[shirtpants_]

What do you guys use to clean your Rod end joints/Spherical bearings?
I'm referring to completely open designs with no dust boot or rubber seal.
Is it best just to leave them be until they wear out, or is there some kind of cleaning or lubrication I can do to make them last longer?

[justpete]

Originally Posted by shirtpants_

What do you guys use to clean your Rod end joints/Spherical bearings?
I'm referring to completely open designs with no dust boot or rubber seal.
Is it best just to leave them be until they wear out, or is there some kind of cleaning or lubrication I can do to make them last longer?

If you use Seals-It seals it's not an issue. Otherwise they wear very quickly and have to be replaced. As far as I know there's no PM for them, use 'em up and throw 'em out.

[shirtpants_]

Originally Posted by justpete

If you use Seals-It seals it's not an issue. Otherwise they wear very quickly and have to be replaced. As far as I know there's no PM for them, use 'em up and throw 'em out.

Thanks Pete
I've only done sphericals on the toe arms, so I think Ill try seals-it's on one side, leave the other side open, and then see how the wear is between the two.

[08njSTEP]

Dry graphite lube or dry Teflon should help with wear. Bicycle chain lube are available as above.

[justpete]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

Dry graphite lube or dry Teflon should help with wear. Bicycle chain lube are available as above.

Well, you'd think that but it's not really true. It's not a lack of lubrication that's the problem, it's ingress of dirt, grit, whatever that will wear the mating surfaces very very quickly. The only solution is to seal the bearing. That or use it only in dry, dust-free conditions.

[08njSTEP]

I get the dirt issue and seals are definitely a better solution. I'm just suggesting a lube to mitigate the dirt in an unsealed situation. Also why a dry lube as to not attract dirt. I thought chain lube because that is a dirty environment that a dry lube reduces wear.

[shirtpants_]

I found a thread wheres someone suggested this: http://www.triflowlubricants.com/pro...-dry-lubricant
due to their experience with it working well on unsealed spherical bearings in an off-road application.

[justpete]

Originally Posted by 08njSTEP

I get the dirt issue and seals are definitely a better solution. I'm just suggesting a lube to mitigate the dirt in an unsealed situation. Also why a dry lube as to not attract dirt. I thought chain lube because that is a dirty environment that a dry lube reduces wear.

Understood but dry lube doesn't keep out dirt/grit and is not likely to reduce wear very much. Water splashed up into the suspension will carry a lot of very fine dirt to the surface of the ballends which will find their way into the bearing space as the joint moves around a little under load. Lube could mask the wear somewhat and in that sense extend the ballend life but given a quality ballend is ~$100 and seals are ~$4 a pair it sorta makes sense to protect the ballend in the first place with a low cost fix.

[justpete]

Originally Posted by shirtpants_

I found a thread wheres someone suggested this: http://www.triflowlubricants.com/pro...-dry-lubricant
due to their experience with it working well on unsealed spherical bearings in an off-road application.

Probably washes out existing contamination and provides a way to keep the bearing functioning. I think I've used it in the past, switched to other things and then Sentry Solutions but that's for firearms. I've always tried to use sealed, permanently lubed bearings like the Aurora Performance Race parts. The FK ballends that came with the RE toe arms were worn inside of a few hundred miles before I got the Aurora and Seals-It orders in.