Hi guys,

My 91 Miata is off it's feet for a few days while we detail the wheels and seal them with a purpose-made product to make future cleaning easier. While it's airborne, I'd like to address a little birdie that tweats a lot in certain conditions intermittently. I'm thinking of hitting all of the pivot points I can find. And the places where the exhaust hangs, etc.

Is there a right product (or products for different spots) to use for this job? Anything to absolutely avoid? I will have trash bags over the rotors so no lube contacts them.

Thanks for any advice!

Do you know if the bushings are rubber or urethane?

They are almost certainly original, so I believe rubber.

Good old fashion rubber lube (stuff for mounting tires).
https://www.autozone.com/greas...603_0_0?cmpid=OSA:US

This works great for all your door seals etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Honda-G...Grease/dp/B006Z9TZ9M

Off topic, how is the mandolin working out?

Always just used liquid silicone spray on all rubber boots and bushings. Quick and easy. Anything more ambitious is gonna require some disassembly and cleaning before lubing to be effective and lasting.

I use motorcycle chain lube. It's safe for o-rings, sprays on as foam that melts into the joint or pivot, then as the solvents flash off becomes a grease that doesn't drip or fling off.

Those rubber bushings flex, no lube involved.
Eventually they will need replacement. The ends on sway bar bushings and the rubber the bars go through on the chassis mounts could get some silicone spray.
If you see a grease fitting anywhere (I'm not a familiar with Miata's), those would use the correct grease.

34 years old?

If you’ve got the time And space change all the bushings. That’s likely the real cure.

quote:

Originally posted by Tuckerrnr1:
Off topic, how is the mandolin working out?

It's doin good! It's got a set of extra light strings on it, and she played a good bit for a few years. She's off at college now, but she loves it.

quote:

Originally posted by onegeek:
34 years old?

If you’ve got the time And space change all the bushings. That’s likely the real cure.

I did a lot to it this year, but the mechanics all felt the rubber bushings looked very good. It's only got 33k miles on it. Never saw rain let alone snow.

But to your point on old rubber, I did the timing belt (and water pump etc etc, I did the radiator (plastic) and all of the cooling lines. I think there's just a squeaky squeak that needs a drop of slippy. May very well be the exhaust actually.

If this is about a squeaky suspension, have someone push down while you listen and locate the area where it’s coming from.
Same thing on the exhaust. Grab the tip and give it a good shake.
Spray some penetrating oil on any slip joints and mounts.

Elastomers are NOT always robust against lubricants. They are part of a system that OEMs create and can easily fail if the wrong lube is applied. As an example, the OEM engineer could specify a nitrile elastomer for some mount or seal. Low cost, pliable, flexible. Then the car owner with the best of intentions applies a high sulfur lubricant or grease to quiet down a squeak. Oops. The high sulfur lubricant will quickly harden the nitrile, and that hardened nitrile will crack and leak. Why? Unknown to most, the high EP compound in the lubricant, a sulfur-containing oil-soluble liquid, will actually catalyze the hydrocarbons that make nitrile, further cross linking of the “rubber,” making it harder and weaker. To make nitrile, sulfur is used, then removed when the nitrile is completed. More sulfur just finds its way into the compound and starts the cross linking again.

If you do not know the material and do not know the lubricant formulation please follow the OEM recommendation. Don’t just pick up a lube for one application and think it will work elsewhere.

There are over 40 different elastomers tested in one OEM lubricant qualification and each has very specific limitations for elongation, tensile strength, volume, and bending. These limits are known to work for each application. Please read and follow the OEM recommendations.

Good info. It's chattery and not that annoying. Perhaps I'll leave it be.

Top down, turn the radio up to MAX...problem gone.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Top down, turn the radio up to MAX...problem gone.

That's EXACTLY what we did! This pic is at the half way point of a 55-mile loop last night. Every inch of it country back roads with hills and curves. Part of it in a State Park with full canopy trees overhead, and the half-way is a boat launch at a beautiful lake.

I noticed the squeak at one point, but it really isn't very bothersome.

Nice looking car. I had my '89 Miata for 18yrs and 250,000 miles. Great engine and suspension. Most likely the sway bar bushings squeaking. They are easy to remove and grease. I use Sil-Glyde.
"It is a silicone-based lubricant that is specifically compatible with various rubber types (like EPDM and Nitrile) and is designed not to cause rubber parts to swell, unlike some other synthetic greases. It is recommended for use on rubber components such as brake parts, spark plug boots, weather stripping, and window channels."

A few years ago on a car forum from a source I trusted, they recommended this for old suspension bushings… Disclaimer: I have not tried it, but they swore by it.