Grease Zert missing ...

[JD 4520]

The steering arm on the front end of my JD 4520 (see picture below) is supposed to have a grease fitting on both ends (parts numbered 19 & 21); mine has neither nor does it have a place (or a hole) in which to install a grease fitting. The rubber grease cavity is flat and has no grease in it.

Any ideas on how to get grease into the grease cavity so I don't wear out the steering arm?

 

[murphy1244]

Maybe a new redesigned part?

 

[BuzzardA91]

I just had this on my 4105. The book said at 50 hours I needed to grease something to do withy the steering. Book was very clear with pictures. No zerk fitting on it that I could find. I happened to stop by the dealer and they said there was a serial number break on my model and the new system was sealed and the zerk fittings were eliminated.

 

[Mechanos]

Sealed, schmealed.... that's a cost savings during production and a designed "wear out so you have to buy another one" move in my book. If it were me, I'd drill a hole in the "sheetmetal" cap on the ball joint and install a zerk. Grease away as a part of your regular maintenance routine.

 

[JD 4520]

Sealed, schmealed.... that's a cost savings during production and a designed "wear out so you have to buy another one" move in my book. If it were me, I'd drill a hole in the "sheetmetal" cap on the ball joint and install a zerk. Grease away as a part of your regular maintenance routine.

I may just do that. As I had earlier stated, the grease pouch has nothing it it. Bone dry....

 

[scobrado]

If you drill a housing to add a zerk, won't some shavings go inside and create a lot of wear? I want to add zerks to a disc plow I got recently, but I figured I must take the disc gangs completely off to get all the drill shavings out before greasing.

 

[daugen]

I think the mfg went to sealed zerks to make sure the part lasted until after warranty...
All our cars now have sealed suspension bearings, wonder how that has turned out.

On some of the sealed bearings on my older garden tractors I've tried to lift the rubber and squirt some Kroil and oil
in there. Not sure it ever made it where it should go, but Kroil tends to find its way "down".

Many of the zero turns have now gone to sealed bearings, with big lube reservoirs built in. Maybe, like to believe they got their engineering right,
but like most of us who have used a grease gun all our lives, it's pretty hard to "trust" sealed bearings.

When I hear of folk who never change their oil, and likely never grease either, I guess sealed fittings are the result; save the machinery from fools.

 

[BuzzardA91]

Within the last week there was a thread on this, can't remember the title. I think the jist was not to add the zerk fittings to a sealed joint. A zerk costs about a penny and it is more to manufacture a sealed joint. Wouldn't think it was a good idea at all to add one. If it is that bothersome order the older part number and swap it out.

 

[AKfish]

The steering arm ends on my '08 JD 110 TLB are sealed, too. I haven't had a problem... yet. Visiting with the part's manager at the local JD dealer one day; happened to ask about the steering cylinder - if there was a rebuild kit should the cylinder begin to seep and leak.

No repair kit. Have to buy the entire "unit" and replace!! Didn't bother to ask price....

As far as drilling and tapping for a zerk - I'd think that there would be minimal metal shavings and with a bit of patience and a small tweezers, etc. you could fish all of them out anyway. I wouldn't worry much that it'd be a problem.

AKfish

 

[daugen]

Within the last week there was a thread on this, can't remember the title. I think the jist was not to add the zerk fittings to a sealed joint. A zerk costs about a penny and it is more to manufacture a sealed joint. Wouldn't think it was a good idea at all to add one. If it is that bothersome order the older part number and swap it out.

I wonder if the concern is that adding new grease to a "full" sealed unit might blow out the seals and cause leaks. Well, grease leaks are nothing new in zerk areas but could there be worse results?
Hard to believe adding a zerk would damage the bearing itself, other than the external seals. But I'm sure someone here knows.