Best lubricant for spare tire carrier

[kmac5130]

I bought a used bumper featuring a swing-out spare tire carrier a while back. When I bought it, the hinge was stuck and it took a while to even get it apart. When I did, I discovered anti-seize that had gunked up pretty bad. After cleaning it, I reassembled with a coat of red lithium grease. That worked great for a while. After a few months, though, the grease had gunked up as well. There is no zerk fitting for me to use in forcing new grease in to displace the old grease. All that’s there is just a cover held down by a cap bolt.

I have since cleaned out the grease. My current routine is to keep spraying silicone lubricant, but if I don’t respray every couple weeks, the hinge dries up and begins rusting.

A couple options I am considering: 1. Finding a grease fitting adapter and seeing if monthly greasing will work. 2. Trying a mad expensive lube like Wurth HSS-K that may not even work. 3. Continue my application of silicone spray weekly. Any advice would be appreciated. The picture below is how it is currently in a dried out and rusty state.

 

[tworley]

Add your own grease zerk. The common thread size is 1/4" x 28

 

[LONGJP2]

Are you able to lift and remove the carrier?
That's where the grease needs to be applied.
Also, you would probably need to do that to add a zerk fitting to the tube.

 

[kmac5130]

Okay I’m going to order a zerk that threads into the M10x1.50. Can’t find them at the hardware store.

And yes I can remove the carrier, but I can add the zerk without doing so. I packed grease in the grooves and all around the inner part when the carrier was off before, but it dried up in a couple months. So hopefully a grease fitting will solve my issue.

Thanks for the tips

 

[John Cooper]

Okay I’m going to order a zerk that threads into the M10x1.50. Can’t find them at the hardware store.

And yes I can remove the carrier, but I can add the zerk without doing so. I packed grease in the grooves and all around the inner part when the carrier was off before, but it dried up in a couple months. So hopefully a grease fitting will solve my issue.

Thanks for the tips

You would be better served, taking the carrier off and installing the zerk in the tube of the carrier.

Greasing from the top probably won't help much

 

[kmac5130]

You would be better served, taking the carrier off and installing the zerk in the tube of the carrier.

Greasing from the top probably won't help much

When I had the carrier off before, I could see a passageway to grooves in outside of the inner tube from the top bolt hole. If this wasn’t the case then yes that would be the way to go. I’m sure it was designed for lubrication from the top, but it didnt have a zerk when I bought it. And it’s a very thread size for a zerk.

 

[B1Toad]

You can also buy 1/4-20 X M-10 1.5 reducers and 1/4-20 X M-10 1.5 inserts: https://www.bulldogtools.com/prosthetic/stainless-steel-thread-reducer-14-20-to-m10_p_4844.html https://www.ezlok.com/ezlok-insert-550-1420