Squeaky hinges

[Lee Nowell]

Hi all

I have these hinges on all my internal doors

Over the years they have been gradually "leaking" some black oil which we periodically clean off. One of the doors has now gone very squeaky so looking to oil the hinges. Any idea what is best to use and how to oil them? The tops and bottoms are covered so can't squirt something in the top and work it around by opening and closing the door.

Thanks in advance

Lee.

[Chris Green]

I think some sort of spray grease should do the trick, just squirt it at the hinge joints. It'll work its way in OK.

[Chris Hogg]

Or 3-in-1 spray directed using the straw

[Chris Green]

I think hinges need something a bit 'stickier' than 3-in-1 though.

[Robin]

If the hinges have ball bearings packed with grease I wonder how effective any externally applied lubricant can be, and for how long. If the listed hinges are an /exact/ matches I think I'd at least consider replacement as the easiest option in the longer term.

[Dave Liquorice]

Just normal accumlation of wear and dust mixed with whatever has been used to lubricate the hinge in the past.

squirt it

I tend to agree that a thin smear of grease actually applied to the bearing suraces/hinge pin and reasembled would be good but I don't think anything outside will find it's way in. And the stuff left on the outside is messy and not doing anything...

I reach for a big screwdriver and oil pen. Use big screwdriver as a stethoscope to find the offending hinge and apply the tinest drop of oil to the joints of said hinge letting capillary action draw it between the bearing faces. Work the door a bit, leave for 10 mins, check squeak has gone.

[Lee Nowell]

[newshound]

That's what I'd do too. Surface tension should hold some of it in place. Ideally with ball bearings you would find a way to re-fill with grease although I would be cautious about prising off the top. If you have one really noisy one and they are still available you might swap it out and give the old one a good soak in a thin solvent, and then in something like gear oil. And keep it as a spare.

[RJH]

Or lithium spray:

I find it a lot better in this sort of situation - tends to 'stick' for a lot longer.

[T i m]

Because they are 'Ball bearing hinges' and in the spirit of 'reuse / recycle' and d-i-y <g> I'd be tempted to buy a spare set and swap them out on the first door. Then I'd soak / work the hinges in some paraffin till you had got all the cr*p out.

If that was too involved, you could probably spray the cr*p out using brake cleaner or even WD40.

Then I would dry them and then soak / work them in some heavy oil (SAE80?), allowing it to get into all the gaps / bearings then wipe off the surplus and leave on some newspaper / kitchen towel to drain.

Replace on the next door and probably never need to deal with the ones you processed ever again that were probably never lubed or lubed properly from new. ;-(

If you have 3 hinges / door you could probably change them one at a time unassisted. If two hinge and have some assistance / wedges you should be able to change them one at a time in-situ (easier than lifting the door off and re-hanging).

Cheers, T i m

p.s. We have rising butts on all the doors here and if any stop self closing, a drop of 3-in-1 will generally get them going but it won't last. If I lift the door off, clean the hinges properly (rag with some solvent), add a thin smear of white grease and re-hang, 'then' they carry on for years.