# Oiling a truss rod?



## sami

Has anyone here had to do this?

My main bass is an Ibby SR805 (or 855??). When I first got it, the neck was bent way back. I had a hard time loosening the truss rod because someone previously tightened it to the point where it was probably beyond it's threads.

I was real careful and I was finally able to loosen, but I did it just a little too much. I left it like this because I didn't want to take a chance and royally screwing it up, but it's just gotten to the point where it's bothering me too much and I want to have a straighter neck.

So before I do this, I figured maybe oiling it would help first, but I've never done this before.

Any advice??


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## MaKo´s Tethan

hmmmm, man, it`s a metal device, it`s not more complex than a bike part, so, I think that will work, even I think is a good idea to maintenance them and make it last more in wet countrys.


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## Bo Millward

WD-40 works on everything from truss rods to car parts. I well recommend you get a can


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## sami

hehe, WD-40 is standard in my household! The only problem I'd have with it is will it affect the wood or the finish?


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## Cheesebuiscut

People constantly recommend wd-40 for cleaning every single inch of guitars so I highly doubt it.


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## jymellis

hey man, is there a nut on top of that truss rod? i know my peavey has a nut at the end of the rod (wow that sounded bad). anyways when i was younger i decided to adjust the truss rod. well it didnt turn easy so i used wd-40. well that broke the nut loose from the rod making it so the nut screwed on and off the rod without turning the rod (adjusting neck) i had to eventually use j.b. weld on the nut to get it to stick to the truss rod again


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## sami

oh man that's horrible!! I'm not sure since I can only see the top. Does anyone know if Ibanez basses have a nut at the end where you turn it? I'm surprised JB Weld worked for you. Mine's pretty hard to adjust so if I used JB Weld, it'd just break.


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## jymellis

do you have to use a socket or an allen wrench?


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## SargeantVomit

Sticky truss rod is okay as long as you don't have to really haul on it. You should only turn it 1/4 turn each day until it's in the proper position anyway.


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## Andrew_B

Bo Millward said:


> WD-40 works on everything from truss rods to car parts. I well recommend you get a can


 
no.



sami said:


> hehe, WD-40 is standard in my household! The only problem I'd have with it is will it affect the wood or the finish?


 
yes.


to oil a truss rod, you need to take the nut off and oil its treads, 
if its a double action, then it cannot be oiled,

i would take it to a tech if its giving you grief....
in the end, its better for a tech to fuck it up, than it is for you to shear off the truss rods nut lol


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## sami

I've adjusted truss rods on several basses. It's definitely harder than all the others. I've even got a SR405 which isn't MIJ and it's truss rod turns easy. I use an Alan wrench.

Would it be best if I buy truss rod oil then?


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## Andrew_B

well if you loosen off the nut all the way, will the nut come off, ?

im not familliar with that bass or the truss rod it uses...

if the nut comes off, just go buy some machine oil and put a drop on the threads,

you can also persuade the neck a lil if need be, by pushing the neck gently fowards or back whilst making your truss rod adjustment...
but be careful...


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## sami

I've never loosened a nut all the way off before but I've gotten close. The truss rod in my SR885 is a standard one. Has a cover before the nut, so it's the same as a guitar, just a bigger version.

So if I did remove the nut, would I just oil the threads inside it?


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## 22km Tombstone

Don't use WD-40. It's not a lubricant.The WD stands for "Water Displacement". Initially it was made as an anti-corrosion spray.

It may work temporarily, but is not an actual, long-lasting lubricant.

Anyway, back on topic: I'd also like to know how to do this, the truss rod nut on my SRX505 is extremely tight, and I'd like to lubricate it as well. Fortunately, the neck is pretty much straight so I don't have to fool around with it at the moment...


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## sami

I just checked out their site to see if there's anything on using it on guitars:

Cleans potentiometers on guitar amplifier
Lubricates guitar case latches
Coat electric guitar pickups to prevent rusting


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## Andrew_B

sami said:


> I've never loosened a nut all the way off before but I've gotten close. The truss rod in my SR885 is a standard one. Has a cover before the nut, so it's the same as a guitar, just a bigger version.
> 
> So if I did remove the nut, would I just oil the threads inside it?


 
just loosen off the strings andlossen off the nut a bit every few minutes untill it comes off (it should, and a washer should come off with it)

i say do it over a few mins, because the neck will be moving...

oil the threads in the nut,

put the washer and nut back on, and loosly tighten it lol

now you will have to tighen it back up and use a straight edge/precise ruler or your string fretted at the first and last fret to judge when your neck is straight






sami said:


> I just checked out their site to see if there's anything on using it on guitars:
> 
> Cleans potentiometers on guitar amplifier
> Lubricates guitar case latches
> Coat electric guitar pickups to prevent rusting


 
you dont want to ever get anything into your pickups windings.


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## sami

^that's what I thought, except maybe wax dipping but I wouldn't do that myself.

Thanks for your help guys. I'm going to take the nut out and oil it with the right stuff. Hope this works!


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## Customisbetter

Andrew_B said:


> just loosen off the strings andlossen off the nut a bit every few minutes untill it comes off (it should, and a washer should come off with it)
> 
> i say do it over a few mins, because the neck will be moving...
> 
> oil the threads in the nut,
> 
> put the washer and nut back on, and loosly tighten it lol
> 
> now you will have to tighen it back up and use a straight edge/precise ruler or your string fretted at the first and last fret to judge when your neck is straight
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> you dont want to ever get anything into your pickups windings.



I think they mean the metal covers on pickups.


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## 22km Tombstone

sami said:


> ^that's what I thought, except maybe wax dipping but I wouldn't do that myself.
> 
> Thanks for your help guys. I'm going to take the nut out and oil it with the right stuff. Hope this works!



Let us know how it goes! What are you using to oil it?


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## sami

will do man! I gotta buy the right oil first though. What would be some good suggestions?


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## jymellis

what exactly on the truss rod are you trying to oil?


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## sami

the nut. It's having a hard time turning.


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## Andrew_B

sami said:


> will do man! I gotta buy the right oil first though. What would be some good suggestions?


 
i use general machine oil

not sure where you would find it in the us, but over here i get it from anywhere that sells sewing machines/gear lol


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## sami

Hmmm, i'm on the search. Thanks again man!!


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## Andrew_B

no worrie man,

i forgot to mention, you can use vasaline too


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## jymellis

sami said:


> the nut. It's having a hard time turning.


 
dude, if you oil that nut and get it to turn you may put yourself in the same situation as me. the nut is supposed to turn the entire rod! if you oil and loosen that nut it will come off and you wont be able to adjust the rod.


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## sami

Ugh, so is there a way to fix this besides oil the nut?



Andrew_B said:


> vasaline too



Anyone else here put vasoline on your nuts? 



/sorry, I couldn't resist


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## Andrew_B

jymellis said:


> dude, if you oil that nut and get it to turn you may put yourself in the same situation as me. the nut is supposed to turn the entire rod! if you oil and loosen that nut it will come off and you wont be able to adjust the rod.


 
double action truss rod = nut is welded to rod

single action truss rod = nut is removable (most of the time)

i dont think this bass has a double action rod?, 
so the nut should come right off.

i dont think alot of you guys actually undertand what a truss rod does



sami said:


> Ugh, so is there a way to fix this besides oil the nut?
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone else here put vasoline on your nuts?
> 
> 
> 
> /sorry, I couldn't resist


 
lol its just another lubricant


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## sami

Naw, it's single rod.

Judging from what I can see, it looks like this:






You need an alan head to turn it.

So when you loosen the nut completely off, what should come out of it? Just the nut, or something with it? Or does nothing come out and will something stick out?


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## Andrew_B

thats a martin style rod, by the looks of it,

single action

the nut will come staight off, ussually a washer or two will be between the nut and the rod, but they ussually stay on the rod when the nut is taken off


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## jymellis

Andrew_B said:


> thats a martin style rod, by the looks of it,
> 
> single action
> 
> the nut will come staight off, ussually a washer or two will be between the nut and the rod, but they ussually stay on the rod when the nut is taken off


 
i understand double action, so with a single action does that mean you can only turn the actual rod clockwise or increase neck bow?


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## Andrew_B

by single action i just mean traditional fender/gibson/martin style

turn clockwise and it will tighten up,
turn it anti clockwise and the nut will come off the rod


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