Lube for rubber (not silicone) bushings

[vavavroom]

Would silicone spray or white lithium grease be preferable for rubber bushings? This would be assembly lube to get the bushings easier on and oriented properly. I am looking for the product least deleterious to rubber. Someone recommended Synco Super Lube. Would that be an option?

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Use P-80 assembly lubricant. You can request a sample.

 

[vavavroom]

I see that's specifically an assembly lube that dries and biodegrades. Sounds good. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Trav]

WD40. No need for expensive specialty products, WD works great. If you wanted a grease type product Castrol Red.

https://www.amazon.com/GENUINE-Corr...mp;psc=1&refRID=YPWDAWN01XDYWQ73ZGKT

 

[vavavroom]

Isn't WD40 hydrocarbon-based? That can't be great for rubber, I think? I do like the idea of a product that breaks down after a short while. I do not want permanently sticky lube that attracts dirt. I am also considering glycerin soap

 

[madeej11]

Dish liquid. Slippery and pretty harmless...

 

[Gimpy1]

The cheapest liquid dish soap (without bleach or anti bacterial ingredients)you can find works really well and doesn't damage rubber. Plus it cleans ur hands as you work.

 

[Trav]

Not many bushings are 100% natural rubber today, their longevity is very short.

 

[Rand]

wd-40 almost completely evaporates. I could see it doing a decent job for that.

 

[tom slick]

Ru glyde from NAPA works excellent for lubing rubber for assembly.

 

[nthach]

Dawn or silicone spray.

 

[Falcon_LS]

X 3 on WD-40. Have been using it for years, and it does tend to last a while.

 

[Silk]

I've always used rubber grease. It's castor based, so after you've smeared grease on the bushes, you need to wipe the excess off your fingers on the exhaust system....you won't regret it.

 

[maxdustington]

I recently learned that WD-40 contains wax. That might explain why it works on hoses so well.

When you say rubber, I think of rubber from a tree. To me, rubber is natural rubber and is rarely encountered (elastic bands?). EPDM is the synthetic rubber that 99% of what the layman calls rubber is made of. You can lube EPDM with silicone or graphite.

 

[RooflessVW]

Water-based "personal lubricant" is cheap, easy to get, and works great.

 

[vavavroom]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
I recently learned that WD-40 contains wax. That might explain why it works on hoses so well.

When you say rubber, I think of rubber from a tree. To me, rubber is natural rubber and is rarely encountered (elastic bands?). EPDM is the synthetic rubber that 99% of what the layman calls rubber is made of. You can lube EPDM with silicone or graphite.


To me, rubber means various rubber-like synthetic elastomers, whether ACN, SBR, EPDM, silicone, or urethane. If I had meant natural rubber, I'd have said latex or gutta-percha. I think I'll first try soap and see how that works out. I like the hand-cleaning factor. ;-)

 

[vavavroom]

Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Water-based "personal lubricant" is cheap, easy to get, and works great.


And people will envy me when I go buy a gallon of it.

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by madeej11
Dish liquid. Slippery and pretty harmless...

+1