I just had a rear sway installed on my car with poly bushings. I am not sure if they were lubed at all when it was installed (don't even ask who did the install) I did not want to drop the rear subframe myself. Also the stops weren't screwed onto the bar.

Lets just say I will forgoe any attemps to save money on installs from now on. So my question is, what would be the best grease for some poly bushings? They are "Energy Suspension" bushings if that matters.

I have heard of using white lithium grease, can I just cover them in that? Thanks

 

I use bushing grease made by Energy Suspension specifically for poly bushings. It is called "Formula 5 prelube" and I got it at Jeg's for around $5. I've also heard of people using "dielectric grease" that can be bought at any autoparts store, it is typically sold for use with spark plug boots. It seems similar to the ES greae I bought.

-Keith

 

Dielectric grease is not so good to use in this application. It is too light and not as weather resistant as bushing grease. Bushing grease is far thicker than the unitiated would guess. Bushing grease can be identified by its especially STICKY nature and foul heavy hydrocarbon odor. You can get it a Napa auto parts stores and from vendors that sell bushings. When I apply it, I wear surgical gloves because it is such a pain to clean off.

It is not difficult to look at the bushings. You may just happen to see some grease around the edges. If you do, then they were lubed, you don't have to buy grease now, and you'll have peace of mind about the install.

Know that if you see no grease that it is not hard to grease the sway bar bushings. Take a look at the bushing. There is a remote chance there are grease (zerk) fittings in the bushing. I did not even think to look to buy a sway bar with zerk fittings, but now that this thread has begun, I just might try to install some in my after maket sway bar.

 

Thanks Billie, the sway bar was supposed to come with zerk fittings however once I got it and called the company UUC Motorwerks "the design changed and we haven't updated the website". That would be enough for me to avoid their products in the future.

Luckily I just purchased a new exhaust, so there will be an all out day of MINI maintenance/modification once it comes. So I should stop by the parts store or just order some grease specific for poly bushings?

 

Energy will tell you that their grease is a high end Blue Marine grease. When I had their bushing on my Camaro they squeeked like crazy- Energy's recommendation was to use Blue Marin Grease......

 

Blue as in the color blue? Not the stuff I bought. The Energy Suspension grease that I bought was white and very very tacky/sticky. I've seen some bluish/greenish grease supplied with various different brands of bushings in the tiny little tear-open packets, but this ES grease is white and in a small yellow tub.

-Keith

 

Color, yes and know... not sure what makes the color.... just sharing what ES told me... and it worked. You may have white lithium grease- which is what is used for the window tracks, thick as all get out, sticky and never seems to come off... and I dont remember exactly but I think that was recommended as well. The grease that came with my swaybar bushings was definately blue marine grease.... I think the need to resist moisture/not breakdown in high heat is may be the core factors....I am not an expert, not even close

All said and done, go with what you got from the manufacturer, can't go wrong there.

 

I've been using the "Green" grease from Advanced Auto. Saw it used on Two Guys Garage. The stuff is water proof and very sticky. Has worked great for me.

 

My experience with white lithium grease comes from the Kawasaki sport bikes that I have owned in the past. They appear to think at Kawasaki that around 3 pounds of the grease should be applied to the chain at assembly and it is so sticky that I had to use gasoline to get it off of the rear fairings. I will say that it appears to be very durable.

 

I put zerk fittings in my front and read swaybar bushings, so I'm always looking for a good grease for them that comes in cartridges.

Many of the greases are lithium-complex, NLGI Grade 1. This is too thin, and the lithium complex grease absorbs water and disappears too quickly for me. I was surprised by the ability of the lithium greases to take in water, as I had thought that it was specified particularly for moist conditions.

I have since switched to aluminum-complex, NLGI Grade 2 grease. This is thicker, and does not absorb water (within reasonable limits, of course). This grease is not expensive - I got a cartridge from McMaster-Carr for about $6, I think. So far it has worked amazingly well.

 

HOW?

I have been wanting to do this but wasn't sure what was the best way... do you have a DIY post or how to?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

The "Green" grease is in cartridge form

 

I have the H-Sport Comp. bar that came with zerk fittings but, I did ad zerk fittings to bars I had on another car. Its not real difficult to install zerk fittings. Just drill and tap the sway bar bracket for the zerk fitting. You'll also have to drill a hole in the bushing at the same location of the zerk fitting.I also used a dremil to rout the inside of the bushing from the hole out so the grease can find its way around the inner portion of the bushing. Worked like a champ

 

Thanks, Which zerk fitting did you use?

 

Hell, its been so long ago I don't remember. I do remember they were 90 degree angled ones.

 

I did it exactly the way apexer did, down to the 90 degree fittings (well OK, I used 45 degree fittings on one end).

There are metric fittings and SAE fittings. Both of them can be greased by the same gun. Pick the one for which you have a matching tap, and you're set.

 

I will have to go out and buy a tap... just curious.. thanx for the advice.

 

Can you expand on how your "routed" the inside of the bushing out? Did you put in grooves or bore it out or other?

Thx

cp

 

Just used router tip and made some valleys from the hole for the zirk fitting around the inside of the bushing. Don't have to make them very deep, just enough so the grease will be able to expand out from the hole.

 

The Blue Marine grease refered to is readily available at the Johnson-Evinrude outboard motor dealer and cheap.It's a hily waterproof thick grease very gummy and dont wash off your hands easily it comes in a pouch(big toothpaste tube) that screws into the grease gun.I use this stuff on my outboard in a saltwater enviorment and never washes off,actually i bury the zerk fittings in it when done so it wont seize up for future use.Gotta work on a swaybar if it can live in that enviorment

 

I for one can say i used the ES supplied lube when i installed my rear UUC bar and the stuff SUCKS. My rear bushings always make noise going over certain bumps and its so freaking annoying. I too didnt put those clamps they supplied on the bar or even see the reason for it.

I have the marine grease yuo guys are speaking about for my boats outdrive so im going to try that.

 

I actually run Yamaha outboards,but use Johnson-Evinrude grease,Its just a better quality product,also Lubrimatic in pouch form is readily available.But that Johnson-Evinrude blue stuff is the best,(1) do'nt get hard like the others,(2)when u try to wash if off with detergent you'll see what i mean