Top Link Greasing 101

[Rusty]

What is the proper way to grease the Kubota top link that came with my B7500HSD? The link has a zerk fitting near the center of the link body and a taped hole and threaded plug near each end of the link body (that is, two holes with plugs). Should I remove the two threaded plugs and pump grease into the zerk until grease appears at the two holes? Or, should I leave the plugs in place and pump until grease exits from between the link body and threaded shafts? Should the threaded shafts be all the way into the link body, almost all the way out of the link body, or somewhere in between? Thanks, in advance! Rusty

 

[Sully2]

What is the proper way to grease the Kubota top link that came with my B7500HSD? The link has a zerk fitting near the center of the link body and a taped hole and threaded plug near each end of the link body (that is, two holes with plugs). Should I remove the two threaded plugs and pump grease into the zerk until grease appears at the two holes? Or, should I leave the plugs in place and pump until grease exits from between the link body and threaded shafts? Should the threaded shafts be all the way into the link body, almost all the way out of the link body, or somewhere in between? Thanks, in advance! Rusty

Cant speak for YOURS...but on my B3030...it says the same thing..EXCEPT....aint no zerk fitting??? And the 2 plug screws..one near each end...are where the open the tube body...to install a LOCKING PIN...so you cant get the rod ends out " at all".. I bent one rod end on mine...and Kubota wanted $212 for a new top link..( Can ya hear me laughing all the way from here...lol) I ordered a replament from the internet..for $19.95 plus $6 shipping!!! I took the bent one to a farmer friend of mine and we "untwisted" both rod ends and got them out ( I STILL cant understand why the locking pins are inside there???) and I dont use GREASE at all..I use oil to lube the threads on mine.

 

[Bird]

Rusty, I did some experimenting once with mine. I unscrewed (lengthened) the top link to it's maximum length, then pumped it full of grease via the zerk in the center. Then it was almost impossible to screw it back together (shorten) because the grease does not compact and the surplus had to be forced out around the threaded ends. I should have had sense enough to know what was going to happen without experimenting. They really don't need a great amount of grease. If you pump just a few strokes into the zerk, when you shorten the link, the ends of the threaded rods will get into the grease and as you lengthen it, they'll carry grease to the threads in the housing.

 

[Rusty]

Sully2, Bird - Thanks for the replies! I have two top links, so I may try grease on one and oil on the other for awhile. Thanks, again! Rusty

 

[Bird]

Rusty, as has been indicated in this thread, it just ain't any big deal. All you need is enough lubrication to keep corrosion from freezing something so it can't move. Personally, on links that had a grease zerk, I used a little grease from my grease gun. And on links without a grease zerk, and on the balls at the ends, I occasionally (pretty rarely though) gave them a shot of WD-40. And I knew farmers who rarely put anything at all on them.

 

[TwinWillows]

I give the threads on mine a squirt of motor oil every now & then. Seems to work fine.

 

[brande]

Been there...

Saw two screw plugs and decided to replace with grease fittings.
Bad deal-the shortest thread fittings I could find still bottomed out on the threads and I still had to retap the hole, since I could not find any metric grease fittings.

Anyway, I went to the easy approach. I like easy.

Turned the top link out as far as possible.
Thinly coated threads with Anti-Seize (Never Seize). I've used this stuff on HD truck spring keepers, wheel studs and more. It does not wash off.
Really amazing stuff, really. Learned about this in my former life as a diesel mechanic.

Anyway-so far, so good. Seems to be working so far..
Time will tell...

Good Luck

brande