Hotchkis Sway Bar: Which Grease?

MarkR171 · 02-10-2011, 10:53 PM

Just wondering what grease you guys are using for the bushings with the Hotchkis bar. My installer used Antiseize initially but after a couple months it started to clunk and creak over speed bumps. I added lithium grease through the zerk fittings and it was noiseless for a month, but again, the creaking is coming back.

What grease are you guys using, where are you getting it, and how long does it last?

Snertz · 02-11-2011, 12:01 AM

I used valvoline synthetic multipurpose grease with some decent luck. A little trick I learned was wrap the bar with some teflon plumbers tape too, that helped keep everything nice and quiet.

MarkR171 · 02-11-2011, 12:02 AM

I've read about the teflon tape while googling, but I've also read about the tape getting bunched up. Do you use tape AND grease or just one or the other?

Mak135i · 02-13-2011, 08:06 AM

I used only grease (lithium) at install and have no issues to date (6 months).

MarkR171 · 02-13-2011, 12:19 PM

I think I might have had a false alarm, few days after posting this the car hasn't made any more noise and is mostly silent when I listen for a noise. Lithium grease might be doing just fine for now.

dicker · 02-13-2011, 02:19 PM

Did it not come with any grease? most swaybars or poly bushings I've purchased have come with it.

MarkR171 · 02-13-2011, 03:26 PM

It came with a very small amount of lithium grease, but my installer recommended he use something else, so I told him to go ahead. Whatever he used had the bar creaking bad after 2 months or so, but by then I lost the supplied grease. I just used lithium grease through a grease gun into the grease fittings on the bushings.

derekL · 02-13-2011, 06:51 PM

i just used the grease they gave me, and i haven't had problems and it has been about 1.5 years

cpt97m3 · 02-13-2011, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekL

i just used the grease they gave me, and i haven't had problems and it has been about 1.5 years

+1

02-10-2011, 10:53 PM	#1
MarkR171 Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,552 Posts Drives: '19 M2C \| '20 100AE ND2 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phx, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW M2C [0.00]	Hotchkis Sway Bar: Which Grease? Just wondering what grease you guys are using for the bushings with the Hotchkis bar. My installer used Antiseize initially but after a couple months it started to clunk and creak over speed bumps. I added lithium grease through the zerk fittings and it was noiseless for a month, but again, the creaking is coming back. What grease are you guys using, where are you getting it, and how long does it last? __________________ 2019 M2C - Alpine White - 6MT 2023 Supra 6MT - Deposit and Wait
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02-11-2011, 12:01 AM	#2
Snertz H O O N 86 Rep 694 Posts Drives: ein M! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NY iTrader: (9)	I used valvoline synthetic multipurpose grease with some decent luck. A little trick I learned was wrap the bar with some teflon plumbers tape too, that helped keep everything nice and quiet. __________________ U WOT M8?
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02-11-2011, 12:02 AM	#3
MarkR171 Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,552 Posts Drives: '19 M2C \| '20 100AE ND2 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phx, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW M2C [0.00]	I've read about the teflon tape while googling, but I've also read about the tape getting bunched up. Do you use tape AND grease or just one or the other? __________________ 2019 M2C - Alpine White - 6MT 2023 Supra 6MT - Deposit and Wait
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02-13-2011, 08:06 AM	#4
Mak135i First Lieutenant 6 Rep 340 Posts Drives: 911 GTS, X3M Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tampa, FL iTrader: (2)	I used only grease (lithium) at install and have no issues to date (6 months). __________________ 2019 911 GTS 2017 M4 CV 2017 Mini JCW
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02-13-2011, 12:19 PM	#5
MarkR171 Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,552 Posts Drives: '19 M2C \| '20 100AE ND2 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phx, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW M2C [0.00]	I think I might have had a false alarm, few days after posting this the car hasn't made any more noise and is mostly silent when I listen for a noise. Lithium grease might be doing just fine for now. __________________ 2019 M2C - Alpine White - 6MT 2023 Supra 6MT - Deposit and Wait
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02-13-2011, 02:19 PM	#6
dicker Captain 69 Rep 847 Posts Drives: F80 6MT Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SoCal iTrader: (8)	Did it not come with any grease? most swaybars or poly bushings I've purchased have come with it.
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02-13-2011, 03:26 PM	#7
MarkR171 Lieutenant Colonel 102 Rep 1,552 Posts Drives: '19 M2C \| '20 100AE ND2 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phx, AZ iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW M2C [0.00]	It came with a very small amount of lithium grease, but my installer recommended he use something else, so I told him to go ahead. Whatever he used had the bar creaking bad after 2 months or so, but by then I lost the supplied grease. I just used lithium grease through a grease gun into the grease fittings on the bushings. __________________ 2019 M2C - Alpine White - 6MT 2023 Supra 6MT - Deposit and Wait
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02-13-2011, 06:51 PM	#8
derekL Captain 58 Rep 694 Posts Drives: BMDUBS Join Date: May 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2019 BMW X3 [0.00] 2009 128i [6.96]	i just used the grease they gave me, and i haven't had problems and it has been about 1.5 years __________________ \|Shadowline Grills\|Hotchkis Front Sway Bar\|DIY CF Black Fabric Trim\|Carbon Fiber Trunk Spoiler\|Black O.Z Ultraleggeras\|BMW Performance Exhaust\|M-Sport Bumpers w/ Fogs\|Shadowline Diffuser\|CSR Eyelids\|BMW Performance Shifter/Boot and Handbrake\|AFE stage 2 intake\|Koni FSD + Eibach Pro-kit\|///M mirrors\|Blackline LCI\|
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