strange problem with disability scooter suspension

[Bill Wright]

This is a Pride Gogo traveller.The ride was very hard, It turned out that the buggy was fitted with seat suspension (the instructions said 'where fitted', but it was completely seized up. One tube was meant to slide inside another but it was rigidly stuck. It took a big hammer to free it. The grease had solidified into a waxy substance. I cleaned it all up and adjusted the suspension to 'softest'. The spring appears to be a valve spring out of a big diesel or something similar; a very very strong compression spring. The suspension now works but it is still quite hard.

Bill

[Tim+]

I wonder whether someone has been using a volatile lubricant like WD40 that washed out the original lube and then evaporated?

Tim

[Chris Green]

WD40 really isn't a very good lubricant, when the volatile bit goes then what's left is distinctly sticky. It's not really designed to lubricate long term, it's for water dispersal.

After using WD40 to unsieze/free something (if you have to) then clean it off and put some proper long term treatment there, depends on the application whether that will be light oil, thick oil, grease or something else (e.g. copaslip).

[Robin]

Even basic scooters these days have to be designed to carry heavy users (often 300 lb or so). Solution may be for user to eat more pies :)

[Brian Gaff]

Not sure, I see this issue starting on a record deck I have here, and that parallel tracking device has never had any squirty stuff near it. Not looking forward to having to get it taken apart, cleaned and relubricated, but I think its just dust and time which has caused the degeneration. Brian

[Bill Wright]

Possibly. The machine was bought new by us though and has never had any maintenance. I wondered if the factory had used the wrong sort of grease.

Bill

[tabbypurr]

or a suboptimal spring.

[newshound]

Most greases will "dry out" over time, but I'm inclined to agree with you that it sounds like a poor choice (too hard, rather than too soft). You don't say whether there was much dirt or wear debris present. Sounds like they may have gone for something waxy to avoid oil bleeding out on to the stem (sounds like there is no seal). Any sign of "scoring" on the sliding parts? That could also cause them to seize.

[tabbypurr]

Waxy grease would add damping to springing, much improving the suspension, as long as not too hard of course.

NT

[Roger Hayter]

I have recently replaced a small motor/gearbox (from a biodisc sewage unit not that it matter). The gearbox was made in China and by the condition of the gears could have gone on for another fifty years or so. But all twenty or so tiny ball races had disintegrated to various extents. The only visible lubrication was a wodge of stuff that looked like the old plastic wood (after setting) and was equally dry and firm. If this was once grease, it seems to have actively taken up and absorbed any oily substance there may once have been. So my bet is that your shock absorber used an inappropriate but cheap Chinese grease substitute. My theory is that it was made from a mixture of soap and sawdust.