Just bought new weird ball joint with nipple on top: Does it need to be greased?

[JDM_Hatch99]

I just bought a new lower ball joint for my integra from oreillys auto store. i was surprised when i opened the box to see that there is like a nipple sticking out of the top of it. i called the store and they said it is for grease to be inserted through.

So i told the guy that i dont have the grease guin to pack it with and hes said that i wouldnt need to because they already come pre packed with grease, that the nozzle is for in the future if it ever runs low. but I dont know if he really knew or not if it has grease in it already and i definitely dont want to be driving around with a LBJ that has no grease!

so do you guys know if they come pregreased even though they have that nozzle on the top?

Heres a pic of it:

Topic

[Marc Robertson]

If it comes with a grease zerk, grease it soon and grease it often. Usually the joints will come with enough grease for assembly, but not enough for long term use. This is to keep the parts from metal on metal friction, but not to spill grease out making a mess.

Also, if they have a zerk, this means that they are not sealed and will need to be greased at an interval. Joints without zerks will last much longer than ones with zerks that aren’t greased for this reason. Having the zerk and greasing it will allow for an extended life over parts that are sealed and do not have the zerks.

[college man]

You would think it would come greased.
But you never know. I would grease it after
install.

[college man]

You would think it would come greased.
But you never know. I would grease it after
install. Just think now you will own a grease
gun. lets not forget the grease.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB2RiRKD … plpp_video

[Third Gear]

When in doubt, lube it up. I’ve bought some before that have a little instruction card that said to grease it after the install because there is a minimal amount of grease in there.

[moparfan]

if you plan on fixing stuff like this on your own vehicle just buy a grease gun. many replacement parts are grease able so you will more then likely need it again. i ALWAYS grease a new part after install no mater what!

[John B Kobberstad]

Grease the zert fitting but do not blow the rubber boot off with too much grease. You should be able to take the black boot off and see that there is grease in the joint before you install it. Grease it after you install it though and make sure the zert fitting is positioned so that it is accessible with a grease gun after it is installed.

[cunno96]

I’m 99% sure it has grease in it that grease will last for a while i have no idea how long the grease will last for and the reason why parts have grease nipples is so that grease can be added which makes it last longer because over time the grease escapes and drys up so with out the nipple it would just be a throw away part (parts that cant be serviced)

[EricTheCarGuy]

As many have stated it probably has grease in it already, you could pull the boot back and have a look actually. In the future you’ll be able to service it now that it has a fitting however if it were me I would spend a little more money and get a more “OE” style part next time, I don’t know if it was that exact part but I’ve seen issues with some parts like that, they don’t tend to last as long as some other brands in my experience.

[Author]

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