“Many car owners wonder, do you need to grease sway bar links as part of regular maintenance?” . The function of the sway bar is to keep the vehicle stable while negotiating a bend or hitting potholes. Sway bars are hollow and long steel bars in the form of an arch. The sway bars are connected to both sides of the vehicle’s chassis. So, they are able to stabilize the vehicle while in motion and also give the entire suspension system room to move around.
The sway bar links connect the outer part of the sway bar to the suspension components. The links make the motion transfer smooth between the control arm and the sway bar. Remember that an entire suspension system is a group of moving parts. Water intrusion, lack of lubrication, age, and rust will collectively make the parts deteriorate with time. And you’ll eventually have to change them.
There’s little you can do about age, rust, and water intrusion, but you can do something about lubrication. You can grease the parts regularly. This will extend their lifespans tremendously. Of course, sway bar links come pre-greased.
Do you need to grease sway bar links since they come pre-greased? The answer is yes. You need to grease the links during their installation. The grease will lubricate the interface between the boot and the mating part. You also need to fill up the dust boot. Also, you have to keep re-greasing it as it runs out of grease.
Table of Contents
Sealed vs. Greaseable Links: Understanding the Difference
To answer the question of whether you need to grease sway bar links, it’s essential to first understand that they come in two main designs: sealed (non-greaseable) and greaseable.
- Sealed (Non-Greaseable) Sway Bar Links: The vast majority of modern vehicles, from the factory, come equipped with sealed sway bar links. These units are designed to be “maintenance-free.” The ball joint ends are filled with a lifetime supply of high-quality synthetic grease and then permanently sealed with a durable rubber boot. This design protects the internal components from contaminants like water, dirt, and road salt, and you cannot add more grease to them. When the internal grease eventually breaks down or the boot tears, the entire link is simply replaced. There is no maintenance to be performed on these sealed units.
- Greaseable Sway Bar Links: These are more common in older vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and aftermarket performance suspension parts. Greaseable links are easily identified by the presence of a small, metal “Zerk” fitting on the end of the ball joint. This fitting is a nipple that allows you to attach a grease gun and inject fresh grease into the joint. These types of links require periodic maintenance to flush out old, contaminated grease and replace it with new lubricant, which helps to extend their lifespan significantly.
Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links?
So, Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links? The Final Answer .Yes, of course. It is necessary to grease the sway bar links to avoid failure. When the links run out of grease, you’ll hear rattling or squeaky sounds when you turn the steering wheel to the left or right and when you hit a pothole. Here are the steps involved in greasing your sway bar links.
Step 1:
You need to get a grease gun. Using a grease gun is the best and easiest way to grease your sway bar links. That’s probably why the sway bars of modern vehicles have grease fittings.
Step 2:
Place your vehicle on a suspension to enable you to have enough room to go under it.
Step 3:
Locate the grease fitting on your sway bar links. The fitting will probably be blocked with dust or debris. So, you have to stick it with a pin.
Step 4:
Place the mouth of the grease gun on the fitting and begin to pump it until you see grease coming out around the grease fitting.
Step 5:
Wipe off the grease, and you’re done.
It is a good practice to grease your sway bar links each time you change the oil in your vehicle’s engine or every other oil change. You may also grease it twice a year. No matter how seldom you use your car, make sure you grease its sway bar links at least once a year.
Some motorists prefer to do the greasing when the links begin to make some noise. This is not a good practice because you’re already straining the links. You can’t extend the lifespan of the links that way. It is better to grease them before they begin to show some signs of being greaseless. So, Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links
Are MOOG Sway Bar Links Pre-greased?
Yes, the greaseable parts of MOOG sway bar links are usually greased from the factory. So, Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links. However, you still need to grease them during installation. You need to fill up the dust boot with grease. In addition, you also have to grease the interface between the mating part and boot. Most importantly, you have to grease the sway bar links regularly.
What Kind of Grease for Sway Bar Links?
When choosing grease for sway bar links, you need to choose grease with a very high melting point that will not melt and drip at a high temperature. You also need to choose grease that is waterproof, so it can prevent or reduce water intrusion and its concomitant rusting effects. Most importantly, choose a grease that is recommended by automotive engineers.
That being said, MOOG engineers recommend a premium heavy-duty synthetic or lithium grease.
How Much Grease to Put in Sway Bar Links?
It is almost impossible to pre-determine the quantity of grease needed for sway bar links. This is probably because you don’t know how much grease is left in the links. You can only keep greasing it until grease begins to pop out around the grease fitting.
Sway bar links are small and won’t take much grease. So, they will get filled up with a few strokes of grease from your grease gun.
How Often to Grease Sway Bar Links?
If you use the vehicle very often, you can grease the sway bar links on every oil change. Also, if you don’t use it too often, maybe you can grease the links every other oil change. This means that you’ll grease the links on every second oil change.
Also, you can decide to grease them every six months. Once a year isn’t bad too, but that’s the least. You must grease the sway bar links at least once every twelve months. So, Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links.
However, some motorists prefer to adopt the “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” method to the greasing of their sway bar links. They wait until the links begin to show the signs of gracelessness before greasing it. So, Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links.
Each time your sway bar links make some lack-of-grease noise, they are already being strained. It means you’re shortening their lifespan. That’s why you don’t need to wait for them to run out of grease completely before you grease them.
Final Words
To wrap up this piece, here are a few takeaways. Even though MOOG sway bar links come pre-greased, you still need to grease them during installation to lubricate the interface between the boot and the mating part. In addition, you also need to fill the dust boot with grease. Also, make sure you grease them at least once a year. Don’t wait until they start showing signs of no-grease before you grease them. “So, in the end, the answer to do you need to grease sway bar links depends entirely on the type of links your vehicle has.”
Question& Answer
Question 1: What are the symptoms of a bad sway bar link?
Answer 1:
The most common symptom is a clunking or knocking sound coming from the front or rear suspension, especially when driving over bumps or making sharp turns. You might also notice poor handling, excessive body roll when cornering, or a general feeling of looseness in the steering.
Answer 1: The most common symptom is a clunking or knocking sound coming from the front or rear suspension, especially when driving over bumps or making sharp turns. You might also notice poor handling, excessive body roll when cornering, or a general feeling of looseness in the steering.
Question 2: What type of grease should I use for greaseable sway bar links?
Answer 2: For greaseable sway bar links with Zerk fittings, you should use a high-quality, water-resistant chassis grease. A good synthetic or lithium-based grease is an excellent choice as it provides durable lubrication and protection against moisture and contaminants.
Question 3: How often should I grease my greaseable sway bar links?
Answer 3: A good rule of thumb is to grease them every time you change your oil, or approximately every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. This ensures that fresh lubricant is constantly protecting the joint from wear and tear.
Question 4: Do You Need to Grease Sway Bar Links?
Answer 4 : Yes “So, in the end, the answer to do you need to grease sway bar links depends entirely on the type of links your vehicle has.”