Two Front End Lube Questions

[patrickt]

Bob, I see the manual for the newer cars (758 and on) recommends greasing (silicone preferred) the anti-sway bar bushings every 3000 miles. I've never seen this before, and you don't have it for cars prior to 758. I don't know of any other way to grease my bushings other than take them apart, grease them, then put them back on. Did you guys switch to the Energy Suspension greasable bushings that have the little zerk fitting? If so, I might as well change over to them when I have them out.

Second, the 758 and on manual no longer mentions greasing the lower spherical rod bearing on the front shocks. Have you guys done something different on that now? Remember, my car is ten years old and I have either the Torrington 5SF8, steel on steel, or the SKF GE15C, which is supposedly a maintenance free piece, but SKF still recommends greasing them after they have broken in and transferred the PTFE lining over. I just hand pack them with Mobil1 synthetic grease. So, what say? Are you all doing something different there? If so, I'll get on board.

[patrickt]

TTT, and if someone other than Bob has a post 758 car, with greasable anti-sway bar bushings, or lower spherical rod bearings other than the Torrington 5SF8, or the SKF GE15C, then I'll listen to you as well.

[DanEC]

Patrick - my sway bar bushing are not fitted with grease zerts. The sway bar bushings would have to be removed to grease them again.

I don't recall anything serviceable on the coil over mounts either. The SPAX units just bolt in like a shock. Possibly I overlooked something in the manual on this.

[strictlypersonl]

You can probably get away without lubing the sway bar bushings if you don't drive in inclement weather.

I recommend that you periodically use spray-grease on the damper end with the spherical bearing, especially if you drive in a dusty environment. It hasn't happened often, but I've seen the bearings deteriorate pretty badly in old (>20 years) cars.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by strictlypersonl

You can probably get away without lubing the sway bar bushings if you don't drive in inclement weather.

I recommend that you periodically use spray-grease on the damper end with the spherical bearing, especially if you drive in a dusty environment. It hasn't happened often, but I've seen the bearings deteriorate pretty badly in old (>20 years) cars.

Good enough. I'll just leave the sway bar alone until it alerts me otherwise. Here's the page from SKF on maintenance for their "maintenance free" spherical bearings where they recommend cramming it with grease after it has had time to break in. The only proviso is to not use a moly grease. Mobil1 is moly free as far as I can tell and I've just been jamming it in there by hand, kind of like the way you would do wheel bearings in the palm of your hand. Maintenance-free spherical plain bearings

[patrickt]

As requested, here is a pic of what we're talking about (the lower spherical bearing of the front shock mount and how I "pack" it). This technique is actually recommended by SKF. And Jaydee likes to rib me that I have a heavy hand with grease anyway.

[Bernica]

Why not just drill and tap in an zerk fitting if you are that concerned? Or, just use a turkey injector?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Bernica

Why not just drill and tap in an zerk fitting if you are that concerned? Or, just use a turkey injector?

Bob says he's only seen a couple of problems in hundreds of cars. But, SKF recommends packing grease both in, and around, the bearing to essentially "seal it off" from the elements if the bearing is exposed to particularly rough conditions (which it isn't). Now you gotta admit, that's a nice looking grease packing job.

[Bernica]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Bob says he's only seen a couple of problems in hundreds of cars. But, SKF recommends packing grease both in, and around, the bearing to essentially "seal it off" from the elements if the bearing is exposed to particularly rough conditions (which it isn't). Now you gotta admit, that's a nice looking grease packing job.

Another methodical and time consuming mess by Patrick!