Grease For Plastic Steering Column Bushings
 

I did a search and found this stuff, but it's not readily available and what I found, I had to buy this huge size of it for around 4 to 600 bucks.

https://www.lubricantspecialty.com/p...stislip-grease

Vaseline was suggested, what about white lithium grease ?
I also have a clear synthetic silicon grease and some Raybestos silicon grease meant for the rubber mounts on brake calipers _ that stuff is very slippery, but very thick.

I have just wheel bearing grease in there now and it's all dried up, the steering column makes quite the racket when the wheel is moved.

EDIT:
I removed the steering wheel and column and it was very stiff to turn the shaft with out the wheel.
I had white lithium grease in there and it rotted the bushings _ the one is all soft and swollen, the other broke out in so many pieces _ what a mess !
I can't remember where I got them from, but the supplier should include a small amount of compatible grease or make a recommendation.

The original keeper that slides in from the side to hold the actual column in place inside the housing, I suspect is made from nylon, is perfectly fine.
It was badly worn and none were available at the time, so I repaired it with this plastic JB-Weld stuff and it seems to be holding up well.

The Molykote is the right stuff.

Vaseline is just micro fine wax in pharmaceutical white oil & won't work.

Your synthetic silicon grease is closest to correct but I don't know how long it will last.

I'm seriously thinking of laminating some oak or cherry and making the bushings out of that.
Putzy plastic parts, bah !

There's all sorts of different kinds of Molykote, some are available in smaller tubes.
Like this:

The Molykote™ PG 54 Plastislip Grease is the right stuff for plastics & nylon running on themselves or steel/metal.

Plastics are difficult to lubricate as they are not easily wettable. Polar additives are required. We covered this on Lambretta's thread.

What about graphite powder ?

This stuff here is the least expensive and is compatible with vinyl bushings.
I would like to know what others are using, that Molykote is not readily available.
I found a small tube of it in Israel for 24.00$, but it's PG21 not PG54, but comparing the two, it looks like the PG21 has a broader temperature range.

https://www.super-lube.com/Content/I...20Syncolon.pdf

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Molykote-PG-...MAAOSwXf1aa7E1

Either of those will do fine. Correct technology it would seem. The Molykote 54 & 21 are both for low speed applications. The 54 has some PTFE in it.

One day someone will design decent impregnated bushes.

DOW is not doing a good job with availability of Molykote products. Often the case when a large organisation takes over a small one & gives it the corporate kiss of death.

Someone in the US should phone Dow & find a distributor that they are selling to that breaks up cases of product.

Glynn,

I don't remember the thread we were discussing the squeak on the steering column bushings but I used what you recommended, FYI, I have driven a good amount of miles (5000 to 10,000 miles) including 118 miles of non-stop hard 20-45 mph hard cornering and I heard one squeak but not all the time so I hope it does not become persistent again....

That's not what I recommended.

My recommendation is here.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...n-bush-214268/

I cannot seem to find that on Amazon but found this,
Is that the same?

That is probably the same stuff in a plain OEM packing to be sold as an OEM part number.

I have this neoprene/cork gasket material, so I'll see how that goes.
It was a bit thin and it took 3 layers of that red Tuck tape to thicken it up, I used that as the adhesive does not break down or "creep".
It's held in place with 3M acrylic 2 sided tape.

I coated both surfaces with silicone and then used that clear super lube stuff that I mentioned earlier in the thread _ works very smooth and quiet now.

This end is inside the vehicle, so I don't anticipate any creeping of the acrylic tape due to heat.
My concern is that the cork will begin to absorb the grease's carrier, swell, and keep the column from turning smoothly _ time will tell.

The bushing at the other end was swollen from the lithium grease, so I ground it down with a Dremel tool and re-greased it with the Super grease _ it's OK for now.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...31517ad523.jpg