drill bits

Harry J. Case · Mar 14, 2010

Hello
Just read an article in the April edition of Popular magazine entitled Sealed for life. Has to do with the manufactures excluding a 10 cent grease zerk on the ball joints and steering tie-rod ends of their vehicles. Very simple, just drill a 3/16 hole in the sheet metal cap of the joint,thread it, screw in a zerk,a couple pumps of grease and you are all set for the next six months. I armed my drill with one of my Craftsman Professional Zirconium Nitride coated lasts eight times longer than normal bits and could not even make a dent in the cap! Any suggestions ?
Thanks, Harry

Don-Wi · Mar 14, 2010

Bad point from the factory? I've actually seen some drills ground backwards, and these were brand new out of the package. Being that we have a good drill sharpener at work we just sharpened them right and kept going, instead of wasting time complaining.

Could be just a hard cap or something too. Or the bit just went dull.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Leyland-270 · Mar 14, 2010

Take the drill out of reverse? Try a file on the cap, it should cut. If not the cap is hardened. I have yet to see a hardened cap in my life. Is your bit still sharp? Maybe it is on life 9 of 8. I never cared much for the fancy over priced bits, as long as my eyes are good enough to sharpen a good quality HSS or colbalt bit I will.

whizkidkyus · Mar 14, 2010

I could be wrong, but it could also be that the magazine is wrong in it's advice, too. I've got a few editions of older Popular Science and Popular Mechanics magazines ( if that's what you meant by a Popular magazine , or did you mean some other popular magazine in general ? ) laying around. I admit that I could be wrong and they could be right , and I'm not doubting that you read the article , but don't believe everything that you read and only half of what you've been told and see . At least, that's what I've always been told. But still , the other guys could be right about the drill bits and the metal being hardened.

Whizkid

Harry J. Case · Mar 14, 2010

Sorry I didn't make myself clear, the whole point of my post was that the cap is hardened and is there a bit that will drill through it, by the way, the offending tie rod end is on an Oliver 550.
Thanks again, Harry

Stuart · Mar 14, 2010

That is because the caps are drilled, tapped and then they are hardened. You could heat it and cool it a few times but that will most likely ruin the tie rod end.

Gene Dotson · Mar 15, 2010

Harry;
To answer your question, use a carbide point masonry drill bit. Much harder and heat resistance than steel drill... Gene

Anonymous-0 · Mar 15, 2010

(quoted from post at 20:24:44 03/14/10) Hello
Just read an article in the April edition of Popular magazine entitled Sealed for life. Has to do with the manufactures excluding a 10 cent grease zerk on the ball joints and steering tie-rod ends of their vehicles. Very simple, just drill a 3/16 hole in the sheet metal cap of the joint,thread it, screw in a zerk,a couple pumps of grease and you are all set for the next six months. I armed my drill with one of my Craftsman Professional Zirconium Nitride coated lasts eight times longer than normal bits and could not even make a dent in the cap! Any suggestions ?
Thanks, Harry

What if you just used a needle adapter (or a big syringe) and pumped the grease into the boot? Would avoid getting metal filings in from drilling/tapping also? Just a thought..

Dave

TimV · Mar 15, 2010

Harry: as Gene mentioned, a carbide-tipped masonry drill will often work in a pinch. As a general rule, most drill coatings are just a way of charging $5.00 for a bit with $1.00 of steel and $0.01 of coating on it, particularly in homeowner-grade bits like Craftsman (regardless of the "professional" label on them). You'd be much better served with a good-grade uncoated drill bit. If necessary, you may have to go with an all-carbide bit, though those are not typically used in a hand drill--if you can get the piece off and clamp it in a drill press, you'll have much better luck, as you'll be able to apply more and more consistent pressure to it. Carbide is brittle and will snap before it flexes, which is hard to avoid if you're using a hand drill, particularly when drilling into a rounded surface.

Truth be told, particularly in a low-speed application like a tractor, I'd leave good enough alone and just replace the part if and when it ever needed it.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 15, 2010

Carbide bits are the best answer but they are a little fragile and costly. I've got a couple small ones and use them sparingly on real hard stuff. Have used them drill hardened shafts and to drill out broken taps/drill bits. A step down and it usually works is a cobalt bit. They are also a bit fragile.

Don-Wi · Mar 15, 2010

Even if you would be abe to drill it with a carbide drill, there's no way you'd be able to tap it very well. Good chance of breaking a tap, which would then require replacement.

On a tractor, I'd just leave it alone. If they do ever need replacement, I haven't seen a new one yet without a grease zirk.

Donovan from Wisconsin

H.J.C. · Mar 15, 2010

thanks guys for your ideas, lots of food for thought here, I'll let you know the end result. Harry

drill bits

Harry J. Case

Member

Don-Wi

Well-known Member

Leyland-270

Member

whizkidkyus

Member

Harry J. Case

Member

Stuart

Well-known Member

Gene Dotson

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

TimV

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Don-Wi

Well-known Member

H.J.C.

New User

Similar threads