Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing How often to grease upper nipples?

Hello

I just started the greasing adventure on my Plus 4 (2019). I grease the lower nipples every 1000 miles.

Question 1: How often should I grease the upper nipples?
Question 2: How do I know if there went enough grease into the upper nipples? Will fresh grease spread out somewhere as indicator?

Thanks for suggestions.
Regards from Switzerland. Werner.

Hello,

why you make a difference between upper and lower nipples?

Both should be greesed about every 1000 Miles. In addition it would be a good idea to have a gaitor
around the springs.

The lower nipples need grease until you see it coming out, but keep attention, overgreasing means to grease
the brakediscs! If you keep attention you hear it with a light "pft".

For the upper nipples: only 4-5 times press some grease in, there is the risk if it's overdone it blocks the sliding.

Sound difficult, be sure, you get the experience!
Drive more with the MOG, so you need more grease, you get the experience!

Greets René


Hallo Werner,

warum unterscheidest Du zwischen oberen und unteren Nippeln? Obere und untere Schmiernippel sollten alle
1000 Meilen mit Fett versorgt werden.

Die unteren Schmiernippel werden gefettet bis etwas Fett austritt (man hört es auch, dann schauen). Dabei
aber nicht zuviel, denn es besteht die Gefaht das Fett auf die Bremsscheibe gelangt. Generell empfiehlt es
sich denn Bereich der unteren Federn mit einem (selbstgemachten) Staubschutz zu versehen.

Die oberen Nippel mit 4-5 Hüben aus der Fettpresse schmieren. Hier kann zuviel Fett die Federung blockieren.

Hört sich kompliziert an, aber keine Bange man kriegt das schnell raus wie es geht.
Mehr Morgan fahren, mehr abschmieren, mehr Erfahrung.

Quelle: Keith von BMH

Anglophile Grüße aus Mainz

René

I found a little more often, say every 750 miles works better since I can often hear the electric steering motor whirring on my Roadster if left longer.

I just use around six pumps of normal size grease gun on each of four nipples. I then use old sock to remove any excess grease from below sliding axle. If any accidentally gets on inner surface of disc, remove with brake cleaner.

This should help explain it all
https://www.gomog.com/allmorgan9.html#Dynamics

Makes no difference, there is a lot of hooey about which does what but if you look at the kingpin drilled for the later top nipples the central drilling goes down and across to an annular groove on the kingpin that sits when assembled between the stub axle bushes so it fills the void. The stub axle nipple is drilled to the very same void. I had one owner who didn’t believe this until when doing his kingpin job I dry assembled and greased the top nipple, pulled apart and the void was full, washed out dried and next time greased Just the stub nipple and again grease in same place. He didn’t question it after that, and he is on here but won’t embarrass him ;-).

BR
Colin

A good question. I have the remote greasing kit fitted. The thing about this is that you can't see when the old grease is pump out. So I'm thinking about not fitting it to my new inner wings and in future just jack the car up to do the nipples. What do others think?

That's what I've always done!

Totally and absolutely agree. It also means you can have a quick look round whilst under there. The only useful thing I can see with remote greasing is if you are on a long tour abroad but even then it’s no great hassle taking a small grease gun and a plastic sheet to lie on.

If you have a pistol grip gun in like a Wanner You can use it sideways on top of the wheel and reach the upper nipple. Then if you listen carefully you can hear it ‘burp’ as the grease exits around and under the steering bearing.

Of course nothing is a good as getting under the car with a couple of 1/2” (13mm) spanner’s and doing a quick spanner check of the lower crosshead/kingpin fixings and tie rod.

BR
Colin (first method is a clean and easy way to give the front a couple of shots of grease when touring)

When I fitted my hardchrome kingpins I removed the remote oiler and rather than fit top grease nipples I just fitted a bolt to plug the hole in the top kingpin bolt. I only ever grease from the bottom nipples about every 1000 miles. Everything's been fine for >50k miles now, so I'm happy. I'll probably re-do the kingpins and bushes some time in the next few years, then it'll be enough to see me out.

In my opinion nothing in the front suspension comes anywhere near the importance of fitting hardchrome pins when it comes to longevity and ease of maintenance.