... and no mentions of plenty of water and a dash of miracle-gro ;-)
Car is an 89 Escort, has been squeeking from the back for a while now and has just started creaking from the from suspension/turning right. I\'m thinking it\'s just dry bushes as the car has just passed it\'s MoT.
My question is: what do I use on them?
My list so far includes: Silicon grease, Lithium Grease, WD-40, 3-in-1, Engine Oil, etc. I just don\'t know which one would be best?
Mike Farrow
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I've sometimes found a squirt of Waxoyl works wonders, if it really is only dry bushes. I don't think it can do any harm, considering it is intended for blasting all over the place underneath.
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Good old washing-up liquid. Works a treat.
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Rubber lubricant (used for fan belts, window rubbers, etc.)
Available in aerosol form from Halfords.
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DO NOT use washing up liquid - it contains salts that will rot the rubber compound.
Rubber and nylon lubricant in an aerosol - can be had from Halfords amongst others. If you've already got some, silicon spray grease would do but will not have the penetration of r+n lube.
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Washing up liquid is fine, I used it for ages on an old Golf with squeaky bushes. I tried all sorts of 'official' products but none lasted very long. A mechanic told me to use washing up liquid and it lasted for ages. Initially I was suspicious but it worked a treat. It may contain salt but on an old car who cares?
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I did forget to add to my comment that my old Golf was near the end of its life so I wasn't bothered if the salt affected the rubber. Rust killed the car at the next MOT. I can see that you might not want to use it on an otherwise good car though.
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DONT use WD40. The oil for every job - the oil that destroys grease too!
Get some proper copper grease or water resistant grease. WD40 lasts about 2 minutes, drys up then thats it. Use it on squeeky doors and locks but not bushes.
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Do NOT use it on squeaky doors or locks - it dries up, then that's it!
Use it on stiff/stuck doors and locks to free them. Once free, add some proper grease to keep them free. Otherwise - particularly with locks - it frees it, and also frees the gunk & muck that is in there, aggregates it all together & then causes it to bung up even more firmly once the WD40 has evaporated. Use grease. A can of Lithium spray grease does for most purposes.
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I agree. I use Lithium spray for just about everything which squeaks: door locks, front gate padlocks and hinges, rubber bushes, bike stuff. Effects last for ages and no apparent deleterious effects, e.g. on non-metallic compounds.
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MapMaker is quite right.
lithium spray grease will be fine provided it has good 'body' once the solvents have evaporated, or you apply more frequently (I would recomment every six months or every time you wash your car if you use a high pressure spray).
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=84...3
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Hi
Thanks for all the replies. I think I'll try some ruber/nylon lubricant as I bought some for seat belts.
Regarding the lithium grease: are the bushes greased in car manufacture, which is subsiquently washed away, or is it just the age of the rubber that makes it squeek/creak?
Cheers
Mike Farrow
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Bushes are assembled dry during oem manufacture.
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If you can find a product called EasyGrease (supplied in aerosol form) you'll find it works a treat. I pay £1.50 for an aerosol at a local electronics/gadgets/electrical discount store.
It's a "dry" grease that's very effective and is also waterproof.
I use it on my car's door locks, hinges, linkages etc as it's far superior to WD40 or similar products, lasts for ages and doesn't mark clothes or belongings if accidently caught.
It's also great for double-glazed doors and windows' hinges and lock mechanisms - in fact its use is virtually limitless.
Another variation is Slick50, also in aerosol "dry" lubricant form, but this tends to be rather more messy even if it doesn't mark clothes etc.
Re WaxOyl - if this is the underbody protection product I'm thinking of, it proves a superb ingnition leads and coil sealer to keep out moisture and damp. Spray on to clean leads and coil when warm after a run.
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Re WaxOyl - if this is the underbody protection product I'm thinking of, it proves a superb ignition leads and coil sealer to keep out moisture and damp. Spray on to clean leads and coil when warm after a run.
I'm not so sure about the wisdom of using on electrics. Yes, it's fine in itself, but it stays sticky so will gradually attract dust and dirt, which may in the end cause high tension tracking and leakage. Something that dries might be better.
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Your point is a sensible one and understandable.
However, I used to do this on several cars I owned over the years, along with those of delighted neighbours puzzled as to why my car always started no matter how bad the weather conditions.
I had acquired a 5l can of WaxOyl for doing the underside of one particular car and can't remember exactly why I started to use it on the ignition system - but it did work and work well.
Part of the reason is that the heat of the engine wuickly dried out the normal sticky surface without reducing its ability to flex - hence there was no problem with dust, dirt etc.
The only problem, as I said, is getting it off afterwards but a new set of ignition leads isn't all that expensive.
An alternative is the plastic type ignition system leads/coil spray, which I switched to using after it appeared on the market. This is equally as effective and much easier to apply..:-)
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PS
Both methods are really for use on older cars - modern car electrics are far superior and less prone to requiring such treatment.
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>>I had acquired a 5l can of WaxOyl for doing the underside of one particular car and can't remember exactly why I started to use it on the ignition system - but it did work and work well.
Because it recommends it on the can???!
Given how hard one should try to keep grease of HT leads to avoid tracking, I've always thought that Waxoyl might have unwanted consequences. I know this has been debated in the BR before, and the conclusion was uncertain!
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I am talking about at least 10 years ago.....the can has long since hit the local rubbish tip.
But it worked - and worked well as I said.
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I'd better tidy this one up...
Rubber lubricant is great for seatbelts but didn't seem to work on the bushes (maybe I missed one!). Having sprayed the underside with Waxoyl last September though, I didn't notice any creak at all this summer.
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Mike Farrow
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