alextz

What are you guys using for lubing your polyurethane bushings in your control arms??

Post what you are using, how long have you used it...
thanks!
alex

sperkins

I hope you get some experienced answers in this thread. I plan on pulling my arms and re-lubing once a year. I don't know what the Pfadt lube is made of, but it has to be the stickiest substance on the face of the earth. I can't explain how much I hate the stuff. It migrates to everything when doing a bushing job. I just finished an install on another car and it's all over my tools. I even found a blob of it in my pocket.

Even with all of that said, the bushing install was one of the best mods I've done to the car yet.

John Shiels

get some dielectric from NAPA

TLGunman

Kluber must make something.

http://www.klueber.com/

TedDBere

Polyurethane bushings??? You leaving SS?

travisnd

FYI Goo-Gone cuts through it like it's nothing.... get a bottle of that and you can clean your tools up easily.

froggy47

Aardwolf

I've been using the Redline synthetic grease that's in my grease gun. It doesn't last as long so I lube often, NBD with zerks.

0RAAMaudio

I have the Pfadt bushings, love the improvements but not the squeaks so about to take things apart and add zerts.

I figured out a way so it is not so much work, leave the bushings in, drill all the way through the aluminum and bushing. I do have to pull the aluminum shafts out first of course, then use a dremel to cut a grove around the middle of the bushing so the lube can go where it needs to!

I am using long zerts, though I know the pressed fit bushings should never turn in the control arms, these will pin the bushings in place to ensure the lube can go through the hole and around the center shaft.

I am using Marine grease used for prop shafts, etc... for the first session, will see how it does, thinner so it should flow better to where needed, water proof, etc.....

Rick

alextz

Anybody here use "superlube"

0RAAMaudio

NOTE: I absolutely love the improvement from having poly bushings. With a great alignment, the DRM steering rack bushing, sways and coilovers(stock, at least Z51 springs and good shocks would be great for most owners) the car is totally transformed, feedback, control, ride, grip, all are far better than a stock setup, light years better in my book and I have been doing stuff like this to cars since the early 70's.

Most highly recommend a camper kit as well.

But, sticky, squeaky bushings suck in more ways than one, noise is bad enough, your car will not ride or handle correctly if the suspension is binding, etc......not acceptable in any way!

------------

I installed all the zerts last weekend, 18 as I put some in for the rear lower shock mounts as well.

Before I started I marked all the alignment settings, pretty easy to put things back and not need realigned when you have a camber kit(most highly recommended!)

This was a lot of work, toughest part was getting all the sleeves out of the bushings, the lube they came with is so sticky I had to press them all out. I left the control arms on the car and used some Vise Grip wide jaws to do it, I tried other tools, not much luck. After I did it I thought of using an air chisel with a tip to drive them out but not damage them, I bet that would of saved a bunch of hard labor!

Cleaning the old grease off was pretty hard to do as well, I ended up using acetone to I could just get it done, I really try to not use such harsh solvents any longer, been exposed to to much stuff in my life already.

I cleaned out the bushings, drilled the holes for the zerts, used a diamond coated dremel cut off wheel and measured the depth then cut groves into the bushings so the grease can flow completely around the sleeves.

I installed the zerts, pre coated the sleaves with the marine grease, pressed them in with the same Vice Grips which was easy to do then shot a couple of clicks of grease from the air powered grease gun into them.

When I unbolted the front upper control arms I had to put a screwdriver into the bolt hole and could barely turn the sleeve in the bushings and they squeaked like mad. After I had it all cleaned out and the marine lube in I could turn them with my thumb and one finger, easily!

When I put everything back together and torqued it all down I injected more grease until I could see it coming out the ends of the bushings.

While I had the lower front control arms disconnected I swapped to Hinson Engine mounts, I love the Pfadts but a bit to harsh for me, if this was a track junkie car I would of kept them, I hope the Hinsons are a little less noisy(vibrations, etc...) As in marking the alignment, I did so on the subframe as well so I could get it right back into place and save my 8 hours alignment job Of course I will setup my gauges and check it but if out it will be a tiny amount and easy to correct.

Now I have to wait for the weather to clear up, salt to blow off the roads, etc, so I can check it out, I know it will be far better than before

Cost, around $25 for the grease and zerts, I had all the tools, tap, etc...$50 for the air grease gun(just had to add it to my air tool collection, any grease gun will do

Time, 10+ hours. I worked very methodically, cleaned things exceptionally well, drilled in the holes carefully to be straight and centered exactly where needed, not a rush job but I am pretty good at such things. The engine mounts took about an hour since already on the lift and easier with the lower control arms unbolted.

Installing bushings is a big job, when I did it I wanted to put in zerts, was advised I did not need to, it would of been 2 hours of easy work and a small part of the whole job. Having to go back and do rework was not fun, especially when I have many many other things I could be doing, moving forward instead of back pedaling.

Bottom line, if you are putting in poly bushings, PUT IN ZERTS at the same time

Since the car is still on the lift I am going to go ahead and add zerts to the sway bar mounts and double check them for tightness. I already added spacers to make them move more freely, there should be zero resistance if possible or very very little in sway bar mounts. Mine have that sticky grease and still tighter than they should be though shimmed out.

I can grease all the fittings in 5 minutes when I change oil, etc.....that will sure be sweet!

I have a set of bushing for my other chassis, already pressed out the old bushings some time ago, you bet my **** I am putting in zerts when I install them as I learned my lesson the hard way.

I hope this helps others here as I know many of you have jobs, families, etc and cannot afford to waste time doing rework like I just did.

Rick

0RAAMaudio

I have hundreds of bottles, cans, tubes, etc of lubes, cleaners, solvents, paints, etc...and just did not happen to have any glue gone like stuff around, usually I do. I will grab some to clean up the tools, etc......thanks for the tip I thought I had some before I started, oops!

Rick

sperkins

How long have the bushings been in the car Rick?

0RAAMaudio

I do not recall exactly, maybe 6 months or less, 1k miles at the most.

I like them enough to put as set in the other chassis, already have them here, just going to do the Zert thing at the same time!

Rick

sperkins

I think I'll pick up another set of arms and install polys.
Then I can swap them out quickly without having down time on the car.