4 replies to this topic

[Eds.mini.lulu]

What is the best grease to use for suspension parts using a grease gun. There are a couple on the minispares website in tubs, not sure which is best. One is called moly grease and the other is Lm2

Any help appreciated
Thanks.
Ed

[Gr4h4m]

Moly is for your cv joints

PM for the suspension, ball joints, top arm and radius arms which you use the gun for post installation.

[Gr4h4m]

Should read LM not pm, phone auto correct

[tiger99]

Castrol LM, about the cheapest reputable grease available, is a lithium grease and is the best stuff for all 8 grease nipples. But you do not use "moly" in the CV joints. Moly is a molybdenum disulphide based grease, which is black, and commonly used in the grease gun on some other cars, or on the likes of hinges, clutch operating lever, pedal pivots, etc, and in certain cases, wheel bearings, when you assemble them, but only if the manual says so. In some of these places, graphite grease, also black, may also be used.

 

CV joint grease is molybentone, very different to moly, because it contains bentonite to make it sticky. Otherwise it would be centrifuged out of the joint into the rubber boot, leaving the joint itself unlubricated. A different grease, possibly slightly cheaper as the application was very slightly less demanding, was originally used on the inner pot joints, but it is no longer available, so normal CV joint grease is used. CV joint grease always comes in plastic sachets, because it is far too expensive for anyone to want a tin of it, unlike the others.

 

Beware of unbranded "CV" joint grease, which can rapidly ruin them. I know for a fact that it often contains neither of the vital ingredients, as can be determined from the colour (should be black) and stickiness. You can buy a tube of proper CV grease for a larger modern car, e.g. Ford Focus (Ford dealers stock it), and there will be sufficient to do both sides on a Mini. Also, it incorporates improvements in grease technology since 1959 so your CVs will last a bit longer.

 

LM is also suitable for Mini wheel bearings, but there are more modern wheel bearing greases which should be considered.

 

You can try a low friction PTFE (teflon) based bicycle grease (Halfords) on things like the throttle cable, and indeed any of the other slow moving items such as hinges and pedals, but not on any fast running, hot or heavily loaded parts, and in no circumstances anywhere near really hot parts like the exhaust. The bicycle grease is fairly clean stuff, unlike moly.

[Spider]

Just a good quality Chassis Grease is fine. Just be sure to do it often.