Trim tab pushrod ball ends

[fly_n_low]

Keep those little rod ends lubed. Came back from flying yesterday and kept hearing a moan in my elevator when it moved. Found one of those ball ends on one trim tab pushrod seized up. Took some work to get it cleaned up and moving smoothly. The pushrod would have ultimately failed.

Regards,

Ted

[Mark Goldberg]

Something about the beating or vibration those rod end take back there. I get a squeek in one of mine when I don't lubricate it. Mark

[Battson]

I also get a squeak from there. I need to re-lubricate them.

Any suggestions on the best way to get grease into the ball joint? What sort of grease are you using, Grease 5 or a similar higher viscosity formulation?

My theory is all the water that gets flicked up from the mains helps to wash away the grease and promote rust.

[Zzz]

I also get a squeak from there. I need to re-lubricate them.

Any suggestions on the best way to get grease into the ball joint? What sort of grease are you using, Grease 5 or a similar higher viscosity formulation?

My theory is all the water that gets flicked up from the mains helps to wash away the grease and promote rust.

I wonder if a little sealed boot around the ball end would prevent that?

The Aurora ball ends I just got from Spruce are REALLY stuff, almost to the point where I'm wondering if it's a defect, but they're both like that. I tried to force a little grease into them with little success. My other .250 ball ends of the same model are free moving and smooth, but these .191 are hard.

[bestbearhawk1231]

Try wicking some mouse milk or light oil into them to see if they loosen up. Several friends use mouse milk in their ball ends at annual time and as needed since they have found that grease collects dirt and can be a pain to regrease.

[Battson]

I noticed a little boot on a larger twin's trim system, and thought the same. Just a fabric tube with 2x cable ties would do the trick.