Greasing lower control arms

[Boiler Ben]

I’m just getting started on my MK4 build. Installed F panels and then continued through the manual to the lower control arms. Installed them with a bit of difficulty getting the washers in the rear but it all went together and I torqued the bolts to 110. I then realized I probably should have greased things before hand. I tried greasing the zerk fittings and was getting grease out of my grease gun coupler but not the bushings. I tried loosening the bolts and got grease in that way. Retightened and cleaned up. But I’m wondering if this will be a problem in the future. Anyone run into this same issue?

[tnt_motorsports]

grease is going to take the path of least resistance. Try tightening the coupler to fit the zerk better and see if that helps.

[gbranham]

Also, you might want to loosen those lower control arm bolts a bit until you get the car at ride height with engine in, then torque them. Or at least have them close to parallel to the ground if you want to torque them now. Maybe you already did that.

Greg

[F500guy]

I had the same issue, the solution is to cut a couple groves across the face of the bushing so when you torque, there is a small path to get grease out. If not to far along, you may look at that.

[Boiler Ben]

Interesting. I imagine the cuts are pretty shallow? Like 0.030”? Or less? Could maybe use a hack saw blade?

[Stangrob]

Interesting. I imagine the cuts are pretty shallow? Like 0.030”? Or less? Could maybe use a hack saw blade?

What F500guy suggested is the same thing we learned in the roadster build class. The grooves don’t need to be very deep - just a path for the grease to flow through. I used a cutoff wheel in a Dremel for mine, but a hacksaw blade should also do the trick. Lay out the cuts like you’re slicing up a pizza ;)

Rob

[Boiler Ben]

Thanks everyone for the tips. I used Mobil 1 synthetic grease for the LCAs and figured I could maybe just use that everywhere. But then I saw the ball joints already have some grease in them so it looks like I’ll need a second grease. Any good advice on where to use synthetic and where to use standard chassis grease? For example, the upper control arms look like they have plastic bushings so maybe synthetic there?

[rich grsc]

Use what you have

[PMD24]

I'm in a different camp. IMO if the bushings needed grooves to let the grease leak out they would be made that way. The lubrication is for the portion of the joint that carries the load under movement. That's not the ends of the bushing. leave out the grooves and keep the grease inside the joint where it belongs. I think this is one of those cases where someone way-back-when did the groove thing because they wanted to see the grease come out, and then others followed.

Also, on grease, stay away from Valvoline Red. It separates badly.

[Afdent11]

I'm in a different camp. IMO if the bushings needed grooves to let the grease leak out they would be made that way. The lubrication is for the portion of the joint that carries the load under movement. That's not the ends of the bushing. leave out the grooves and keep the grease inside the joint where it belongs. I think this is one of those cases where someone way-back-when did the groove thing because they wanted to see the grease come out, and then others followed.

Also, on grease, stay away from Valvoline Red. It separates badly.

I had just researched a bunch of threads and it seemed the consensus was that the Valvoline Red was the best to use everywhere, so now I’m confused again. What grease do you recommend?

[gbranham]

I also used the Valvoline Red, and it slowly leaked out while my car was on the chassis dolly, sitting in a hot summer garage. I swapped it out for Green Grease synthetic polymer and no more leaks.

Greg

[Grubester]

Yes to the cuts on the face of the bushings, but you can also align them with the channels in the I.D. of the bushings so there is a contiguous path for the grease.

[Grubester]

I understand what you're trying to clarify regarding the critical action of the grease, but the faces need grease to flow to them because their surfaces rub against the frame tabs that support them. Having no lubricity, probably will cause squeaking. I don't think the channels created on the bushing faces will hurt anything, but do in fact facilitate some flow of grease to the faces.

I found it useful to watch several videos on polyurethane bushings vs. traditional "rubber bushings" in regular passenger cars. Grease is critical to poly bushings because they must move freely around the steel insert in the bushing I.D. Conventional bushings do not move in this fashion at all -- the rubber flexes throughout the full range of control arm movement. That's why it is critical to only fully tighten the rubber bushings once the car is sitting at ride-height so the full flex-range of the bushing will work across the full control arm movement. Poly bushings do NOT need this kind of adjustment technique.

[Boiler Ben]

Use what you have

Do you mean I can put the Mobil 1 synthetic grease in the ball joints that came with some standard grease already in them?

[Boiler Ben]

Yes to the cuts on the face of the bushings, but you can also align them with the channels in the I.D. of the bushings so there is a contiguous path for the grease.

I didn’t notice the channels when I put in the LCAs. They were pre assembled and I just installed them on the frame. I guess I’ll pull it all apart and start over. I hadn’t progressed any further so it won’t be too much extra work.

[CraigS]

I use a synthetic grease everywhere. This way I don't have to worry about degrading any materials it may contact like I would if using a dyno based grease. I will keep in mind the warning of Valvoline Red but I definately like red. It turns black w/ use so, when greasing, I just keep pumping until the black squeeze out turns red.

[rich grsc]

Do you mean I can put the Mobil 1 synthetic grease in the ball joints that came with some standard grease already in them?
Yes, it will be just Fine. Far all intents and purposes, there is NO need for special grease on these cars, there are no extreme conditions anywhere. One grease everywhere is ok

[PMD24]

I also used the Valvoline Red, and it slowly leaked out while my car was on the chassis dolly, sitting in a hot summer garage. I swapped it out for Green Grease synthetic polymer and no more leaks.

Greg

Yep, that's what the Valvoline Red did with me as well, except my car wasn't sitting in a hot space. It left small puddles under a few different places where it was used, and leaked out of the grease gun where it was stored. Switched to Redline CV-2, did my best to flush out the Valvoline and since then no evidence of separation and no leakage from joints or the grease gun.

[Grubester]

Responding to 'Stangrob'

Regarding lubing and handling of poly control-arm bushings:
Here's a video I watched at the beginning of working on my first FFR 289 Mk4 (my first & current "kit car")

A big feature is the clear differences between regular "rubber" bushings vs. polyurethane bushings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ex0dGojHZI&t=194s

[Boiler Ben]

I made the cuts and reinstalled. It worked great. Thank you!

[AC Bill]

Regarding lubing and handling of poly control-arm bushings:A big feature is the clear differences between regular "rubber" bushings vs. polyurethane bushings


Good point. My BBK rear control arms instructions were to only use silicone grease with their poly bushings.