Cracked off grease nipple threads in ball joint

[Cottontail]

Ok, so maybe in an ill advised move, I tried to reuse an old grease fitting in my new lower ball joint. As I was tightening it, the top snapped off and the threads stayed in the joint.

What are my solutions for removing those old threads? I thought about trying to drill it out, but I can't get a drill in there. It is certainly my preference to not have to remove the new joints if possible.

Thoughts???

 

[Cottontail]

Well, that was a short lived experiment. I remembered I had some extractors so I went about using them. I was hammering in the extractor so it would be set, and that damn thing snapped off also. So, I figured that with the threads from the zerk fitting in there, and then the tip of the extractor snapped off inside that, it is probably plugged pretty tight, so I dropped the rubber fitting, filled it with grease, slipped it back in place and then put the knuckle back on.

If anyone has a better idea, I'd still love to hear it, although it is doubtful I'd follow through at this point... :dunno:

 

[dan1977p]

I was going to say easy out it. Next step is to drill it out entirely, tap it with next biggest size nipple and use that instead. Or just wait till the next time you need to grease it up and buy a new ball joint.

 

[old_man]

If you can get the easy out removed, get a left handed drill bit and start to drill it out. Normally, as some point during the drilling, it will spin out.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

leave it there and cover it. next time you grease them use a needle fitting or shove another zerc fitting on the grease gun and hold it firmly as you pump.