Bicycle Mechanics - Do I need "loctite green" and "bearing drifts"?

I'm installing new bearings in my Velomax Tempest front wheel. According to Velomax I need to apply loctite green to the outer race of the bearing that fits on the pressed side of the axle. Is this really necessary? The instructions also show using "bearing drifts" to seat the bearings fully. I don't have the loctite green or the Velomax bearing drifts. I've never installed bearings so I don't know if this stuff is really necessary. Can I just use a socket or something and a mallet to knock the bearing on to the press fit side?

Velomax pdf instructions:
http://www.velomax.com/site/PDF/TM%20Portrait%20-%20R2%20Front.pdf

I'm installing new bearings in my Velomax Tempest front wheel. According to Velomax I need to apply loctite green to the outer race of the bearing that fits on the pressed side of the axle. Is this really necessary? No. The instructions also show using "bearing drifts" to seat the bearings fully. I don't have the loctite green or the Velomax bearing drifts. I've never installed bearings so I don't know if this stuff is really necessary. Can I just use a socket or something and a mallet to knock the bearing on to the press fit side? Yes.

Velomax pdf instructions:
http://www.velomax.com/site/PDF/TM%20Portrait%20-%20R2%20Front.pdf

Overkill.

Can I just use a socket or something and a mallet to knock the bearing on to the press fit side?
Use the old bearing in place of the socket as it is exactly the right OD to match the new bearing.

The loctite green will set you back about five bucks, for a quantity that will last you a long, long time in personal use. Buy it, you'll use it all the time once it's handy, and you'll never have nagging doubts. Buying a specialized tool for a one-time use is a different story, you should be able to improvise something that should do an acceptable job.

I would say the difference is between doing a job where you're 99% sure it will hold up, and one where you're 99.99% sure. If you're just working on one bike, and you're the one who's going to fix it anyway, it's OK to cut the corner. The worst that could happen is the bearing loosens and you have to tighten it up later. If you're working on thousands of bikes, and the potential cost of failure is high, you go the extra yard.

Is this the right stuff? (It's green)

Loctite®
90-Minute Epoxy Syringe

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=152011-133-152011&lpage=none

Is this the right stuff? (It's green)

Loctite®
90-Minute Epoxy Syringe

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=152011-133-152011&lpage=none

NO NO NO!

That is epoxy from the Loctite brand. If you use that, I wish you luck ever getting those bearing out again. What you need is Loctite brand Green variety Threadlocker. The color refers to the adhesive strength of the threadlocker.

http://www.loctiteproducts.com/products/detail.asp?catid=10&subid=48&plid=695

You might try calling some automotive stores to see if they stock it.

Is this the right stuff? (It's green)

Loctite®
90-Minute Epoxy Syringe

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=152011-133-152011&lpage=none

No... definitely stay away from that one. I believe that Loctite 290 (http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/loctite_us/loctite_content.cfm?verityspider=0&layout=6&productline=290&path=Assembly%20Products|Threadlockers|Pre%2Dassembled%20Parts%20%28Wicking%20Grade%29|290%20Threadl ocker%20Wicking%20Grade) is what you're looking for.

Be careful ordering. We use Green Loctite to permanently lock extremely heavy duty industrial components in Hydraulic systems together....we're talking threads in 5000 psi applications. I think our compounds are 642 and/or 648 (whatever is the green one) and it literally bonds the two surfaces (we use this in addition to sprialok(sp) threads). If you're talking about this compund then YES...this is overkill. You would not be able to service any bearing installed with this compound.

I would just use the "weak locktite" it is blue.
You can buy a cheapo bearing tool-like this one-for maybe $5-$10-at harbor freight.Their tools are crude,but they are usually adequate.Luck,Charlie
PS I suspect that the smallest of these bearing pushers wouldn't be too big for your bearing if it has to be driven below 'flush".
I sure agree on the overkill-gluing the bearing in place with threadlock(or EPOXY!!).What kind of bearing would have to be driven in,but might fall out if not glued??Heck,you ought to be able to push it in with your thumbs if that is the case.

Had to go to an auto parts store to find the green threadlocker.

Why put loctite on a fixed bearing but only grease on a slip bearing? You'd think it would be the other way around.

Velomax told me that the locktite was required only on hubs that had been serviced often enough that the bearings would no longer fit snug......I did not use locktite and everything is fine. In the old days locktite "green" was used to refer to a weak capillary grade that could be applied to an already seated bearing by allowing it to wick into the gap. Use any tool that will allow you to seat the bearing only by applying pressure to outer race...do not transmit force across the bearings themselves....sockets, tubing pieces, whatever.....they don't require atomic forces to seat. Have fun, it ain't brain surgery as Sydney might say

The green loctite I have is called RC680. I have seen used very effectively in some early Bontrager hubs to elimninate creaking. They only creaked because the bearing press fit was not tight enough. I think they claimed that the spoke tension pulling outward on the hub shell increased the bore diameter and that they didn't take that into consideration when designing the hub shell.

I love 680 as much as I do 242. A lot!

Helpful tip: Most pivot bearings on any Trek full-suspension bikes (that includes Fisher) are secured with 680. The main (if not only) exception are frames that have a "pinch bolt" of sorts for the bearings, such as the Session 10, Fat Possum, and the new Race Day series.