff, heavy equipment, I have done, I have never got into this much a bind.

I had trouble with the slack adjusters but took the zerks out and all went well. I can get grease in the hangers, just not the eyes.

robertglines1 · May 02, 2011, 07:57:32 PM

are they set in rubber bushings? if so might not be critical

opus · May 02, 2011, 08:01:38 PM

No rubber, bronze maybe? Actually, I am not sure what is in the eyes of these things.

TedsBUSted · May 02, 2011, 08:23:26 PM

Quote from: opus on May 02, 2011, 07:24:03 PM
Did the hammer tool....nothing. Took out the zerk and hooked a 10 ton porta power to it, nothing. It wouldnt pump anymore than what the bushing would take. I cleaned all the grease out, used carb cleaner and got it all clean. Whacked it, put the zerk back in and greased it til it stopped. Put a propane torch to it. Whacked it, spit on it, whacked it again, hit my elbow, heated it, whacked it.....sigh.

That should have done it.
Next, I would probably try to flood the pin with your favorite solvent and then connect a directly plumbed air line. Maybe air pressure could start a path through the caked grease and lead to a breakthrough. Nitrogen at 2200psi would be nice. Got any?

Ted

opus · May 02, 2011, 08:44:54 PM

The only nitrogen I have is in the form of a manure pile. I simply can't understand why nothing has worked.

Len Silva · May 03, 2011, 04:54:55 AM

Quote from: TedsBUSted on May 02, 2011, 08:23:26 PM
Quote from: opus on May 02, 2011, 07:24:03 PM
Did the hammer tool....nothing. Took out the zerk and hooked a 10 ton porta power to it, nothing. It wouldnt pump anymore than what the bushing would take. I cleaned all the grease out, used carb cleaner and got it all clean. Whacked it, put the zerk back in and greased it til it stopped. Put a propane torch to it. Whacked it, spit on it, whacked it again, hit my elbow, heated it, whacked it.....sigh.

That should have done it.
Next, I would probably try to flood the pin with your favorite solvent and then connect a directly plumbed air line. Maybe air pressure could start a path through the caked grease and lead to a breakthrough. Nitrogen at 2200psi would be nice. Got any?

Ted

I was going to suggest the same thing. I had an old truck like that, didn't matter what I did.

I finally hooked up an air hose filled with solvent and left it hooked to my air compressor for about two weeks. It finally started seeping, then ran free.