I’m going to be replacing a rear strut on my car so I’ve been reading up on the procedure in my repair manual. It says to apply ‘‘rubber lubricant’’ to the rubber bumper contact surfaces & to the upper insulator contact surfaces when reassembling. I was thinking maybe silicone spray would work but I’m not sure. What do you guys think, could I just use any type of lube that is rubber-safe… or is there a specific product that should be used?
So maybe a lubricant isn’t even needed?
I imagine a lot of people here have done quite a few strut replacements… you didn’t find it necessary to lube the bumper contact surfaces or the insulator contact surfaces of the strut/spring assembly?
Don’t do that. They are not meant to be lubed.
If you insist, use a silicone based lube so you don’t rot the foam or rubber bumper.
Most people don’t lube them but it’s not a bad idea. What I use is a product called K-44 which is manufactured by Kent. It’s a silicone paste designed to protect rubber products.
http://www.lawsonproducts.com/Kent/K-44-Silicone-Lubricant/KT13610.lp
It’s a bit pricy but a small canister of it will go a long way. The canister I have is several decades old and the bottom hasn’t been scraped yet although it’s close…
If you don’t want to go that deep into you can probably use a tube of spark plug boot grease and accomplish the same thing. The K-44 is a heavier, thicker substance though.
I have replaced my own struts several times and was never advised to use a lubricant. But if you must, silicone lubricant will do.
Good info. Thanks guys
Sounds a lot like the silicone lube you can get at a swimming pool supply store, meant for the rubber O-rings, etc. Fairly cheap, too.
Silicone lube would be my choice.
I use this on all bushings and anything rubber under the car. Water will not wash it off and it does not attract dirt and get all sticky. Wurth HHS-2000 / HHS-K Penetrating High Temperature Lubricant