zirk fittings for knuckle grease fill studs and other?

[Broski]

The plastic bag trick is not going to work with the tire on it will only be harder.

With a longer hose you can slip it in the hole then pull it sideways to get it to stay in the hole.

IMHO it would be best to figure out how to safely remove the tire to service the vehicle. A good pair of Jack stands is essential to service any vehicle.

I always put the tire I removed under the vehicle for safety.

 

[landcruiser3DP]

View attachment 2475728

thanks man. nice looking part. custom made? off the shelf? i'd probably buy two of these if they are mud approved...

 

[ewillis]

There's an easier way....

 

[landcruiser3DP]

The plastic bag trick is not going to work with the tire on it will only be harder.

With a longer hose you can slip it in the hole then pull it sideways to get it to stay in the hole.

IMHO it would be best to figure out how to safely remove the tire to service the vehicle. A good pair of Jack stands is essential to service any vehicle.

I always put the tire I removed under the vehicle for safety.

OK. thanks for your input.

 

[woodsman 44]

I take the plug out and take end of grease gun with moly grease and count 50 to mabey 100 pumps per side...if grease gun end dont fit inside just unscrew it to where its just the threaded end...and pump

 

[Funner]

zirk fitting at the knuckes is crazy talk? i don't get it. care to explain?

 

[Kernal]

I take the plug out and take end of grease gun with moly grease and count 50 to mabey 100 pumps per side...if grease gun end dont fit inside just unscrew it to where its just the threaded end...and pump

I've used this method for a few Land Cruiser models over the years with solid axles, no issues, quick and easy. Turn the wheel outward on the side you're working on, lean over the tire and look down on the knuckle, clean around the plug, remove the plug, pump in grease with your grease gun, replace the plug. If you're too big to reach over the tire in the wheel well, get it from the front side.

Once you find the right socket that fits it only takes 30 seconds to remove
the plug (which has British Standard Pipe Tapered, BSPT threads). Some grease gun nozzles are too fat to slide into the hole, others fit perfectly.

In some mining operations that use 70 series pick-up trucks with a solid
front axle similar to our 80 series, they install a PRV (pressure relief valve)
of the correct BSPT threads in place of the stock plug. Those vehicles
also have greaseable Birfield joints (drilled out and zerk added) so they can
be greased daily to keep the knuckles full of grease to keep the water out, however they travel at low speeds so not applicable to the way most people
use their 80's.

Point is, removing the inspection port plug and pumping some extra grease
into the knuckles is quick and easy. Many of us have been doing it that way
for decades.

 

[landtank]

I have drilled birfs which I fitted with a flush style zirk. When I get home after a trip I take off the end cap and give each two pumps and put fresh grease into the most vital area, the birf joint. No pulling tires or any of that stuff

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I take the plug out and take end of grease gun with moly grease and count 50 to mabey 100 pumps per side...if grease gun end dont fit inside just unscrew it to where its just the threaded end...and pump

i finally figured out that grease guns don’t work like construction glue ratchet type glue guns. and the T handle is independed of the spring loaded disk that pushes the grease.
so that will help a LOT for next time!

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I take the plug out and take end of grease gun with moly grease and count 50 to mabey 100 pumps per side...if grease gun end dont fit inside just unscrew it to where its just the threaded end...and pump

ok. i had to reread that after kernal responded. for some reason i wasn’t getting that zirk to come off. i’ll take another look.

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I have drilled birfs which I fitted with a flush style zirk. When I get home after a trip I take off the end cap and give each two pumps and put fresh grease into the most vital area, the birf joint. No pulling tires or any of that stuff

if anyone has pics or a link i’d dig seeing this...

 

[Broski]

if anyone has pics or a link i’d dig seeing this...

I run the RCV axles they have the same thing, Super Nice

 

[Rifleman]

View attachment 2475728

Just as an FYI in case you don't already know this, the pipe plug on top of our steering knuckles uses Whitworth threads, NOT SAE NPT threads. The 2 threads look the same but Whitworth has a 55 degree thread pitch, and NPT has a 60 degree thread pitch.

One more thing, 3/8 inch Whitworth is 19 threads per inch, and 3/8 inch NPT is 18 threads per inch. You can start a 3/8 NPT plug into the top of your knuckle housing, but if you keep turning it in you'll mess up the threads in your housing.

 

[Rifleman]

if anyone has pics or a link i’d dig seeing this...

Below is a link to when i did this mod on my CV joints.

How to drill your Brifields, for a grease fitting

I posted a few days ago that I'm helping a friend replace all the bearings and seals in his front axle. Another member PM me a link on how he had his CV joints machined so he could grease them without taking the axle apart. I looked over the link he sent me, and we made up our minds to do this...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[landcruiser3DP]

Below is a link to when i did this mod on my CV joints.

How to drill your Brifields, for a grease fitting

I posted a few days ago that I'm helping a friend replace all the bearings and seals in his front axle. Another member PM me a link on how he had his CV joints machined so he could grease them without taking the axle apart. I looked over the link he sent me, and we made up our minds to do this...

forum.ih8mud.com

thanks a lot RM.
i printed that. i admit i need to study the topic to - well to understand birfields and why that mod is important.
but i do see the mcmaster carr pressure relief fitting there that someone posted. and i may have missed it but this fitting would in fact also work as a temporary or permanent part on the knuckles? or?

 

[Rifleman]

but i do see the mcmaster carr pressure relief fitting there that someone posted. and i may have missed it but this fitting would in fact also work as a temporary or permanent part on the knuckles? or?

I drilled and tapped both of my factory 3/8 Whitworth knuckle fill plugs for 1/8 inch NTP female threads so i could install some of those McMaster Carr pressure relief valves. I leave those relief valves in place full time to vent off any pressure that builds up inside my knuckles.
McMaster-Carr

 

[93yotasr5]

With Joey's ABS replacement part you can still pull the fill plug as to not over pressurize the knuckle when adding the grease.

Longer hose's are available for your grease gun if you incest on doing it the hard way.

Haha you said incest!

 

[fjc-man]

You could get a needle style tip and pump to your hearts content and not have to worry about fitting in the filler hole.

 

[zonker]

I know this is cheating.. but thought I would mention this anyway. I use an air powered grease gun set on constant flow. I am just a lame.. skinny.. weasely armed guy who is not at all interested in any kind of fitness exercise. Hence the air power! Also 3/8” drive square sockets come in handy when I am too lazy to find my vise-grips to remove the plug.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I know this is cheating.. but thought I would mention this anyway. I use an air powered grease gun set on constant flow. I am just a lame.. skinny.. weasely armed guy who is not at all interested in any kind of fitness exercise. Hence the air power!

That's what I use

Sears had a sale on constant flow Craftsman grease guns when they were shutting down and I bought a couple for $20 bucks a pop

MUCH easier and way faster than a standard air powered grease gun without constant flow

As for zerk fittings, they seem like a fix for a problem that was never a problem to begin with

It takes 20 seconds to remove both plugs, less than a minute to top them off and I need the ports open anyways to check the levels with a zip tie