Serious question, should we be greasing rails more or less often?

Honestly, I had a conversation with an old-timer last week in a 14-story building downtown that got me thinking. He swore up and down that we over-grease elevator guide rails and that it just attracts dirt and causes more wear in the long run. I've always been on the side of greasing them every 3 months without fail, but he said he only does it twice a year and his cars run smoother. Ngl, I looked at his logs and he had way fewer callbacks than me last year. But then another guy in our shop says that's crazy and you need that slick coating to prevent the rollers from chattering. So which is it? Is there a middle ground here or are we all just guessing based on what our first mentor told us? Has anyone else run into this debate and found a solid answer from experience?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonw411mo ago

Hang on, are we really losing sleep over this? I just run my finger over the rail and if it feels dry I hit it, if not I leave it. It's not rocket science.

kevin_bailey1mo ago

Pulled into a job last month where a guy had been greasing his rails every single week. His thinking was more is better. Took me an hour to clean the buildup off just one section. The guide shoes were practically skating on a layer of gunk. I asked him when he last had a callback and he said about six months ago for a rough ride. I just nodded and showed him a car I service. I grease it every four months and I can count the callbacks this year on one hand. Dirt and old grease mix into this nasty paste that just makes everything worse.