madkaw Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 I know this isn't old news but... I have black bushings that I purchased many years ago. I have read the black ones are graphite impregnated , but is that true with all? I have re lubed the bushings with lots of lube and after a while they squeak again. Is there a way to tell visually that they have graphite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 All of them will eventually squeak. Wurth SIG3000 grease seems to work the best and last the longest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 11, 2013 Author Share Posted August 11, 2013 Thanks John, I'm about ready to go back to rubber. I think I would be willing to give up the small amount of handling to have back some cushion and no squeak maintenance . There's nothing like having a sweet ride that sounds like a wagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 Trim the bushings and install zerks to make it easy maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLATA Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 Mine has the squeaking syndrome, I tame the noise with penetrating oil but only for a few miles. So I live with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1vicissitude Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 (edited) Cockerstar has the right idea. You can order zerks from mcmaster for a couple bucks. Add one to the center of each urethane bushing. You just drill and tap the arm. Make sure to place them at a point it wont bind when the arm moves. Then you just use a grease gun on each nipple every 6 months or so. Makes regreasing a 10 minute job and makes your bushings last a lot longer because they are properly lubricated. Heres a link to some zerks. I'm not sure the correct length for a z, last car I did this to was a miata. Haven't torn my z down yet. http://www.mcmaster.com/#zerk-grease-fittings/=fw2ewy 949racing has a great miata specific tutorial. Just google "949racing zerk". Same idea just different car, the pictures will explain everything. I'd be worried penetrating oil would permeate the urethane and compronise its structure causing it to become soft, breakdown, or deform. Edited August 11, 2013 by 1vicissitude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 11, 2013 Author Share Posted August 11, 2013 Thanks for the ideas and links. So I guess I will have to clean off all that sticky shit that's on there now and trim the bushings? I will look at the link provided since you said it had pics. I can deal with the harsher ride, but I can't deal with my car sounding like a jalopy going down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 (edited) Harbor Freight has zerks too. You can grease all of them except the inner rear LCA pivots. The bushing caps there aren't tight enough to allow for greasing, it just squirts out the corners. Years ago I called Energy Suspension and they said moly chassis lube was fine, so that was my plan (then I went to monoballs). Edited August 11, 2013 by JMortensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 Harbor Freight has zerks too. You can grease all of them except the inner rear LCA pivots. The bushing caps there aren't tight enough to allow for greasing, it just squirts out the corners. Years ago I called Energy Suspension and they said moly chassis lube was fine, so that was my plan (then I went to monoballs). Well crap- the inner LCAs are the ones that make all the noise I believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Try 600# springs. That stuff won't budge or squeak! Cut off your muffler? Heck, I can't hear crap over my windshield wiper motor-turn that puppy on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 And my all time favorite: leave it on jack stands for about 10 years. All of these options have helped mine not to squeak! I feel your pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Turn the radio up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socorob Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 On another car I had the urethane busings came with a few small grooves lengthwise (not around) the bushing that I was able to pack with grease, and the arm had a zerk in it. The grooves gave someplace for the grease to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 On another car I had the urethane busings came with a few small grooves lengthwise (not around) the bushing that I was able to pack with grease, and the arm had a zerk in it. The grooves gave someplace for the grease to go. I think I'm going to give that a shot. I remember installing them and the tolerance was so tight on the steel sleeve that it seemed that the supplied lubricant just squeezed out when assembling. I think length wise groove(s) coming off the zerk would help. It would be great to have another set of fine grooves running around the bushing ID to spread the lube around. I always wondered how well anti-seize would do. I have this permatex shit that won't hardly come off your hands if you get it on you. By the way- I have a loud exhaust and stereo- still not cutting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebekahsZ Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 Yeah, I was just kidding about drowning it out. Anti seize is so messy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 Okay guys, help me out here. I took off the rear control arms and suddenly noticed the length of my inner bushing sleeve( steel sleeve) was longer then the control arm pivot. So that tells me that my sleeve is not rotating on the control arm because it is locked in place by the cap bolt. I guess I have the wrong ones ? I'm going to trim the sleeve down and put it back together. Comments?? Also, talked to a buddy who said his urethane bushings on the rear control arm( inner) is one piece where mine is two pieces. What do you guys have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osirus9 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) ARG! I have the same problem with my rear suspension. My old rubbers were totally rotted out, so I replaced them with the bushing kit from zcarsource. Now it sounds like I'm driving a squeeking old wagon... Gonna have to take it all apart again and add zerks and regrease. Possibly adding grooves because I had the same ultra tight fit on the LCA bushings. It only squeaks in the back though, so I guess I did the front properly? :shrug: Also mine were two piece, and they were not symmetrical, so you had to make sure you matched a long and a short (urethane) side together to get the right fit. I think when I take it apart again I'm just gonna do all 4 LCA lower (the spindle pin ones, I assume those are the lowers) bushings and see if those are the only noisy ones before installing zerks on everything. Let me know if that makes sense madkaw. Edited August 20, 2013 by osirus9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 (edited) The sleeve isn't supposed to rotate. The ID of the bushings are supposed to slide on the sleeve. When comparing outside the car, the sleeves will always be longer. Usually the problem is the opposite, that when installed the bushings are longer than the sleeve, and when you tighten the bolts down this pinches the bushings, increasing friction on the sleeve and creating a lot of stiction. The solution is to sand down the bushings so that there is very little squish on the bushings when it gets tightened up. If your sleeves are truly longer than the bushings when the bushings are installed you have a problem because the control arm can move forward and backwards, changing toe on the rear LCA. Edited August 20, 2013 by JMortensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 I guess I learned something today about bushings. I was really thinking it would be better for the sleeve to rotate because you wouldn't want any binding of the ID of the urethane against the sleeve . Having a hard time wrapping my head around it for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I guess I learned something today about bushings. I was really thinking it would be better for the sleeve to rotate because you wouldn't want any binding of the ID of the urethane against the sleeve . Having a hard time wrapping my head around it for some reason. It's relative motion, whether the sleeve moves or the bushing moves there's always going to be movement between the two. What you don't want is axial preload on the bushings, for reasons that were already mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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