wet bolt on suspension

[Likes_to_tow]

One of my wet bolts will not take grease. How do I remedy this little situation??

[laknox]

ScottG wrote:
The wet bolts I got from eTrailer had zerks pressed in, they were not threaded.
A third of them also wern't drilled all the way. Just far enough to press the zerks in.

Maybe that should be something that should be checked before installation.

Lyle

[ScottG]

The wet bolts I got from eTrailer had zerks pressed in, they were not threaded.
A third of them also wern't drilled all the way. Just far enough to press the zerks in.

[Bipeflier]

WE-C-USA wrote:
I.ve been able to get the grease flowing, by applying heat to the old caked grease inside the bolt. It doesn't take much heat but it has always worked for me.

I typically remove the zerk and use a properly sized drill bit to remove the old grease. I realize this doesn't remove the grease in the "cross" hole but I have never had one to not take grease after the drill bit trick.

[WE-C-USA]

I.ve been able to get the grease flowing, by applying heat to the old caked grease inside the bolt. It doesn't take much heat but it has always worked for me.

[Lynnmor]

I know of no kits with grooved bushings, you have to roll your own.

[laknox]

Lynnmor wrote:
If you use a small bottle jack and place it right at the end of the spring within the hanger, and then jack till it takes grease. You may have to jack till that tire comes off the ground.

What is happening is that the bolt and bushing wears to a perfect mating and the small grease hole would take thousands of pounds per square inch to flow some grease. To head off that problem and get grease to flow to where it is needed, carve a figure eight inside the bushings before installing, you can't make it very deep because the bushings are thin. Here are some examples of what I am talking about.

Having never seen a wet bolt kit, I didn't realize that the bushings =weren't= grooved. I know all the bronze bushings I dealt with on our farm over 40 years were grooved. Does anyone make a kit with pre-grooved bushings?

Lyle

[Lynnmor]

If you use a small bottle jack and place it right at the end of the spring within the hanger, and then jack till it takes grease. You may have to jack till that tire comes off the ground.

What is happening is that the bolt and bushing wears to a perfect mating and the small grease hole would take thousands of pounds per square inch to flow some grease. To head off that problem and get grease to flow to where it is needed, carve a figure eight inside the bushings before installing, you can't make it very deep because the bushings are thin. Here are some examples of what I am talking about.

[cummins2014]

Hammerboy wrote:
When I installed mine I tested each one for taking grease before installing them. Even then with them installed in the horizontal or correct position some still wouldn't take grease. As others hear mentioned take the wieght off and it should work.

Dan

The weight should be you would think on the top or bottom, same here tested before, and will still not take grease regardless of what I do. Don't have much solution for that other then removing ,and greasing them ,and reinstalling , not a fun job.

[cummins2014]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
When greasing wet bolts the weight should be removed.

If only that worked all the time, no guarantees . The just flat too tight in there ,no matter the position they won't take grease. I know ,been there, yet they will out of the springs .

[cummins2014]

pcm1959 wrote:
Cummins2014, that's great to hear everything was in such good shape. What kind of fiver and mileage?

2008 Montana 3400RL , have had it since new . It was like three years old, when I changed out the nylon bushings to the MorRyde wet bolt kit . . At the time hearing the horror stories about these nylon bushings, and as I was doing it I kept seeing these nylon bushing coming out looking like new, and thought why am I bothering doing this ,but I had the kit, so I went ahead with it.

I only had a few thousand miles on it at that point. Now I never kept track with my previous truck this new one keeps track of the towing miles, averaging the years and mileage, and going off of that I am right around 50K on the fifth wheel after nearly 12 years , average just a little over 4K per year, not a lot.

This coming year ,its Alaska for the summer , thats probably going to be around 10K when finished. Bearings are packed this spring, and it only been 600 miles since, and no plans this winter for Arizona staying home . Had enough traveling this year . So tires are three years old, bearings packed , new shear springs on the suspension, good to go. Actually the fifth wheel for its age is in pretty good shape. Had to replace a few graphics, and hydraulic hoses.

[cummins2014]

dryfly wrote:

cummins2014 wrote:

pcm1959 wrote:
The wet bolts are supposed to be installed only at a certain angle to help in the addition of grease. They do not rotate in place as they are grooved to prevent them from doing so (at least in the case of the MorRyde wet bolts).
As others have said, simply take a little pressure off each wheel until the grease goes in. You will find the sweet spot and the grease will go in easily.

I have a couple that I have never found the sweet spot, removed, and repositioned at either 3 or 9 o'clock . They take grease fine when they are out, so I know they work okay, but just cannot get the grease in them with the weight on them or not.

I pulled them out again this spring when I repacked the wheel bearings, and replaced the MorRyde shear springs, repositioned them , and they still will not take grease. Next time around I will replace them.

I am not too worried they have been in there now for about 9 years ,initially greased when installed, there is very little grease around them anyway when they go in. They looked great ,even the two that I have not been able to grease . No wear that I could see. Thats 9 years with just the initial grease when installed 9 years ago. The bronze bushings were still good, and the wet bolts have no slop in them.

What process did you use to remove them? I believe the are splined so I assume you drove them out. Did you use a hammer and punch, or did you use some type of a puller?

No puller , I usually loosen the nut leave it on a few threads as not to mess up the threads, then tap the nut, not hard they usually come out with not having to beat the **** out of them just to get them started ,then I remove the nut and finish them off with a flat end punch . Or if they are reluctant then I just use the flat end punch , and keep it in the center. So far I have not messed up any bolts or nuts

Can't say that about the bronze bushings did mess up a couple of them when the threads of the wet bolt came down on the bushing coming out ,and chipped a piece out of them. Too much tension on things. Now the real problem was getting those two bushings out of there, finally had to gently grind thru them to get them out, they just did not want to be driven out of there. I used a 3/8 carbide burr, and it made short order on them . Probably could have left them in there, they were not chipped too bad on the edge .

[Hammerboy]

When I installed mine I tested each one for taking grease before installing them. Even then with them installed in the horizontal or correct position some still wouldn't take grease. As others hear mentioned take the wieght off and it should work.

Dan

[Cummins12V98]

When greasing wet bolts the weight should be removed.

[pcm1959]

Cummins2014, that's great to hear everything was in such good shape. What kind of fiver and mileage?