Rod end bearing lubrication

[Nev]

Do rod ends require lubrication and if so what are people using ?

[rkennell]

Nev I am pretty sure rod end bearings are sealed and do not need to be lubricated. If the seal is gone then the rod end should probably be replace.

[Nev]

Thanks, my understanding too for most of them. I've got a couple of smaller ones installed on the trim tab push rods that are making some noise.

[Bcone1381]

If a little lube and attention was given to them and you look real hard at them you might see a smile.

[Battson]

Nev I am pretty sure rod end bearings are sealed and do not need to be lubricated. If the seal is gone then the rod end should probably be replace.

This was my initial assumption also, but... as assumptions often do.... it turned out I was wrong.

In fact, rod end bearings do last a LOT longer with periodic lubrication. If you choose not to lube them, the "ball" end inside the bearing housing will eventually corrode and start to damage the housing or could even bind up. There are number of these bearings installed on the plane, and considering some of them may be rivetted into place (e.g. the wing control surfaces for some earlier models), or some of them might be hard to replace for other reasons, preventive maintenance is probably a superior approach to run to failure / replacement.

I am using a very light weight grease, worked into the bearing surface by capillary action, through working the part back and forward.