Making the impossible happen - FUCHS SCHMIERSTOFFE develops a PU-based special lubricating grease for passenger car constant velocity joint (CVJ) side shafts

The developers at FUCHS SCHMIERSTOFFE GMBH have succeeded in developing a new, special lubricating grease RENOLIT PU-LFT 1 (polyurea, low friction tripod) for constant velocity joints of passenger cars. Extremely low coefficients of friction in a steel to steel contact and a sufficient endurance/ durability of the grease in the joint, are the main characteristics of RENOLIT PU-LFT 1, which are usually difficult to combine.

RENOLIT PU-LFT 1 was developed within a very short time for the drive shaft specialist Neapco to improve the performance of inboard plunging joints, mainly standard tripods. The new FUCHS grease very reliably reduces the so-called ‘clonk noise’ that occurs in some vehicles when shifting up from the first to the second gear. For that reason, a well-known OEM asked Neapco to have a grease developed, that meets all NVH- (noise, vibration, harshness) criteria and at the same time offers a high efficiency performance and lifetime.

Hence, the grease must reduce the 3^rd order axial (sliding) forces and the so-called shudder effect. RENOLIT PU-LFT 1 meets all these requirements and also shows an extremely low coefficient of friction in the tripod roller/ tulip track contact, which leads to a significant improvement in efficiency and energy savings of the vehicle. RENOLIT PU-LFT 1 is meanwhile being used in a large-series passenger car model. In addition, the new PU special lubricating grease will be used as a troubleshooter, whenever conventional greases are not sufficient.

RENOLIT PU-LFT 1 is the first Neapco approved product to be manufactured at the new PU production plant in Kaiserslautern. Further low-friction solutions for fixed joints will follow shortly, in close cooperation with other FUCHS R&D units.