Installing Grease Points - Skyline R32 Upper Front Control Arms

[Les00x]

- Les Lothringer's Approach to Installing Grease Points in Skyline R32 Upper Front Control Arms with Nolathane Bushes. May be applicable to other Skyline models.

- Cost: Incidental, if you have the correct tools - described below.

- Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours one person each Front Upper Control Arm.

- Difficulty Level: Easy for experienced fitters & turners / machinists. For amateur motor repairers, carefully following the procedure can lead to an excellent result. I do not describe how to remove Nissan factory installed Bushes or remove / install the Front Upper Control Arms.

- Procedure described by some Nolathane Bush suppliers is inadequate and cannot lead to a satisfactory installation without additional knowledge, skills and equipment - described below.

- Disclaimer: This describes my approach. If you choose to follow it and make a mistake following this approach, remember - at all times, it's your fault. If you choose to follow it and get a different outcome, that's because you need to know more than what is described here. No responsibility for errors or omissions. Every car can be different. As machine tools are used, you need to understand safe tool usage. As rotating cutting tools are very sharp, personal injury can occur. End Mill Piece is more aggressive than a standard drill bit and is not self-centering. Unlike a drill bit, it is not self-centering. Alternatively, if you lack capability, have a qualified technician do it .

- Parts: 4 x Grease Nipples UNF 1/4 inch 28 tpi straight [not self tapping], both 45 degree angle and straight, thread Major Diameter D = 6.2 - 6.25 mm non-tapered. Washers. Note: Grease Nipple Thread D can vary across brands. Check in store before buying [use Vernier]. A smaller D means a worse fit or none at all or failure / leakage in service.

- Special Tools: End Milling Piece, say, End Mill 8mm 4 flutes, Drill Bit 13/64", Countersink Drill Bit, Thread Tap Starter UNF 1/4" 28 tpi straight 4 flutes tapered tip. Note: Intermediate Thread Tap is not needed. [photo #2].

- Other Tools: Quality Bench Vertical Drill [or Milling Machine], Hammer, Centre Punch, Vernier, Milling Vise, Machine Oil, Spanner.

- What Can Go Wrong: Many things. Some Grease Nipple thread D's vary. Under diameter D threads may loosen in service or not hold grease.

Grease Nipples on each Control Arm end must be located to avoid impact with other moving suspension members that pivot off each end of the Control Arms.

Grease Points must be prepared before Nolathane Bushes are installed. Metal shavings must be removed. If you try to tap the thread by hand, it is unlikely to be straight [photo #1]. Incorrectly jacked car can collapse, causing significant injury.

- Engineering Mathematics: For those who really want to know - - - - Reference: Industrial Machinery Handbook.

UNF Major Diameter D = 1/4" 28 tpi. Minor Diameter D1 = 0.2113" and recommends a #3 Drill = 0.2130" but #3 drills may not be available. Toolshops may recommended a 5.5mm drill = 0.2165" or a 7/32" drill = 0.2188" and both lead to a tapped thread that is none too tight. A 5.0mm drill is too small and cannot be tapped easily, even though one bush supplier recommends a 5.0 mm drill. A 13/64" drill being 0.2031" and < D1 also appears too small but does work well and gives a tighter tapped thread result.

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Procedure

1. Remove Upper Control Arms From Car, Remove Nissan Bushes

a. Hoist car, secure properly - not described.

b. Remove front wheels - not described.

c. Remove Upper Control Arms - not described.

d. Remove original Nissan Bushes - not described.

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2. Locate Grease Points - Mill a Shallow Flat Spot

Note 1: Must be located where Grease Nipples not impacted by suspension components. Refer pictures. Points on Control Arms are not flat and should have shallow flat spots machined into which Grease Points are drilled. End Mill tool does this.

Note 2: For Skyline R32's, Control Arm inner end has Grease Point installed underneath, outer end on top [photos #9].

a. Mount Control Arm in Vise and angle so that drilled surface is horizontal under Drill Press [photo #3].

b. Mount End Mill Tool in Drill Press. Set medium / high speed.

c. Position to cut shallow flat spot next the welding seam at each end of Control Arm.

d. Oil tool and work piece. Slowly lower Drill Head to cut very shallow Flat Spot [photo #4].

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3. Drill, Tap a Straight Thread

a. Indent flat spot of Control Arm with Centre Punch and Hammer [photo #4a].

b. Place 13/64" Drill Piece in Vertical Drill. Position work piece [photo #4a].

c. Oil work piece and centre the indent directly under Drill [photo #4a].

d. Set Vertical Drill speed to slow. Wind down Vertical Drill and drill slowly. Observe chip size of swarf - if too large, reduce downward pressure. Keep drill piece oiled. Drilled hole should be very smooth. If rough, reduce downward pressure.

e. Place Countersink drill piece in Vertical Drill. Oil the work piece and centre the hole directly under Countersink [photo #5].

f. Slightly chamfer / bevel edge of hole. This step is important even though some tapping procedures ignore it.

g. Place tapered Thread Tap in Vertical Drill. Position the work piece. Oil the Tap. Disconnect Vertical Drill from electric power [photo #6].

h. With one hand on the Vertical Press Handle and the other hand on the Chuck, simultaneously wind down the Drill Press [light pressure] while turning the Chuck clockwise, driving Thread Tap into bevelled hole. With the correct balance of forces, the Tap will be drawn into the hole [photo #6].

i. With each 1-2 clockwise turns of Thread Cutter, reverse 1/4 - 1/2 a turn to break chips. Repeat until the widest part of the Thread Tap has cut through the work piece. Oil as needed.

j. Reverse out Thread Cutter.

k. Inspect the Thread Cutter for broken cutting edges. Replace if broken [photo #10].

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4. Install Grease Points in Control Arms

a. Clean up and install Grease Nipple [photos #7, #8, #9].

b. Use washers as necessary to have angled Grease Points facing the right direction.

[warps]

Nice work, Les. I like the practice control arm pic - looks like you want to make sure the sucker gets all the grease it possibly can lol

How do you turn the drill chuck when you're cutting the thread? Do you use the chuck key (sounds a bit "hows your father" to me) or do you use the pulleys at the top, or put the belts onto low speed configuration and use the motor pulley to turn it?