Grease for Swingset Hardware?

[Bibliophile 13]

I've got kids who love to swing on our backyard swing set.  The swing hardware is robust, but it squeaks.  Loudly. 

This isn't so bad in the middle of the afternoon when the kids are running around the yard making all kinds of noise.  But one of my kids likes to unwind by swinging in the evening.  So there I am, reading quietly in the evenings, and all I can hear from the backyard is "squeak....... squeak.......squeak......."  It sounds like a little bird being stepped on repeatedly.  I can't imagine the neighbors enjoy the sound any better than I do. 

Is there some kind of grease or something that I could put on the hardware to minimize the sound?  Oils have not lasted long, so I'm thinking a true grease might be better?  But because it's out in the elements with no protection, I'm not sure what kind of grease might be best.

[toolmiser]

My mother told me the story of when I was little (long long time ago) I had a tricycle that had squeaky wheels. One day my dad heard them and said he would fix that. Mom said don't do it, that if she hears the squeaking, she knows what I was up to.

I've got a couple outside door hinges that squeak. nobody gets in or out quietly.

[Snipe Hunter]

Marine grease will hold up a lot better in the elements. It's more water resistant than lithium axle grease and has thickeners in it to keep it in place.

[toolmiser]

Will it work in the pole in my back yard that holds up a bird feeder? Every once in a while I have to go out and grease it because some squirrel is too stupid to know that it can't climb it.

[Snipe Hunter]

Will it work in the pole in my back yard that holds up a bird feeder?  Every once in a while I have to go out and grease it because some squirrel is too stupid to know that it can't climb it.

Yea, for about an hour till they figure it out.

[daddo]

This worked for me- your mileage may vary.

A piece of cotton from an old T shirt, 3/4" wide and 2-3 inches long. Soak the cotton with grease then wrap it around the squeaking parts and attach it with a clothes pin. Once a month or as needed, give it a few shots of oil.

[tomsteve]

This worked for me- your mileage may vary.

A piece of cotton from an old T shirt, 3/4" wide and 2-3 inches long. Soak the cotton with grease then wrap it around the squeaking parts and attach it with a clothes pin. Once a month or as needed, give it a few shots of oil.

leather works good,too

[adamcherubini]

I've got kids who love to swing on our backyard swing set.  The swing hardware is robust, but it squeaks.  Loudly. 

This isn't so bad in the middle of the afternoon when the kids are running around the yard making all kinds of noise.  But one of my kids likes to unwind by swinging in the evening.  So there I am, reading quietly in the evenings, and all I can hear from the backyard is "squeak....... squeak.......squeak......."  It sounds like a little bird being stepped on repeatedly.  I can't imagine the neighbors enjoy the sound any better than I do. 

Is there some kind of grease or something that I could put on the hardware to minimize the sound?  Oils have not lasted long, so I'm thinking a true grease might be better?  But because it's out in the elements with no protection, I'm not sure what kind of grease might be best.

I think you want a higher viscosity grease like substance. I recommend readily available wheel bearing grease meeting NLGI 2. Next question is molybdenum disulfide or white lithium or....? Any chance the kids are going to get their hands in it? If so, I'd go with SuperLube which you can get as NLGI 2 PTFE. The quietest and probably longest lasting will be black moly. I'd probably pick white lithium next. But know that if the kids get the moly on their hands.....you'll end up throwing away their clothes and sending the drapes out to the cleaner.

Moly has a high (3-5%) solid component. Those solids will physically separate the squeaking parts. And a fairly thin layer will do it. But all of these will need to be re-applied regularly due to rain and heat.

Good luck

[Admiral]

Is there some kind of grease or something that I could put on the hardware to minimize the sound?  Oils have not lasted long, so I'm thinking a true grease might be better?  But because it's out in the elements with no protection, I'm not sure what kind of grease might be best.

Maybe something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/die-schaukel-Mara...232&sr=8-1

[Stwood_]

Doesn't everyone still own an oil can?