KJ Rear upper Ball Joint and Moog K500190?

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Mon Jul 04, 2016 12:25 am

Hello all -

Hoping someone has been down this path before. At 200K I'm working through a project that includes replacing all the "wear items" in my suspension. Starting with the rear.

The good - I was able to get the rear lower control arms out, replaced with the Moog problem solvers. I was able to get the upper control arm (boomerang) out. Pressed the bushings out using a ball joint press, pressed in the new moog bushings the same way. I manged to press out the upper ball joint using a 20 Ton shop press and some bits from the ball joint press (needed something larger on the back side). Was then able to press in the Moog K500190 replacement. (douse everything with PB Blaster or similar on the way out, and a litte WD40 on the way in)

Now the question .. it seems like the replacement ball joint was not greased at the factory - which is fine, it's supposed to be greasable. But... I can find no obvious provision for greasing it. There is a spot at the rear where other (moog) ball joints have fittings, but there is a plug in the whole which does not appear to be threaded. There is also no grease fitting included in the package (unlike the other moog joints).

I'm thinking I could possibly drill or chisel out the plug, but since it didn't' come out easily I'm thinking it's not supposed to.

So? Any suggestions?

I'm not seeing any other references to the part number, and certainly nobody asking as basic a question.

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Mon Jul 04, 2016 11:58 pm

Continuing this topic, I was able to grab the plug at the back with a large vice grips and work it out of the hole - twist, rock, pull. It was not threaded but appeared to be a press-in piece.

Once the plug was out I was able to thread a grease zerk into it's place and pump some goo into the joint. I feel much better that my new serviceable ball joint is in fact serviceable.

Now, does anyone have an opinion on if having a zerk protruding from the top of that joint is a bad thing? What are the chances of it's being smashed into the body? Any other downsides?

KJ Rear upper Ball Joint and Moog K500190?

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