Greasing polybushes?

[Superluminal]

I'm in the process of fitting my set of suspension Polybushes. Polybush say not to use any grease, but I'm a bit paranoid that it will squeek to high heaven. I don't really want to pull everything apart and grease it later if it is noisy, especially once I've had it aligned.  So I'd rather grease as I assemble if there is any chance of squeak. Superflex even provide grease with their bushes....

Will grease help to keep the toe adjusters in the sub-frame mobile or will it just attract dirt, sizing them earlier?

Any thoughts or experience?

[Tomo70]

The grease with super flex appears to be a silicon base, if polybush say do not lubricate then I would tend to believe what they say.

[Joesson]

My understanding is that ' poly' bushes are made from a PTFE material.
This is a self lubricating material with a very good coefficient of friction, it' s very slippy, and when mated with chromed steel or finely finished stainless steel does not require lubrication.
A grease type lubricant would tend to collect dust and grit and eventually form a grinding paste.

However the part that it will mate with in this case is an existing, corroded and pitted steel  anti roll bar or similar.
A silicone based grease or lubricating spray ( not WD40) would tend to be partially retained in the pitted area and perhaps in this case would give some benefit.

[Superluminal]

Thanks, the area around the arm bushes is definitely flakey rusty and grimy. I'll get some silicone grease. I did notice that the ARB bushes I removed looked as though someone had dripped candle wax into them...

[Joesson]

!!
When I removed the ARB's to derust and repaint I asked on here about lubricating the rubber bushes.
Unusually, no response. as the bushes had a residue of what looked like candle wax in them that is what I used!
My thoughts were that the wax is like a dry lubricant. (It was used as a lubricant on wooden drawer runners in the' 'olden days'.)
In retrospect, maybe candle wax would similarly do the job with the poly bushes. Apply/ drip / brush the melted wax onto the metal and let it solidify.
More ' scientifically' PTFE paste, as used by plumbers as a thread sealant could perhaps be used. This would tend to fill any 'pitted' cavities and PTFE on PTFE is pretty much as slippy as slippy gets.

[Superluminal]

I wonder if the wax was applied at the factory? I think I'll use wax for the ARBs as they are designed to rotate slightly in the bushes. The other bushes are just designed to flex, so they might be better with silicon spray or grease. I think wax would flake off

[MilesH]

I always put white grease inside all the polybushes I have fitted to an mr2. But only between the bush and the metal insert.

[Superluminal]

Any squeaking miles?

[MilesH]

Nope

[Superluminal]

Just for future reference purposes. I tried candle wax (from those cheap tea lights) on the ARB mounting bushes, but it was so brittle that it cracked off as I installed them, so did absolutely nothing. Proper beeswax might be better.  I ended up using silicon spray just to overcome friction inserting the rear arm bushes into the dirty, rusty, chassis; there was no need when inserting them into the arms.  Initial drive to the alignment place (FCM in Bristol - highly recommended) suggests no squeaking.