Grease the control arm bushings?

[bennylava]

Got some moog lower control arm bushings for my 87. I know they'll have to grease the metal part of the bushing when they press them in. What i'm talking about, is the need to apply grease to the rubber part, before I reinstall the control arms. I have heard they will squeak if you don't. Is this true? That is the last thing I want.

[homemade87]

I have never had a rubber bushing squeak unless there is a problem and needs replaced . If using polyurethane they will squeak like crazy . On these I drill and insert a zirk and grease to keep them quiet .

[bennylava]

So only on polyurethane

[favor]

Rubber and petroleum grease don't get along well. I recommend NAPA sylglide or synthetic silicone grease instead. I used it with the control arm bushings and they're quiet.

[Gregski]

glad I found this thread as I will be replacing my upper and lower control arm bushings later this month and I sure was planning on lubing them up for sure using chassis grease or something like that, I remember the dude on Graveyard Carz complained that one of his mechanics put together a rear end with out greasing the bushings and he took it all apart and re greased it, so hey if it was on TV it has to be right, ha ha

here is an article from Car Craft where they say "The track-bar bushings also received a liberal coating of lubrication prior to installation." and...

"Polyurethane bushings have a reputation for being squeaky, but Energy Suspension assured us years of silent service if they are installed with the proper lubrication, which is included in each kit. Don’t be skimpy, either. Here, Billy Ray thoroughly coats the bushing inside and out."

Project Car Update: New bushings for Project Truck Norris

[Gregski]

also this Hot Rod article may help

Classic Performance Products Chevy C10 Front Suspension Install

[bennylava]

Thanks all!

Another question: When I'm putting all the nuts and bolts back on, should I use locktite? The u-bolts for the lower control arms, the nuts for the upper control arms, etc. Do they need loctite? There didn't seem to be any when I took everything off. Who knows, maybe it slowly disintegrated or began lose its color over the years.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by bennylava

Thanks all!

Another question: When I'm putting all the nuts and bolts back on, should I use locktite? The u-bolts for the lower control arms, the nuts for the upper control arms, etc. Do they need loctite? There didn't seem to be any when I took everything off. Who knows, maybe it slowly disintegrated or began lose its color over the years.

I would not, especially not if there are lock washers there already. If you want to be extra cautious use new lock washers, grade 8 etc.

[Pine Bark Auto]

Here is a lesson I learned the hard way on my Corvette rebuild years ago. DO NOT TIGHTEN END BOLTS ( the ones that "lock" the inner sleeve to the control arm shaft ) UNTIL VEHICLE IS SITTING AT FINAL RIDE HEIGHT. That means with all the weight on the tires. Rubber bushings ( OEM type ) only allow a certain amount of movement. You want to "lock" them at the midway point between unloaded ( wheels hanging ) and compressed positions. I rebuilt my car's front suspension without the motor in the it. Tightened everything up and within a year, all the bushings were starting to split. Also, tightening them with the tires hanging can cause higher than normal ride height at first as bushings are immediately placed in tension as suspension tries to settle. I would suggest leaving them loose until just before taking for alignment. This is not an issue with poly bushings as they are made to move within the metal sleeves which is why they must be kept lubricated to avoid squeaks.

[bennylava]

Alright well here are the bushings I bought. I guess my grease question is answered by the pic. There is a metal sleeve inside the bushing, so... no point in greasing that? Maybe the suspension settling issue you are referring to, will be negated by that sleeve as you said. It says they provide the performance of urethane without the squeak. Not real sure what type of rubber they use.


https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...059825&jsn=516

[Pine Bark Auto]

My statement stands. Those appear to be OEM type bushings. Hard to tell by the picture, but I bet the inner sleeve is serrated, or has "teeth" on each end. Those teeth will lock in on the control arm shaft on one end and against the large washer on the other end. Wherever you tighten the bolt is where the bushing will flex from. If suspension is hanging, bushing can only flex in one direction (towards compression) and as you can see, there just isn't that much flex available. However, if you tighten at normal ride height, you will be at about the middle of suspension travel with flex available in both directions.

After all this typing (which I am not good at), I just realized I am assuming you understand that on the OEM bushings, the inner and outer sleeves are bonded together by the rubber. On poly bushings, the poly portion rotates, or moves within the sleeves, thus requiring lubrication. The reason for poly is to allow a more freely moving suspension and less deflection. For a street driven vehicle, OEM provides a much smoother and quieter ride.