Today’s standard driver doesn’t touch a grease gun until their car explicitly tells them to through the visceral moaning of a squeaky suspension. Post-greasing, the pestering may subside, but the inherent damage is already done.
An angry sounding car is the last resort of a cry for help. The problems that cause the squeaking start well before any noise is made.
The main problem areas that need regular lubrication are the chassis, coil or leaf springs and exterior hinges (doors, trunk, hood).
Like many maintenance practices, simple preventative measures can save you trouble – and money – in the long run. Regular greasing is no exception.
Some vehicles are marketed with a “lubed for life” base. But don’t take that as an excuse not to grease on your own. The factory-fill grease will eventually dry out – and with that, comes the joint friction (Popular Mechanics).
For the average driver, it’s recommended to lube those problem areas every 6-12 months. Performance drivers should do so more often.
Being proactive about lubing practices will prevent moving parts from failing and needing replacement. If you ignore the chassis, your vehicle’s ball joints, tie rod ends and U-joints will eventually face their demise due to the incessant friction of their metal-to-metal contact (Popular Mechanics).
Your springs have plastic insulators in place to prevent that friction, but wear and tear eats away at them, which causes the metal-to-metal contact there.
Although cosmetic – door, trunk and hood hinges also fall victim to this friction, and should be taken just as seriously. This is wear and tear you see firsthand with how often you consciously open and close them. Corrosion here can occur very easily due to the nature of use.
When you do lube-up, it’s important to use the right product in the right spot.
For the chassis and coils, you’re going to want to use a high-performance lithium-based lube. Those characteristics are consistent with G200 EP LS High-Performance grease.
For hinges, you can use our G2 Multi-Purpose. Be careful not to over-use – remember, these spots are out in the open, and you don’t want you or your passengers brushing up against an over-greased hinge.
