# Does Lubricating Balljoints Make Sense?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 24, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815 "2010-11-24T21:21:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/1 "2010-11-24T21:21:41Z")
All of my recent cars have had sealed, “lubed for life” ball joints. However, my present car (Saturn) has links that connect the front anti swaybar to the control arms-this is just a simple rod, with ball joints on each end. In my experience, these joints wear out at about 65-70,000 miles (the joints become loose).
I decided to replce them last week, and ordered replacements-these were not GM manufacture-they were made by Federal Mogul (Moog), and came with grease fittings.
Will lubing these joints prolong their life? As I said, the OEM links never came with grease fittings.
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### Author:  [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/2 "2010-11-24T21:24:52Z")
Most definitely.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/3 "2010-11-24T22:06:24Z")
Ever since I had my first car as a teenager I learned that lubrication saves wear.
I have lubricated joints religiously for 50 years and never one time had to replace any joint that had a fitting. And I keep my vehicles to around 200K.
Why do you suspect they included that fitting on the replacement part?
“Lubed for life” only means for the life of the warranty and then you can count on replacing it at your own expense.
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### Author:  [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/4 "2010-11-24T22:11:50Z")
Mechanics have told me the advantage with sealed ball joint is they stay clear of foreign matter longer and do not suffer from neglect as much. Metal on metal needs a lubricant and grease degrades over time. If there are nipples, grease em.
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### Author:  [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/5 "2010-11-24T22:16:53Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#):
>
> … If there are nipples, grease em.
Always clean your nipples before greasing them.
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### Author:  [@Tassvarg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tassvarg)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/6 "2010-11-24T22:40:30Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> Always clean your nipples before greasing them.
What if they’re not your nipples, but some other significant human’s?
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### Author:  [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/7 "2010-11-25T12:12:46Z")
Better ask 'em if it’s OK before you attach the grease gun.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/8 "2010-11-25T12:45:06Z")
Same thing. Clean is good. Clean & lubricated is even better.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/9 "2010-11-25T18:52:27Z")
> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> [The replacement joints] came with grease fittings.
> Will lubing these joints prolong their life? As I said, the OEM links never came with grease fittings.
If they come with grease fittings, they’re meant to be lubricated periodically. If they don’t come with grease fittings, they’re differently designed and of course can’t be lubricated. But the main point is, these are different designs with different maintenance strategies.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/10 "2010-11-25T20:22:28Z")
The ball joints on my Ford Econline Van failed after only 42,000. Mechanic said they had rusted out. A very nasty shock since I was already buying new tires & shocks.
> [@Al\_Bundy](#):
>
> Ever since I had my first car as a teenager I learned that lubrication saves wear.
> I have lubricated joints religiously for 50 years and never one time had to replace any joint that had a fitting. And I keep my vehicles to around 200K.
>
> Why do you suspect they included that fitting on the replacement part?
>
> “Lubed for life” only means for the life of the warranty and then you can count on replacing it at your own expense.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/11 "2010-11-26T05:07:41Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> If they come with grease fittings, they’re meant to be lubricated periodically. If they don’t come with grease fittings, they’re differently designed and of course can’t be lubricated. But the main point is, these are different designs with different maintenance strategies.
I’ve lubed “sealed for life” ball joints before by tapping and adding a fitting. There is no magical lube that will outlive regular maintenance. IMO there should be consumer laws that mandate the fittings.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/12 "2010-11-26T13:05:53Z")
Consumer laws that mandate that I buy a car (more expensive now) that I intend to drive for 50k miles, so that said car is able to have ball joints that can last past 75k miles.
???
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### Author:  [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/13 "2010-11-26T19:30:57Z")
I’ve never noticed any particular difference between the lifespan of sealed joints vs. greasable ones. I’ve run plenty of cars up to 200,000 miles+ with the original sealed joints. Heck, I’ve put 200,000 miles on an old double-wishbone Accord which has _six_ sealed balljoints and I never had a problem with any of them. I wonder if part of it is that when a greasable one goes out, you almost invariably blame lack of lubrication so it’s not the part’s fault, whereas you don’t have that explanation for a sealed joint.
I will mention to the OP that that Moog part is probably vastly superior to the OE one (I’ve pretty thoroughly abused the mostly Moog parts on my independent-front suspension 4x4). Maybe the logic is that the grease will outlive the part on the sealed joint, but the Moog part will last indefinitely and so will need the grease renewed.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/14 "2010-11-26T20:00:23Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#):
>
> I’ve never noticed any particular difference between the lifespan of sealed joints vs. greasable ones. I’ve run plenty of cars up to 200,000 miles+ with the original sealed joints. Heck, I’ve put 200,000 miles on an old double-wishbone Accord which has _six_ sealed balljoints and I never had a problem with any of them. I wonder if part of it is that when a greasable one goes out, you almost invariably blame lack of lubrication so it’s not the part’s fault, whereas you don’t have that explanation for a sealed joint.
>
> I will mention to the OP that that Moog part is probably vastly superior to the OE one (I’ve pretty thoroughly abused the mostly Moog parts on my independent-front suspension 4x4). Maybe the logic is that the grease will outlive the part on the sealed joint, but the Moog part will last indefinitely and so will need the grease renewed.
I’ve replaced Accord ball joints at 125,000 miles. I would have preferred to have spent the time greasing them every time the brakes were serviced.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/15 "2010-11-26T20:01:39Z")
> [@Philster](#):
>
> Consumer laws that mandate that I buy a car (more expensive now) that I intend to drive for 50k miles, so that said car is able to have ball joints that can last past 75k miles.
>
> ???
A $1 worth of grease fittings from the factory would save consumers billions in unnecessary repairs.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/16 "2010-11-26T23:54:59Z")
Good grief, go open a great debate if you want to mandate that into a freakin’ law.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/17 "2010-11-27T00:56:58Z")
> [@Philster](#):
>
> Good grief, go open a great debate if you want to mandate that into a freakin’ law.
You’re the one who challenged a side angle of my main point. Get a mirror and lecture yourself. The op is asking if lubricating ball joints makes sense. It does but it’s kinda hard to do it without fittings.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/18 "2010-11-27T17:03:26Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> IMO there should be consumer laws that mandate the fittings.
Really? A consumer law mandating the fitting? This is off topic. It stirs the debate pot.
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### Author:  [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-lubricating-balljoints-make-sense/561815/19 "2010-11-27T18:00:14Z")
I really wonder how much grease stays between the mating surfaces in a ball joint. Most likely, the (slow-flowing) grease gets rubbed off the surfaces, within a few weeks of use. The thing I don’t understand: UIS automakers used to use “hershey” links to connect the antisway bars-these were a $5.00 part. They didn’t permit full movement, but replacing a $5.00 unit with a $40.00 unit?
makes sense if you are selling parts.