Greasing ball joints with a turkey injector?

Hello! I'm new here on TW. I've seen people use the grease needles (the ones from auto parts stores) for greasing ball joints and tie rods without zerk fittings before...but the nearest auto parts store is quiet a long drive from me. Question is, can I use a turkey injector instead? They seem a little bigger in diameter than the actual "grease needles" but I was just wondering if it will be fine to do so? Thanks for the help!

 

i am by no means condoning this but saw this video the other night. I have thought about trying it as a local mechanic thought my ball joint was going bad and used a needle attachment for greese gun to put grease in. needless to say it wasnt my balljoint but now i have a punctured boot.

https://youtu.be/vWOynwTcAL8?si=_Ukon3iPEqWAcpMs

 

Oh no! That's not good. Well I'm not so sure myself if it's the outer tie rod or the lower ball joint on the passenger side, but I have a terrible creaking noise on that side. Got my wife to get in the truck and turn the wheel left to right while I was under it and It sounds like either the outer tie rod or lower ball joint for sure. I just had an alignment done also and don't want to disassemble the tie rod or ball joint just to get a greasing needle of some sort in between the metal stud and rubber boot. So I figured poking a hole in the boot without disassembling it would be better since I just had an alignment done. But I also don't wanna poke holes in the wrong one lol

 

have you jacked that corner up and grabbed the wheel at 3
-9 and 12-6 to see if there is any slop? i also will jack the truck up barely off the ground and use a pry bar under the tire to lift and see if i get movement

 

I haven't. But I will check first thing in the morning. What if no play, but the creaking is obviously the outer tie rod or lower ball joint? Just poke a hole and grease them both? Or try one first and if that doesn't work try the other?

 

do you have a mechanics stethoscope or a really long screwdriver
you can place on parts and listen to try and narrow it down

 

could it be spring? my creak i was chasing up front ended up being my bottom shock bushing

 

I don't have a stethoscope. And I tried a long wrench today but didn't seem to work. Does a screwdriver work better than a wrench lol and does it matter if the screwdriver has a plastic handle?

 

Maybe a spring but I thought more along the lines of steering suspension since it only happens while turning the wheel left to right

 

i use one with a plastic handle but dont know that it matter. i would use a wrench over a screwdriver

 

nothing on bumps when going straight?

can you hear it when stopped and turning the wheel?

 

could be a sway bar link. my wifes car did that when hers went bad. sounded almost like rubber to rubber sound

 

No nothing on bumps. Just turning. And yes turning while stationary

 

Makes sense. But something is better than nothing right lol I'm no mechanic

 

Just had the sway bar links replaced

 

Do the sway bar links come pre greased? They don't have zerks either

 

even new parts can be bad.

$8 Garnish Gripper Mechanic's Stethoscope Automotive Engine Diagnostic Sensitive Hearing Tool for Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles,Black

https://www.amazon.com/Buorsa-Steth...5178818&mcid=9444dc4cc0df3198a803af32e5024223

money well spent in my opinion

I think your on the right path.

check out your sway bar bushings attached to frame as well there is a lot of moving parts up front when you turn and a lot of truck flexing. hate to see you puncture a boot for no reason like happened to me

 

if no zerks then its sealed system and has grease in them

 

Okay. I will do some more testing in the morning. Thanks for the links you sent also! I also don't want to go poking holes in boots either, so I'll just jack up the truck in the morning and do the 12-6 and 3-9 test and in the meantime I'll pick up a stethoscope. Thanks for your help!

 

your welcome. when you have some more info you can reach back here or check youtube. i find a lot of help there when i need fast info