[67_LS1]

Am I doing something wrong?
I’ve a 1.375” Hotchkis sway bar on the front of my 66. During the course of trying to find a load creaking noise I decided to put lighter springs in the front. I had always thought it was to stiff for me as a daily driver anyway. As I was removing the sway bar I noticed it did not move freely in the bushings. I had to put almost all my weight into it to get it to even move.
After I get the new springs in I drove around a bit to get the springs to settle without the sway bar: noise was gone.
So it was the springs (which I just changed) or the sway bar I had not yet put back on.
The poly bushings that were on the sway bar were pumped full of silicone grease. It was coming out of both sides of both bushings.
When I pulled the bushing off I noticed the grease was super tacky. Almost like a weak glue. The grease was in all of the bushing grooves but not slippery at all.
I called Hotchkis and they said poly bushing are noisier but properly greased you shouldn’t hear them. They also warned me not to mix greases.
So I cleaned everything up, regreased it and put it back on.
Noise is back. It’s really load now too.
So it has to be bushing sticktion.
Anyone else get this?
What grease did you use?
Hotchkis said silicone or moly- no lithium.
I’ve been using silicone.
Help!

 

[lucifershammer]

I talked with UMI about this when I installed my poly/roto-joint rear end suspension and sway bar. They said Lucas Red N Tacky would work good (and since I was already using it on everything else, I was happy to just need one tube of grease for my grease gun.)

I've been using it on everything (including the poly bushings) and it works great. No squeaks or issues (yet - knock on wood. )

 

[67_LS1]

Interesting. Lucas Red and Tacky is lithium based, the one lube Hotchkis said to not use with poly bushings. I wonder why?

 

[Hotwire]

I'd stuck strickly to the monkey snot recommended poly bushing grease on my blazer and ended up with bushings that binded, squeaked, and fell apart. When I rebuilt the suspension on my chevelle I used Lucas marine grease, and they worked great. Depending on where you read any type of petroleum product will reduce the life of the bushing, but I used recommended grease and didn't have great results. Your mileage may vary.

 

[lucifershammer]

Any chance you might have 1.25" bushings and a 1.375" swaybar and the bushings are just 1/8" too small for the bar causing a severe binding?

 

[shovelrick]

I also used Lucas Red N Tacky on my UMI bar, 1 1/4" or 1 3/8" forget which one at the moment but like Steve said make sure correct bushings, oh and poly bushings throughout my entire front end with same grease and no squeaks after more than 1 yr but very low miles

 

[67_LS1]

The bushing actually has 1 3/8 molded into the side of the bushing so I know it’s correct.
I could live with a (slightly) reduced bushing life in trade for a smooth quiet system.

 

[shovelrick]

I'd try the Lucas Red N Tacky, if it was going to damage poly bushing mine would be toast by now, I even used it on my Proforged ball joints and they're fine, tubular control arms upper & lower same thing

 

[indymanjoel]

Are you tightening the sway bar on the ground? Not in the air? jack stands etc.. Suspension parts need to be on all 4 tires before a final tightening. Otherwise its preloaded/biased on the ground. I have a mix of poly and rubber at different points with no noises ever. Just a thought.

 

[67_LS1]

Are you tightening the sway bar on the ground? Not in the air? jack stands etc.. Suspension parts need to be on all 4 tires before a final tightening. Otherwise its preloaded/biased on the ground. I have a mix of poly and rubber at different points with no noises ever. Just a thought.

I di do a final tightening of the entire suspension while the car was on its wheels.
But I did not do that with the sway bar today.

 

[-SS454-]

That white grease that usually comes with poly bushings is super tacky. Makes you wonder how it would be any good.

 

[67_LS1]

If I switch to Lucas Red N Tacky, do I have to remove all of the silicone white grease first?
Can I use it everywhere under the car, ie, poly bushings, Profrom ball joints, Moog tie rods, drag link, etc?
It sure would be nice to have one grease but it sure would be a pain if they are incompatible and the old grease needed to removed first?

 

[shovelrick]

I used Lucas Red N Tacky on every bushing (all poly) on the front of my car when they were new so no other grease was there so I'd clean the other grease off best you can, I also have Proforged BJ's and complete steering kit and used the same grease on them W/O any problems and no squeaks at all going over speed bumps, a couple pot holes the car steers like a new car except it has original type box and suspension seems to handle great other than I used too stiff of springs but no squeaks at all