What would the best lube to use on a squeaky door hinge?
Door Hinges
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I"m still using a 1990's spray can of STP white lithium grease.
White lithium grease here too.
Thank You for the answers. I am going to go with the white lithium grease.
been using maxima chain wax for a long time...excellent results. much stouter than white lithium
Originally Posted By: justintendo
been using maxima chain wax for a long time...excellent results. much stouter than white lithium
I've been using chain lube forever. It's great for 5he application and Imalways have it on hand, anyway.
been using maxima chain wax for a long time...excellent results. much stouter than white lithium
I've been using chain lube forever. It's great for 5he application and Imalways have it on hand, anyway.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: zfasts03
My go to is WD40, but I was surprised how Fluid Film lasted even longer before the squeak came back in my `97 Ram drivers door.
Was disappointed in the Schaeffer's Penetro 90 spray lube.
Curious why you were disappointed with Penetro 90. I recently got some and have been very pleased with the ability to spray it in one place, it stay in that place (instead of dripping), and then penetrate in. It does this better than any other similar product Ive used.
Im also surprised at all the claims to use white lithium. I have my doubts that this stuff actually migrates inward to the shaft inside the hinge. It also likes to pick up dirt and look pretty bad after a little while. Ive bought white lithium but have never found a very good use for it.
FF does work pretty well, Ive found that it washes fast in high spray areas, but in door jambs and other such areas, it remains on a surface quite well. 50wt oil is also a good option for door hinges, IMO.
My go to is WD40, but I was surprised how Fluid Film lasted even longer before the squeak came back in my `97 Ram drivers door.
Was disappointed in the Schaeffer's Penetro 90 spray lube.
Curious why you were disappointed with Penetro 90. I recently got some and have been very pleased with the ability to spray it in one place, it stay in that place (instead of dripping), and then penetrate in. It does this better than any other similar product Ive used.
Im also surprised at all the claims to use white lithium. I have my doubts that this stuff actually migrates inward to the shaft inside the hinge. It also likes to pick up dirt and look pretty bad after a little while. Ive bought white lithium but have never found a very good use for it.
FF does work pretty well, Ive found that it washes fast in high spray areas, but in door jambs and other such areas, it remains on a surface quite well. 50wt oil is also a good option for door hinges, IMO.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: zfasts03
My go to is WD40, but I was surprised how Fluid Film lasted even longer before the squeak came back in my `97 Ram drivers door.
Was disappointed in the Schaeffer's Penetro 90 spray lube.
Curious why you were disappointed with Penetro 90.
But likes WD-40... What !
Originally Posted By: zfasts03
My go to is WD40, but I was surprised how Fluid Film lasted even longer before the squeak came back in my `97 Ram drivers door.
Was disappointed in the Schaeffer's Penetro 90 spray lube.
Curious why you were disappointed with Penetro 90.
But likes WD-40... What !
No one asked what kind of door hinge. For an auto, yes, white lithium. But for a house I use a Teflon type spray. Also I like to give cars doors a shot of this prior to the white lithium.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
No one asked what kind of door hinge. For an auto, yes, white lithium. But for a house I use a Teflon type spray. Also I like to give cars doors a shot of this prior to the white lithium.
Yes, believe that's GM's recommendation...
PTFE in that like in Penetro...
No one asked what kind of door hinge. For an auto, yes, white lithium. But for a house I use a Teflon type spray. Also I like to give cars doors a shot of this prior to the white lithium.
Yes, believe that's GM's recommendation...
PTFE in that like in Penetro...
Lithium spray can grease. You want the propellant carrier to get it down into tight clearances, then evaporate away leaving a thick film.
If it's grimy you might consider liberally flushing old grime and grease out with gasoline first, putting a very large amount of spray grease on the hinge, working it into the hinge by moving the door while it's still *wet*, and finally cleaning away excess from surrounding areas.
If it's a very old vehicle and the grease has hardened, it may need a few applications of gasoline to loosen up the old grease first. WD-40 and other spray oils can also loosen up old grease, but is more expensive, does no better at it, and is not meant to be a final lubricant so it doesn't save you from doing the next step of using the spray lithium grease.
You "can" just put a couple drops of oil on it. If there is existing grease that can work, but will not lubricate as well or last as long and tends to run out more and make a mess later, while the spray lithium grease is near full viscosity within a minute or so and shouldn't run out after initial cleanup, unless there was excess gasoline or oil left behind from a cleaning step mentioned above.
If you don't have a lot of vehicles to do, I might hesitate to buy a can of spray grease just for this purpose. You can achieve a similar effect by just mixing gasoline with tube lithium grease to thin it, dabbing it into the hinge with a toothpick or whatever liberally, working it into the hinge as mentioned above, and wiping off excess. It is not a high stress application and merely needs to get the grease in, not a special grease per se, but odds are the original was lithium so do use a compatible grease. If it has a plastic bushing it was more likely silicone instead.
If it's grimy you might consider liberally flushing old grime and grease out with gasoline first, putting a very large amount of spray grease on the hinge, working it into the hinge by moving the door while it's still *wet*, and finally cleaning away excess from surrounding areas.
If it's a very old vehicle and the grease has hardened, it may need a few applications of gasoline to loosen up the old grease first. WD-40 and other spray oils can also loosen up old grease, but is more expensive, does no better at it, and is not meant to be a final lubricant so it doesn't save you from doing the next step of using the spray lithium grease.
You "can" just put a couple drops of oil on it. If there is existing grease that can work, but will not lubricate as well or last as long and tends to run out more and make a mess later, while the spray lithium grease is near full viscosity within a minute or so and shouldn't run out after initial cleanup, unless there was excess gasoline or oil left behind from a cleaning step mentioned above.
If you don't have a lot of vehicles to do, I might hesitate to buy a can of spray grease just for this purpose. You can achieve a similar effect by just mixing gasoline with tube lithium grease to thin it, dabbing it into the hinge with a toothpick or whatever liberally, working it into the hinge as mentioned above, and wiping off excess. It is not a high stress application and merely needs to get the grease in, not a special grease per se, but odds are the original was lithium so do use a compatible grease. If it has a plastic bushing it was more likely silicone instead.
Indoor, outdoor, exposure to sand, dust, water, seawater? When in doubt, I'd use silicone grease in non-sandy/dusty conditions. I have used ball bearing grease on indoor door hinges with long-lasting success.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: Dave9
Lithium spray can grease. You want the propellant carrier to get it down into tight clearances, then evaporate away leaving a thick film.
If it's grimy you might consider liberally flushing old grime and grease out with gasoline first, putting a very large amount of spray grease on the hinge, working it into the hinge by moving the door while it's still *wet*, and finally cleaning away excess from surrounding areas.
If it's a very old vehicle and the grease has hardened, it may need a few applications of gasoline to loosen up the old grease first. WD-40 and other spray oils can also loosen up old grease, but is more expensive, does no better at it, and is not meant to be a final lubricant so it doesn't save you from doing the next step of using the spray lithium grease.
You "can" just put a couple drops of oil on it. If there is existing grease that can work, but will not lubricate as well or last as long and tends to run out more and make a mess later, while the spray lithium grease is near full viscosity within a minute or so and shouldn't run out after initial cleanup, unless there was excess gasoline or oil left behind from a cleaning step mentioned above.
If you don't have a lot of vehicles to do, I might hesitate to buy a can of spray grease just for this purpose. You can achieve a similar effect by just mixing gasoline with tube lithium grease to thin it, dabbing it into the hinge with a toothpick or whatever liberally, working it into the hinge as mentioned above, and wiping off excess. It is not a high stress application and merely needs to get the grease in, not a special grease per se, but odds are the original was lithium so do use a compatible grease. If it has a plastic bushing it was more likely silicone instead.
Gasoline to clean and/or carry grease in seems sensible.
The thing is, what are we trying to accomplish? Im assuming that most car doors do not have bearings. Just a pin and some knuckles. Is that true?
Are we trying to get lubricant into/onto the shaft in the hinge? Are we trying to ensure that the knuckles are sliding well on each other? Or are we trying to get lube in there so that the knuckles slide properly about the pin?
Its not entirely clear to me how the car hinge is set up typically; and therefore what the end strategy is...
But I can watch penetro go into a hinge far better than most anything else, especially grease...
Lithium spray can grease. You want the propellant carrier to get it down into tight clearances, then evaporate away leaving a thick film.
If it's grimy you might consider liberally flushing old grime and grease out with gasoline first, putting a very large amount of spray grease on the hinge, working it into the hinge by moving the door while it's still *wet*, and finally cleaning away excess from surrounding areas.
If it's a very old vehicle and the grease has hardened, it may need a few applications of gasoline to loosen up the old grease first. WD-40 and other spray oils can also loosen up old grease, but is more expensive, does no better at it, and is not meant to be a final lubricant so it doesn't save you from doing the next step of using the spray lithium grease.
You "can" just put a couple drops of oil on it. If there is existing grease that can work, but will not lubricate as well or last as long and tends to run out more and make a mess later, while the spray lithium grease is near full viscosity within a minute or so and shouldn't run out after initial cleanup, unless there was excess gasoline or oil left behind from a cleaning step mentioned above.
If you don't have a lot of vehicles to do, I might hesitate to buy a can of spray grease just for this purpose. You can achieve a similar effect by just mixing gasoline with tube lithium grease to thin it, dabbing it into the hinge with a toothpick or whatever liberally, working it into the hinge as mentioned above, and wiping off excess. It is not a high stress application and merely needs to get the grease in, not a special grease per se, but odds are the original was lithium so do use a compatible grease. If it has a plastic bushing it was more likely silicone instead.
Gasoline to clean and/or carry grease in seems sensible.
The thing is, what are we trying to accomplish? Im assuming that most car doors do not have bearings. Just a pin and some knuckles. Is that true?
Are we trying to get lubricant into/onto the shaft in the hinge? Are we trying to ensure that the knuckles are sliding well on each other? Or are we trying to get lube in there so that the knuckles slide properly about the pin?
Its not entirely clear to me how the car hinge is set up typically; and therefore what the end strategy is...
But I can watch penetro go into a hinge far better than most anything else, especially grease...
I use spray white grease. Have used Blaster oil (not the penetrating oil) but it doesn't work very long.
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