Nipple Question

Drift1 · January 20, 2014, 20:10:13 PM

Thanks Gb for the info . I'll be working on the rear section of the bike soon and will replace these this year if need be . Last time I greased them I can remember I had to stick a paperclip in one to free it up to take grease again .

greenbarn · January 20, 2014, 19:31:37 PM

Quote from: Drift1 on January 20, 2014, 13:05:18 PM
hey rat what is the size for these ? I'm almost done getting the front buttoned up and going to be moving on to the next section .

D1, those are 'probably' 6 x 1.0, but just guessing. that would be the equivalent to the 1/4" "standard" size.

pcarrell · January 20, 2014, 14:13:05 PM

*****Why does everyone seem so interested in Ratmans nipples all of a sudden? I thought they had their fill with the snow angel pic!*****

Troll · January 20, 2014, 14:02:41 PM

Never saw one with a 90 deg. bend before, only straight. Rat, as in Ratman...swing arm on his 800

CDNRatMan · January 20, 2014, 13:15:34 PM

I never did find a size so I just took the tie rod in with me and Pauline just found the right one for me, one that was metric, the part number is 49001-0001. None of the fiche sites had a size that I found.

Drift1 · January 20, 2014, 13:05:18 PM

hey rat what is the size for these ? I'm almost done getting the front buttoned up and going to be moving on to the next section .

CDNRatMan · January 20, 2014, 12:44:36 PM

everything is good went back to CARQUEST and I have the correct size and thread count, same as what Kaw sells and they were like $1.99 ea so replaced the ruined one and have 2 spares in my spare parts box.

Bucko · January 20, 2014, 12:21:48 PM

Quote from: Troll on January 18, 2014, 09:09:29 AM
This is the kind of fitting I have on my u-joint, inside the swing arm. There is no problem getting to it, as I drilled a 3/8" hole in the swing arm bell and plugged it with a black plastic cap..Using these on Rat's swing arm might pose a problem, though, since the needles used to inject the grease are about 3" long, and do NOT bend around corners..90 deg fittings would be easier to get at, but they hang down too low, and since he already destroyed a short fitting, the long ones would be more prone to disaster!

Hey Troll:

Not sure of the exact application you're referring to as I"m not familiar with 'Rat's swing arm' but they do make those blunt nose grease needles with a 90 degree bend in the end if that would help. I had to pick up one of those bent needles to get at the lower ball joint grease nipples in my Jeep - the U Joint barely clears the button grease fitting but by rotating the U joint, I can just get one of those bent needles between the fingers of the u-joint to reach the fitting.

CDNRatMan · January 18, 2014, 11:46:26 AM

Bucko and Troll first, the nipples and the ground do not leave a lot of room to move around in, you would need a short nipple and a flexible hose to get on it.
49 this was most likely caused by a rock strike or something similar, or going up over a curb, I have never heard the nipple strike anything since I owned the machine, not saying I did not do the damage. and they are in a line and the center one just hangs a tad lower.

GB, wait till I talk to the missus about you......it will be more then the doghouse you will be in.......lol....

Have three new ones on order and will replace them once I have them here.

Thanks for all the concern over my nipples.......

greenbarn · January 18, 2014, 09:23:45 AM

...Or he could just quit dragging his nipples... Just a thought

49Reo · January 18, 2014, 09:13:29 AM

Not being familiar with the 800's, is there any way to drill and tap in a different location where it wouldn't get hit so easily, then put a plug in the existing hole? Just a thought.

Troll · January 18, 2014, 09:09:29 AM

This is the kind of fitting I have on my u-joint, inside the swing arm. There is no problem getting to it, as I drilled a 3/8" hole in the swing arm bell and plugged it with a black plastic cap..Using these on Rat's swing arm might pose a problem, though, since the needles used to inject the grease are about 3" long, and do NOT bend around corners..90 deg fittings would be easier to get at, but they hang down too low, and since he already destroyed a short fitting, the long ones would be more prone to disaster!

Bucko · January 18, 2014, 00:00:09 AM

You can also use a 'button' style grease fitting. You'll need a 'needle' type injector (not the really pointy one). The advantage is they're very low profile.

aralph · January 17, 2014, 17:58:50 PM

with all that cold weather your having up there I would expect your nipples to be hard

49Reo · January 17, 2014, 17:12:01 PM

I was afraid to open this with that title!!

CDNRatMan · January 16, 2014, 20:03:08 PM

If you notice I just asked a simple question and they took it off the rails.

the thread would also be metric Troll

D1 I have been taking pictures and making notes so when I post it it will be easy as pie to do it and follow along....

oh are is a picture of my nipples...there was fresh grease in there but not sure if it was enough and remember last fall it was hard but not impossible to pump the grease in so it might have been hit with a rock while riding during the summer, so for the cost of the three I'll just swap them out.......

now if I owned my own tire place I know I would have some in stock for my Drifter buddies.........

Troll · January 16, 2014, 19:35:32 PM

This thread is getting kinda scary!

Drift1 · January 16, 2014, 19:31:33 PM

I hope your jotting all this nipple thing going on for the mod section so others know how to replace the rear shock and whether to get big , small , pierced , tattooed or what ever else your doing to the rear end of this bike

greenbarn · January 16, 2014, 18:51:05 PM

So, are the small nipples preferable to the large ones? What about the pierced ones? Oh, wrong forum, my bad....

Back to zerks, though... +1 on what Pilgrim and Troll said. Def go to your local NAPA or Tractor Supply store - you can get a pack for a couple bucks. The ones on the Kaw are most likely 6x1.0 metric, I would think. That's the size I used for the neck grease mod I did on my 800.

They make a 90 and 45 deg model too, depending on where it's going, and if there is room (pic in the zerk mod thread:)
http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/zerkfitting.html

Happy greasing to you.

Troll · January 16, 2014, 17:43:07 PM

Some are metric, some are standard thread. I would suspect that the ones you are dealing with are metric.....the standard ones are 1/4-20.

Pilgrim · January 16, 2014, 17:28:45 PM

I think they are all the same just different sizes. You should be able to find them at an auto parts store. Remove one and take it with you to match the size.
...and stop draggin' your nipples.

CDNRatMan · January 16, 2014, 15:21:42 PM

ok now that I have your attention.......I took my swing arm off and removed the tie rod from the swing arm, I cleaned everything and checked everything, everything was moving as it should and things looked really good. I turned the tie rod over were the three grease nipples / zerk fittings are. Well seems the center one has taken a hit or something the little ball was not moving. It had grease in it and it was new grease but I decided to replace all three of them, just because and for the price it would be easy. So called the local Kaw place, they have none in stock. They will order it for me and it could take a week to get them......now my question

are they bike or part specific or is a nipple a nipple?

ok thought I would just ask.........

Nipple Question

pcarrell