What's a good grease to use for cone / ball bearing type bicycle hubs? Currently I'm using a lithium based waterproof grease but I don't know much about greases and thought maybe there was something that would work better (lower friction, impervious to water, better corrosion resistance, etc.).
bicycle wheel bearings
- Thread starter MRC01
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contact Tim Mills at 1-800-373-1747 and ask for the schaeffers alum 221-2 grease. This is a water proof grease and will eliminate the rust and corrosion as well. Lithium grease is not water proof, but is water resistant. As you may have noticed in the past, the grease is milky colored due to water intrusion mixing with the complex thus holding water in the grease mixing and lubricating your bearings with this milked up watered down grease. Not a good way to keep water from corroding/pitting bearings.
Hi,
I was a Velodrome racer ( sprinter/1km TT ) for many years - Europe, NZ and Australia
I used a very light oil ( 3in1 ) or such in track wheels
In my road wheels ( training/racing ) I used much the same lubricant - never grease.
There are a number of very good specialised synthetic lubricants available now
I still use the same - but no racing now - at 64!!!
Regards
I was a Velodrome racer ( sprinter/1km TT ) for many years - Europe, NZ and Australia
I used a very light oil ( 3in1 ) or such in track wheels
In my road wheels ( training/racing ) I used much the same lubricant - never grease.
There are a number of very good specialised synthetic lubricants available now
I still use the same - but no racing now - at 64!!!
Regards
I use campy grease for the hubs, bb, and headset, Finish Line teflon grease for everything else. Using oil for road is not advisible. I know track racers use oil to minimize friction, but that's really a special application. My guess is if you use a heavy oil like GL-5 gear oil (some trucks w/ FF rear axles use gear oil to lube the bearings), the bearings will hold up, but you'll have to oil often to compensate for leaking.
There was no way I'm going to use oil -- I want my bike to last for more than one race!
I switched from the Campy stuff to the Lithium grease because the Campy stuff was lithium grease anyway so I figured way pay 10x the cost for the same thing? Well I guess it's not quite the same since the Campy grease jar looks really nice and it does say Campagnolo on it...
Anyway I'm pretty happy with this stuff I'm using but the one area it is weak is in water proofing. As Bob said, lithium grease is water resistant but not water proof. This is really just an issue on the MTB not the road bikes.
So to rephrase my question, what I'm really looking for is a bicycle wheel bearing grease that holds up to extended periods of total immersion in water and whatever else it encounters on a serious MTB ride.
Thanks for the advice so far and I hope that helps clarify things...
MRC, as stated above, call Tim. The grease isn't but $3 a tube or around there. It will give you what you're looking for. I have many customers as well as myself that uses the schaeffers waterproof grease in my bikes, M/c's , trailer and car bearings. Once in there, I never look at it again as when I do, the grease is still there and you'll see yourself just reinstalling it back on. For what that costs you, you can't go wrong trying it and I can assure you, anyone on here that has used any of schaeffers grease will concur as to it's quality.
Well, that answered one question I was wondering about........but anybody got a good grease/oil for chains?
Mike
Mike
besides advising you to go to sealed cartridge units in your hubs and bottom bracket i would think boat trailer grease would work well and you can get it almost anywhere.
for chain lube i like break free but it stinks pretty bad sometimes i can even smell it on the trail. finish line makes some dry chain lubes that are supposed to be good and tri-flow is also a favorite among riders. i would go with tri-flow if i were you and it is fairly easy to find.
for chain lube i like break free but it stinks pretty bad sometimes i can even smell it on the trail. finish line makes some dry chain lubes that are supposed to be good and tri-flow is also a favorite among riders. i would go with tri-flow if i were you and it is fairly easy to find.
If by sealed cartridge units you mean the skateboard wheel type bearings, then I've tried those and I didn't like them. I know why lots of guys like them: they are not adjustable, and when they lose their smoothness or start to have some play, you just throw them away.
But properly adjusted ball / cone bearings have lower rolling resistance than a sealed cartridge unit. And with the right grease and adjustment, the ball / cone bearings last longer.
Interesting you mention the boat trailer grease because the lithium grease I'm using now came from a boat shop. But just for grins I am going to try the Shaeffer's stuff.
Now that the subject is moving toward chain lube, my favorite is a mixture of synthetic oil and teflon that I buy in large spray cans at Pep Boys. This works great on the motorcycle too.
Hi,
one way to correctly lube a chain is to lightly warm a synthetic engine oil and add some Moly (or graphite ), then immerse the chain after thoroughly cleaning it. Leave for an hour or two. Allow it to drip dry afterwards, then wipe all external oil off it
Spray then with one of the new synthetic chain lubes to seal it, externally lubricate and to repel water, dirt etc
I agree that cone and ball bearings are good for bikes - and infinitely adjustable. I once had a sealed bearing seize up ( rear hub )in the final sprint for a national road race championship - four of us crashed!
In track racing if you remove one ball each side they then sound good too - a gentle rattle!
Regards
one way to correctly lube a chain is to lightly warm a synthetic engine oil and add some Moly (or graphite ), then immerse the chain after thoroughly cleaning it. Leave for an hour or two. Allow it to drip dry afterwards, then wipe all external oil off it
Spray then with one of the new synthetic chain lubes to seal it, externally lubricate and to repel water, dirt etc
I agree that cone and ball bearings are good for bikes - and infinitely adjustable. I once had a sealed bearing seize up ( rear hub )in the final sprint for a national road race championship - four of us crashed!
In track racing if you remove one ball each side they then sound good too - a gentle rattle!
Regards
I buy a new bike every 15 years so my latest one is a bit more modern than my last.
It has a cartrigde bottom bracket and wheel hubs.
I know nothing is maintenance 'free', do I need to do anything to the bearings?
What about the steering head bearings? I use to fiddle with them all the time. I'm not sure what my new bike has.
It has a cartrigde bottom bracket and wheel hubs.
I know nothing is maintenance 'free', do I need to do anything to the bearings?
What about the steering head bearings? I use to fiddle with them all the time. I'm not sure what my new bike has.
Now we get to the ambiguity of the term "cartridge bearings". It might mean skateboard type wheel bearings. No maintenance and when they get loose or rough you throw them away and replace them. But it might mean a ball bearing / cone setup where the balls are mounted in a circular frame "cartridge". This is commonly found in headsets.
I've also heard "sealed bearings" used to refer to the skateboard type wheel bearings. But this too is ambiguous as it could also mean any ball bearing / cone setup that has rubber "seals" between the cones & hubs which help keep dust out.
Anybody know what is the correct unambiguous terminology here?
Mike,
Tim also carries a chain lube designed specificly to coat the chains with moly then completely dry out so not to attract dirt.
#227 MOLY ROLLER CHAIN LUBE
This stuff is extremely thin. That way it can penetrate into the links unlike motor oils, grease or waxes.
Back on the bearings, the grease I suggested is better than standard marine greases but also it too has moly which eliminates having to go through all the hassle of putting something in like motor oil, the adding moly or graphite, then wiping out then sealing. Just put this in, and you're done. I can assure you, you'll be pleased with the results. Now for racers, I can understand a light weight oil, that's where you are talking about a real thin oil but as pointed out, you must re apply constantly. Thats where our penetro 90 comes in. I have a bunch of go cart guys using this in their sealed bearings and it reduces friction so much that when they spin the wheels it just keeps spinning forever it seems. Anyway, hope that helps answer your questions.
bob
Tim also carries a chain lube designed specificly to coat the chains with moly then completely dry out so not to attract dirt.
#227 MOLY ROLLER CHAIN LUBE
This stuff is extremely thin. That way it can penetrate into the links unlike motor oils, grease or waxes.
Back on the bearings, the grease I suggested is better than standard marine greases but also it too has moly which eliminates having to go through all the hassle of putting something in like motor oil, the adding moly or graphite, then wiping out then sealing. Just put this in, and you're done. I can assure you, you'll be pleased with the results. Now for racers, I can understand a light weight oil, that's where you are talking about a real thin oil but as pointed out, you must re apply constantly. Thats where our penetro 90 comes in. I have a bunch of go cart guys using this in their sealed bearings and it reduces friction so much that when they spin the wheels it just keeps spinning forever it seems. Anyway, hope that helps answer your questions.
bob
Turns out the real # is 800 737-1747... He's not around today (Saturday) so I'll try him on Monday. Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try and post the results. Plan to use the chain oil on several bicycles including a tandem, and my motorcycle.
to solve your bearing terminology question. your "skateboard bearings" are technically refered to as cartridge bearings. if they have metal side on them they are referred to as shielded (zz) and if they have rubber sides they are refered to as sealed (2rs). i meant components similar to the shimano XT and XTR line.
i perfer the sealed cartridge units because i enjoy riding my bike more than i do working on it and that slight amount of friction makes no difference to me. just my own perference though.
i perfer the sealed cartridge units because i enjoy riding my bike more than i do working on it and that slight amount of friction makes no difference to me. just my own perference though.
More on terminology:
What is a ball / cone bearing called when the balls are retained in a circular metal "cartridge"? I've heard this called "cartridge" bearings but it sounds like you're saying that is not the correct terminology.
What is a ball / cone bearing called when there are rubber seals from the cones to the hub? I've heard this called "sealed" bearings...
As for maintenance, I find that once I repack the bearings with lithium boat grease, they're good for life. They never need another repack or adjustment unless they're completely immersed in water, at which point they need a repack. So the maintenance is really not an issue except for extreme MTB riding. And IME ball / cone bearings last longer than the "sealed cartridge" units.
There was ONE time I found myself wishing I had "sealed cartridge" bearings. That was when I rode "La Ruta" (La Ruta De Los Conquistadores). But of course La Ruta is not your average ride... (to say the least)...
Forgot to mention, the 227 chain lube, is extremely thin and will drip when spraying. Being it is black in color(the moly), put some paper down on the floor so not to leave a spot as it is a nasty color and could get messy. What many M/C users do is, to coat the chain, then wipe the chain down. Some, just coat and leave for a couple of days. Just wanted to let you know it is not a tacky, lubricant that you can spray and just start riding. It is a maintanence lubricant that once on there, it stays and you'll hear a difference in the chain rattle when in a quite area where nomally you just hear you chain. Some people don't like the mess it can leave, so many guys use the penetro 90 as it's clear and does an excellent job of getting into the links. It also is a rust prevenative. I use the penetro 90 to clean my chains and then after all the links work, I will spray the 227 chain lube on them.
sealed cartridge bearings is the proper industrial name for those type of bearings, not a bicycle industry name. they are named cartridge because they are self contained "cartridges" and sealed because the bearing cartridge itself is sealed.
you could call the hubs sealed when they have thier own seals but the actual bearing unit is not a sealed unit if it is ball/cone. saying the ball/cage assy the "cartridge" is the wrong terminology.
you could call the hubs sealed when they have thier own seals but the actual bearing unit is not a sealed unit if it is ball/cone. saying the ball/cage assy the "cartridge" is the wrong terminology.
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