gacruiser Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 This one claims it is compatible with most rubbers and plasics, and comes in an optional aerosol which may mean you are able to apply it well enough without disassembly. If you back up and look at their entire selection, it seems like they have some nice waterproof bearing and chassis/drivetrain grease for those of you who submerge often. No, just 'cause it's grease doesn't mean its truely waterproof. http://www.neosyntheticoil.com/watrcrft.htm Word of advice, have everything ready and use gloves when applying stuff like this, I'm still trying to get the stuff I used off of a few wrenches and C clamps ! Did anyone actually install their polyu bushings with out lubricant ? Or did you just use moly or bearing grease ? Use at your own risk, but I'd try it if I was creaking around every corner. GL, and let me know what you think. B Actually, after doing quite a bit of online research, and not wanting to pay the high price for the Energy Suspensions Formula 5 grease, I found several options for urethane bushing lube. Most of the high-performance automotive crowd is using the Neo Synthetic Watercraft grease for lubing aftermarket urethane suspension bushings. It's main advantage is the use of teflon rather than aluminum for its anti-seize characteristics. It also has a wax base, which makes it waterproof and very sticky. One suspension website likes to use Permatex Anti Seize (in a tube) instead of the above, but again, the Permatex uses an aluminum compound instead of teflon. Because the Neo product is specifically made for applications involving water contact (food processing equipment, boat trailers, etc), it might be a better product for our offroad suspensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbreitwieser Posted July 21, 2005 Share Posted July 21, 2005 What about marine grease such as omc (now called bombardier) triple guard grease, I used to work on boats, and that stuff is great in hi heat, hi temp environments. Pretty cheap too. Anyway, good luck to all of you, I'm sure I will encounter the same problems when I finally get around to lifting my Pathy..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth1 Posted August 18, 2005 Author Share Posted August 18, 2005 I want to update those interested. I ordered both the Bel Ray and the Neo. I'm trying one on each side to see which will hold up in my dry climate, as well with water contact and offroad use. Both are much thicker than the standard bearing grease I was using. The Neo is a clear grease, super thick stuff. Really messy, doesn't wipe off easily; makes me think it will last a long time. It was kinda pricey, I think a gun sized tube was like $19, but I hardly used any. A little goes a long way, and it will take me forever to use this tube. Probably will use it for a lot more stuff if it proves to be waterproof. The Bel Ray is totally decent, and if I didn't have the Neo to compare it too, I would probably be totally happy with it. Especially at less than $4 for a 16 oz tub. That's a lot of lube. This green stuff is not as viscous as the Neo, which leads me to think I may hear squeaks on that side first. I could be wrong. But again, it's thicker than standard parts store grease. It also claims to be waterproof. So far both have lasted longer than spray lithium grease and bearing grease. I want to give the test 2000 miles or so with some water and mud abuse and I'll post a writeup in the product section. Which will prove to be a more suitable polyurethane-squeak-inhibitor? Only time will tell... and then I might tell Calmini . Oh yeah, and right before I got my bushings lubed properly I tried to spray some silicone spray for a quick fix per Calmini advice. I don't know who was the bigger idiot for thinking that would work; Calmini rep, or me. That made the creaking 5X worse. Don't use silicone spray to lube poly bushings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red-finder Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I have to say I didn't hear any squeaks for a long time with my Calmini bushings, but now it's so loud when I turn and go over bumps it's almost embarassing! Earth 1 let me know about your results. I am probably going to install some zerks in mine so I can atleast grease them easier if I am going to have to do this all the time! :furious: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Earth1 !! I'm glad you are doing a comparison of the two, although I'm fairly certain both will work well. The Neo sounds like what came with my poly bushings. I'm looking forward to hear your opinion after long term use. Thanks ! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 We use it at work, but it comes in the same one use packs...i'll ask what it is and see if I can snag some....Us mechanics at work call it Whale Snot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted August 19, 2005 Share Posted August 19, 2005 OK Earth1! Looking forward to your results! I need to order a new bushing kit for my tow van and was resigned to going with rubber, but I'm going to try and hold off as long as possible to hear what you're finding. Crossing my fingers on the Neosynth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 20, 2005 Share Posted August 20, 2005 Don't bother holding off on the poly bushings mws, just get the neo to be sure. If I'm wrong (and you do it right) I'll pay for a rubber bushing set (after I inspect your work) but the labor is on you... Seriously, that (type) stuff works VERY well. I doubt you will have issues with it other than getting it to smear or getting it off anything it touches. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted August 25, 2005 Share Posted August 25, 2005 Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but I had the same problem with the squeeks, and I cured this not only with the zerks, but I drilled 4 holes into the bushings themselves. I placed them about 1/2 in from the ends, two sets of holes straight through, 90 degrees rotated from each other. I hope that made sense. I havent had a squeek since. M.M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth1 Posted September 1, 2005 Author Share Posted September 1, 2005 Good idea. Little grease reservoirs. Maybe next time I have them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 Hey Earth1, any input to the experiment ? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 I had this problem ; use the NEO and so far [about 3 months] problem is completely solved. Thanks to all for advice ! ---glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth1 Posted February 28, 2006 Author Share Posted February 28, 2006 A partial update: So far both products have worked perfectly. However, I've only been offroad once since I started using these greases, so I wanted to hold off on judging the long term performance until they've been through hell. I am impressed so far though. I've done a lot of highway driving in snow, wet roads, and MagCloride. The control arms have had a quick spray with the carwash pressure washer at least once a month since August as well. So far... no squeaks, with the original grease from 6 months ago. Before then the bushings never went that long without the constant creeeeking sound. I almost forgot how annoying it was. Although they haven't proven to be bombproof yet, both greases have held up for about 7500 miles of normal wear and tear. More later this spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Thanks for the follow up! I look forward to the next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Yes, thanks for the follow-up! I forgot about this thread. I've swapped out to all new Energy Suspension bushings throughout piece by piece since last summer. The suspension performance is night-and-day better, and the truck drives nice and solid, more like a sports car than a marshmallow. The only issue is I picked up a seriously annoying squeak along the way. I'm pretty sure its the driver's side UCA. Mainly its while in off-camber situations, even on the street cresting a hill at an angle, or pretty much any situation while under throttle where the truck leans back. So far I've heavily greased the UCA's through the zerks repeatedly, topped off the ball joints too (new 6 months ago), pulled and re-lubed all of the sway bar bushings, backed the torsion bars off a half inch of lift or so just in case, yada yada. Driving me freakin nuts. I'll have to order some better grease and give it a shot. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Hey Mr P, did you ever do that ?? Earth1, do you have an update on the two greases ?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 one more guinea pig reporting for squeak patrol duty... I used the NEO watercraft grease on the Rough Country UCA bushings and Energy Suspensions lower control arm "tension" doughnuts. So far, so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Cool, try to update feedback... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Ok, I been wondering, I Got my Calmini's today and I've seen allot of complaints on severla sites about the squeak. All posts dating late '06 or older. My calmini "vecton" bushings are black not green and I'm wondering if calmini has solved the issue or if ppl just stopped complaining and no newer buyers have bothered to mention. I'm considering zerks, but I wanna decide b4 I do the install so I don't have to undo it later to add them. I guess I'll start with some high viscosity, waterproof grease from boaters world and see how that does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Or just add the zerks right from the beginning and then you never have to worry about not having them. And if you never need them, they won't hurt anything being there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) Or just add the zerks right from the beginning and then you never have to worry about not having them. And if you never need them, they won't hurt anything being there I was thinking that but if I do it that way I'm gonna make it a big deal; drill and tap thru the weld or thru the side of the 3/8 plate so its closer to center and route grease canals so it goes arround the bushing and maybe port the bushing so it gets to the sleve... edit; just found this on http://www.automotiveforums.com/t174242.html Calmini was using Delrin bushings in them which last forever and keep the slop out, but when they get dry they sound horrible! Calmini is now using a different type of bushing that is supposed to solve the problem. You can either replace the bushings or keep them lubricated. I still have the Delrin bushings in mine and I've found that Tri-Flow spray Teflon lubricant (found in bike stores) works well at giving temporary relief. I spray the pivot bushings liberally with it about every two months and all is quiet.I always have tri-flow, I used to be a bike mechanic and I swear by that stuff for daily use on bike chains(other choice lubes for other parts) and this: Calmini went to a Vecton bushing instead of Delrin. The fit of the Delrin bushing in the arm is very tight and getting thick grease to penetrate and spread out in there would be difficult or impossible. I believe the Vecton is impregnated with grease or something? Edited April 25, 2009 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) Based on what I found on other forms and being that there is no recent info I'll assume that the VECTON solved the problem. I'm going to load up with some enery suspension grease(or similar thick stuff) and see what happens. I'm mounting them on a freshly powdercoated spare set of spindles so I can always put my stock UCA's back on in less than an hour(+alignment) and if they start to creak I'll ad zerks when I pull them and modify them to clear the fat rancho 9000's. that way on the initial instal/ beak in I won't be doing anything to void their (already weak) coustomer support. Once I know all is well and I'm ready to go-rancho up front I make a decision. Edited April 25, 2009 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Update, yeah... 4 years they are finally squeaking like mad. Time for some more "energy supension formula 5" and drive it for another 3-4 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahardb0dy Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Was going to suggest the Energy Suspension lube, Ive used it before, works good but very smelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 It does not smell at all, its just really sticky. I just re-lubed my bushings. the drive is quiet again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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