I ordered up a new set of inner tie rod ends for my car and they came today from FedEx. I open them up to have a look and they come with a bag with a grease fitting and cotter pin - but there is no hole in the back of the end to install the fitting. Are they just cheap ends you don't grease, and they packed the fitting anyways, or what? I can't imagine I'm supposed to drill a hole in them and maybe get metal chips inside of it.
I would go ahead and do the necessary work and install them. You can put grease on your drill bit to help catch the filings and clean out any that get in the hole. Always good to be able to grease them. Good luck and happy hot rodding! "Wan't anybody there excep me and Little Skeet"
Yes, I'd prefer to be able to grease them. The cap on the end looks like tin, like if I drill a hole in it I can thread in the fitting without tapping it. If it needs to be tapped, then I'll just buy some that come with a hole already in them and return these.
Sounds like an ooops to me. I usually get them with a little plug in them and no grease zirk. Are they from a company that you can call and ask?
From Rock Auto, I probably should have spent a little more on them. My thought is it's just cheaper for them to give you the same bag with the pin and fitting than to have seperate bags with just the pin.
If they are for an early ford, NAPA has them and USA made. Part no.2692240NCP,11/16"-18 left hand thread and Part no. 2692241NCP, 11/16"-18 right hand thread. Both come with grease fittings.
Lots of tie rod ends come with no grease fitting. You fill them with grease when you install them an it lasts the life of the joint.
I heard recently that much of Rock Auto's inventory is factory seconds and such, so perhaps they're just selling off a batch of tie rod ends that some kid in China forgot to put a hole in for the grease zerk...
They're cheap tie rod ends. I sell them everyday. They call them "non-serviceable". They'll last a year or two. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!