So I installed some Moog Sway Bar End links today on my HHR and followed the guide in this post.

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...4&postcount=13

I will get to my story later, but have a few questions. Is it possible to over grease these things? what about the fitting not being tight enough and the grease leaking out. Looking at the photo he said to make sure they are pointing down so its easier to get the gun on them. On the passenger side I was able to tighten it down and have it pointing downward no problems.

While trying to grease the driver side I couldn't reach it as well(I was near the curb on my street) so I rotated the zerk a little to get a better angle(loosening it a little).

So I put the links on and had to head to work(23ish miles) mixed crappy roads, leading to freeway, then to the interstate. All was quiet on the city and bumpy roads. I was thinking of rejoicing and then about halfway down the freeway out of the blue I notice a pop up on the DIC for power steering. The car of course becomes very hard to turn and I notice the noise come back a little(it always seem to originate on the driver side anyway).

Turn the car off at Bojangles to grab some tea and come back out. I look through the wheel spoke and see a large amount of grease around the tubular part and there is some splashed on the fender well too.

Crank the car back up and the power steering is fine, but the noise is still there. Is it possible a bump or the loose fitting caused grease to come out and maybe splashed something onto the sensor briefly?

I have never greased a fitting before, but thought it would be pretty easy, maybe I did it wrong? I greased until I saw the rubber boot bulge a little and then stopped.

I can tighten the fitting but it will be hard to reach, but in hindsight maybe I should have done this anyway and then just re-tightened it once it was greased? Do you think anything is damaged or can I just tighten and re-grease and be good to go(if that really is the issue)?

 

Yeah, you're going to want to re-tighten those after greasing if loosening them is the only way to get at them...... Not sure why the PS light would come on though...... I would clean up the grease, re grease that side (sounds like you lost some there) and then tighten the fitting.

 

So I got the wheel off and got a better look at it. There was grease all over the place and both zerks were loose. The bottom one I was able to get tightened down very well, but the top one as soon as I touched it, it fell out.

So it wasn't tight at all. Not sure how it got so loose as I only gave it about 1/8th turn when I loosened it to grease the first time.

I cleaned everything up and started to re-tighten the top one and no matter how far I turn it, it just spins. I don't know if its stripped or what happened, but it won't stay tight now.

The sound is actually worse now than before. I guess because the grease keeps leaking out and at least the stock ones rubber boot provided enough cushioning, but it actually sounds like metal on metal squeaking now, instead of just the clunk, and I can feel it in the steering wheel, where before I merely heard it.

Maybe I have a defective unit? I didn't over tighten it when I installed it, like I said, it was loose, so I guess I will talk with Rockauto and then maybe Moog.

 

Over greasing it shouldn't have caused any problem. Sounds just like bad timing. I actually did it until grease came out of the rubber fittings. Just because I wasnt paying attention.

 

You should pump grease until it just starts coming out the vent in the rubber and stop/clean up the excess, that way you know it's full.

On the OP's problem, can you see that the threads are damaged on the fitting? If they look good then the problem is with the link...... May be defective, may be you stripped it somehow. If I remember correctly I read that these are self cutting threads, (some one will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure) are you sure it's threading in and that it did thread in fully originally? Might be something you want to do on the bench.....

 

Those MOOG links are self tapping for the grease (zerk) fittings. You have to be careful putting them in.. They only go in a few threads..

See if it's stripped.. If so, you might be able to use LocTite on the Zerk threads ..

If that doesn't work, post up, there are some other solutions...

I agree too much grease should NOT have caused the P/S temporary problem..

 

I did have a hard time getting it on there...it started to go crooked a couple of times, so I had to back it out and redo it. So if it is self tapping(cutting as you refer to it I think) which I do remember hearing somewhere as well, then what does that mean? The zerk is screwed or the threads on the link are screwed?

 

Sounds to be stripped, look at the zerk Threads, they probably are ok, (harder metal) but check first, easier to add a new zerk...

 

Zerk's aren't universal though, I would still need to order that from Moog and/or some place online right?

I remember when I was having trouble screwing it in after I backed it out the bottom threads were smaller and mashed compared to the top part that hadn't been screwed in yet.

And your statement is confusing...you said the zerk threads are probably okay, but that it is easier to add new zerks. If they are okay then why would I need to replace them?

The thread on the actual end link being bad would be worse I thought.

I have just finished 39 hours of working my weekend shift so it might make more sense once I get up this afternoon

 

"but check first"