Lubricate tailgate hinges

[xzirri]

Hi again! I have been trying to get rid of this annoying squeak from my tailgate hinges for a while now, and I'm in need of some good advise.

So far I have tried spraying lithium grease, WD-40, 5-56, PTFE, lock oil and even engine oil. Lithium grease, which seems to be everybody's recommendation, didn't work at all. I tried my best to spray it into the hinges but it doesn't seem to be able to creep into the hinges. I noticed rust color in the white grease so I decided to spray some WD-40 and 5-56 to get the rust out of there. It seemed no matter how much i sprayed, there would still be more rust in the hinges.

Next, I tried some 5w-30 leftover from the previous oil change. This seemed to be a fix, as the tailgate stopped making noise and the struts were able to raise the tailgate without assistance. However, after a day or two, things were back to normal with squeaks and all. Once again, I tried to clear out rust with even more WD-40, then sprayed the hinges with PTFE, which seems only increased the friction level within the hinges. Lastly, I sprayed the hinges with brake cleaner and used some more 5w-30. This time, the oil wasn't as effective as last time. The tailgate stays at whatever angle I leave it at, and I'm pretty sure the squeaks will be back in the morning.

Any tips on how I can lubricate the hinges properly? Is it possible to knock out the hinge pins, lubricate them with some wheel bearing grease or something, and put them back in? This is the top priority one out of 4 annoying noises I'm trying to eliminate (side mirrors vibrating, rear view mirror vibrating, rear numberplate vibrating), since this is the only one that literally gives me headaches (from bumping my head).

[Perfection]

When you applied the oil, did you operated the tail gate?i.e. close and open the tail gate to encourage the oil to seep into the hinges.

Also are you sure it is the hinge that is making the noise? Or is it the struts?

[flash22]

wd40 is a good degreaser but thats about it. i would try some GT85 or Duck Oil if you want to grease them use a good lithium based grease or a ceramic

Number plate vibrating assuming its held by screws remove the plate and put a few strips of 3M foam tape on the back

[xzirri]

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, I did the open and close thing to try and work the lubricant into the hinges. Added a little lubricant between each time I did so. The squeek is most definitely from the hinges and not the struts, as the noise disappears each time I add some lubricant to the hinges.

The squeak hasn't returned since I added the engine oil to the hinges last night. However, I noticed that when I push the tailgate upwards to the maximum allowed by the struts, the right strut moves a little upwards in one of the ball joints. Maybe that is causing the tailgate to sag a little to one side when opened, which is then preventing the struts from pushing the tailgate up.

However, the issue with using engine oil as a lubricant is that it gets washed out during rain. That is probably why people recommend white grease, but I don't understand how I can get the white grease into the hinges.

[xzirri]

5 minutes ago, flash22 said:

wd40 is a good degreaser but thats about it. i would try some GT85 or Duck Oil if you want to grease them use a good lithium based grease or a ceramic

Number plate vibrating assuming its held by screws remove the plate and put a few strips of 3M foam tape

Thanks, I'll look into those lubricants. Are they water resistant?

Numberplate is held by a plastic plate holder, which is held by screws. Those screws are placed quite far up, so the lower part slaps around. Tried putting some Dynamat type of butyl things on it (leftover from when I did sound deadening) but it didn't do too much. I have been reluctant to using foam, as that might retain water and cause corrosion. However, I am considering using butyl tape on the edges of the plate holder to stop it from flapping around.

[flash22]

The 3M tape is close cell it been used in the automotive industry for years

[xzirri]

Cheers, might give that a go then!

[Perfection]

I have put WD-40 on mine and then use old school grease which you normally use for the hub bearings. That stops all the squeek noise, permanently.

I also applied the grease to the strut, not sure if it's a good idea or not, but that helps to lift the tail gate easier.

[xzirri]

How did you get the grease into the hinges? Did it creep in by itself after doing the open and close thing?

[Perfection]

Yes indeed I closed and opened the tail gate.

[Gerg]

If you know anyone who runs a motorcycle (so maybe not, in your part of the world) then motorcycle chain lube spray will be designed for a similar set of requirements i.e. goes on thin, gets into narrow gaps, waterproof, and goes thick when the solvent has evaporated.  It will get further into the hinge if the hinge is quite hot beforehand, but this presents its own solvent/fire and tailgate damage hazards, clearly!

One of these ink jet printer refill bottles (if you're lucky enough to have an old one) makes a useful precision oiler when refilled with engine oil - good for keeping boot hinges lubricated without dumping oil all over the place. 

Just an outside thought for the mirror rattle; on our Auris, one of the three (just visible) external self-tapping screws into the mirror base had its head shear off, apparently by itself (?!), this made the already tinny-sounding door sound absolutely terrible when it was shut.  Your door mirror is probably from the same manufacturer, so perhaps, just maybe, a similar fault?

The super sticky 3M tape that flash mentioned is sometimes referred to as 3M VHB tape, as in 'very high bond'.  And isopropyl alcohol is quite good at removing it.

[xzirri]

MC chain lube is a good tip! I know two people who drive motorcycles during the summer (when there isn't any ice on the road). Apparently, the twisty roads of Norway are quite fun when riding a bike.

Great tip regarding the ink refillers, might have some luck finding some at the office. If not, I think I might get ahold of a syringe or something.

As for the mirrors, it is not the screws, but rather the plastic of the mirror housing vibrating against the mirror base. I think I need some decoupling layer between the base and the housing.

If you think your door sounds tinny, I highly recommend attaching some dampening material to the sheet metal. Night and day difference, and even the stock Speakers will sound much better.

[xzirri]

I removed the struts, cleaned the ball joints, greased them up and reinstalled the struts again. I also lubricated the hinges again. The squeak seems to be gone for now, yet the tailgate didn't rise up on its own. Next thing I did was to remove the tailgate trim to try and straighten out a dent. However, once the trim was removed, the tailgate would rise up on its own the way it should. This makes me wonder if the struts are too weak. Is there any easy way I can measure the force from the struts? Aftermarket ones go for around £20 each, maybe I'll just replace them.

[Gerg]

16 hours ago, xzirri said:

MC chain lube

Just remembered!  Be wary of the strong solvents in motorcycle chain lube, I have a very good suspicion that they will damage/melt car door rubber seals if they are accidentally sprayed.

16 hours ago, xzirri said:

regarding the ink refillers

The top section removes from my ones, which makes then easier to initially clean out (fiddly) and refill.

12 hours ago, xzirri said:

This makes me wonder if the struts are too weak

Given the age of your car I think this is fairly inevitable.  Our 2001 Corolla hatchback started showing the same symptoms a few years back.

[xzirri]

This got me thinking... I was planning on sound deadening the tailgate as well but I'm starting to doubt if even new struts would be able to handle it. Hmm, I guess I'll see if I can find some stronger struts in the same length.

Btw I taped the vertical sides of the numberplate holder with butyl tape, now the rattle is gone.

I guess this issue is sorted for now. I'll post here if I find any stronger struts that will fit.

[xzirri]

I installed new struts that were rated at 550N (original ones were rated at 525N) and they were almost too powerful. Now, the tailgate goes up by itself. In fact, when opening the tailgate, the car kind of bounces up when the struts are fully extended. I tried to re-torque the bolts for the ball joint thing on the car body as they seemed to be a little loose, and I over torqued one of the bolts. The bolt snapped, and I had to drill it out. Note to self: always use a torque wrench. I ordered new bolts. However, the dealer told me they couldn't get ahold of new packings/gaskets, as they were out of production. I had to reuse the paper packings, which have seen better days. In order to create a tight seal, I have covered the edges of the packing in some super glue gel. Seems to work for now, until I can make my own packing or order one from somewhere online.