zirk fittings for knuckle grease fill studs and other? (2 Viewers)

[landcruiser3DP]

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

yeah. someone else mentioned these. these are air powered grease guns? not to be contrary but, i mean these would give me an excuse to pull the compressor out of storage. but at the end of the day if you had a zirk fitting the difference between keeping the manual gun in the bag and popping it over a fitting and running out to get my compressor is sort of even odds.

 

[landcruiser3DP]

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
View attachment 2476602

thanks for that. just to make sure i am tracking (and learning) that is a breather valve to keep the grease out of the differential? and you tapped that bolt by putting it in a holder (a nut or whatever) and drilling it on a press i guess? then manually tapping it?
and to fill the things you open the bolt and full with a air grease gun or manually?

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

yeah. someone else mentioned these. these are air powered grease guns? not to be contrary but, i mean these would give me an excuse to pull the compressor out of storage. but at the end of the day if you had a zirk fitting the difference between keeping the manual gun in the bag and popping it over a fitting and running out to get my compressor is sort of even odds.

Yes, here's a link:

Sears.com

Honestly, I only top off at every 3k miles or so and I've been so spoiled with having a shop that I don't even bother to check my oil unless I'm pulled into a bay

Besides, if I really needed to use it on the trail, I have 200psi OBA ports on my back bumper for air tools





But even with zerk fittings, you'd still have to pull the plugs to check for the proper levels, so I don't really see the point of having them

For U-joints, sure, squeeze the trigger until the grease squirts out of the seals, but on the knuckles, you don't want to overfill

 

[subzali]

The plug is 12mm across the flats. Use the open end of an open-ended wrench.

turn the tire to one side, stick the end of the flexible hose of your grease gun in the hole, and pump. The grease gun tip will stay in the hole without you holding it, with just a little finesse.

or get a battery powered grease gun.

 

[Greg_B]

Hardy Spicer in Australia has a line of greaseable birfields it seems. I came across that link while searching for the site which supplied mines with greaseable birfields and pop cap valves for the plug on the knuckle, so you could not over pressurize when pumping grease in through the birfield. Seems that link on Gearing Dynamics sit is not working just now. When it was showing they did not have anything available for the 80 series. The Hardy Spicer link below does show a part number for the 80 series. But no pop cap plug that I've seen.

Gearing Dynamics

Hardy Spicer

There is an older thread on Mud (not sure in in the 80's or Diesel section) from a Canadian member who mentions greaseable birfs in some mines in Canada, where it's common practice to add some grease through the birfields every shift.

I've been doing the zip tie check and pump in through the removed plug hole, however still think the pop cap plug and greaseable birf would be a good thing for these full time trucks.

Cheers
gb

Edit on the above Hardy Spicer link...The part numbers for the 80 series do not have a "G" behind them so are not greaseable.

 

[zonker]

Got a nice polite personal message so as not to embarrass me in public. They reminded me not to use vise grips on the plug as there are other options. I totally concur that vise grips as a wrench is a last resort. I use a socket that is made for square heads. Works perfect and you can use a ratchet in those tight quarters. My local SnapOn jobber set me up with such a fine tool. Now carry on!

 

[tacocat]

Got a nice polite personal message so as not to embarrass me in public. They reminded me not use vise grips on the plug as there are other options. I totally concur that vise grips as a wrench is a last resort. I use a socket that is made for square heads. Works perfect and you can use a ratchet in those tight quarters. My local SnapOn jobber set me up with such a fine tool. Now carry on!

LOL.

OP, this and a needle tip makes filling the knuckle light work.

Lumax Grease Gun Extension Pipe, 6 in., 1/8 in. NPT x 3/8-32 UNEF LX-1433 - The Home Depot

The extension pipe allows the grease gun reach to hard to reach places that it would normaly not get to. It fits onto outlets of grease guns that pump grease into standard grease fittings. At the 30° angle allows for a tight seal for a transfer of grease.

www.homedepot.com

 

[MarkBC]

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
View attachment 2476602

Those have 15 psi cracking pressure which seems kinda high. I'm deleting my ABS so I think maybe I'll use that port to add a breather hose up to somewhere, the same place my diff breather hose will go. But the ends of the axles articulate a lot more than the center diff so maybe that hose would need to be too long with too much loop?

Does anyone have the part number for the OEM square plugs? Mine are a bit rusty and it would be easier to just replace them.

 

[Kernal]

Off the top of my head the mine vehicles that have PRV's (pressure relief valves) in place of the inspection port plugs have PRV's that are rated fairly low (?2psi opening pressure), enough to keep water out but not too much so that excess grease can be pushed out. I can check on that and report back.

 

[Godwin]

Those have 15 psi cracking pressure which seems kinda high. I'm deleting my ABS so I think maybe I'll use that port to add a breather hose up to somewhere, the same place my diff breather hose will go. But the ends of the axles articulate a lot more than the center diff so maybe that hose would need to be too long with too much loop?

Does anyone have the part number for the OEM square plugs? Mine are a bit rusty and it would be easier to just replace them.

This is another option.

Where did you find a brass allen head plug for the fill port?

McMaster-Carr. $4.12 ea.... 3/8 BSPT Item#4860K133

 

[Malleus]

Those have 15 psi cracking pressure which seems kinda high. I'm deleting my ABS so I think maybe I'll use that port to add a breather hose up to somewhere, the same place my diff breather hose will go. But the ends of the axles articulate a lot more than the center diff so maybe that hose would need to be too long with too much loop?

Does anyone have the part number for the OEM square plugs? Mine are a bit rusty and it would be easier to just replace them.

LMGTFY:

 

[1FZj80]

Those have 15 psi cracking pressure which seems kinda high. I'm deleting my ABS so I think maybe I'll use that port to add a breather hose up to somewhere, the same place my diff breather hose will go. But the ends of the axles articulate a lot more than the center diff so maybe that hose would need to be too long with too much loop?

The knuckle does not hold pressure and the diff is vented. If it did, hot days, cold days and elevation would create a pressure differential between the knuckle enclosure and atmosphere. It doesn't. The dust cap and felt wiper are not air tight. Just add a zerk.