Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
I guess that's why when ever I used wax on my chains they only lasted about 4th as long as a teflon based lube because wax works so well.
And when I did the melted (hot) wax thing I added in about 4 tablespoons of Slick 50 (I don't recall the exact recipe but if I hunted through my old notes I could find it). When the wax is in a liquid state you drop the chain in and agitate it in the liquid, it gets into chain as well as dripping will. And the can wax you bought for bicycle chains also had a carrier built into it.
I'd not do the hot wax thing every again. It certainly wasn't the same as solvent based lubricants in that it didn't last as long nor was it as effective. I have no particular love for the method. However, it was much less messy than sticky oils like Phil's Tenacious Oil. But then so are dry lubes. Dry lubes like White Lightning are just wax dissolved in a solvent. They are more complex and sophisticated than that as I've pointed out elsewhere.
Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
Before I get much further everything I say is only my opinion and based more on observation than testing or scientific fact. So don't take offense Cyccomute, I'm not attacking you.
Why do you lube your chain with oil instead of wax based lubes that keep the chain really clean? Because in my opinion wax DOES NOT WORK! Would you pour wax into your engine? Pretty bold statement don't you think?
If you could keep your engine hot all the time, wax would work just fine inside an engine. At the operating temperatures of the combustion chamber of engines, waxes might even last longer than shorter chain oils and stay in the cylinder better. In fact the 2 numbers on oils such as 10W30 is so that the oil flows enough to start the engine but doesn't thin out too much at temperature.
Comparing a bicycle chain and it's lubrication requirements to those of an automobile engine is a red herring.
Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
Well, based on chain wear measured with a Park chainchecker I believe wax lubes cause accelerated chain wear. Why you ask? My feeling is a good quality chain (Campy, Wippermann, Dura Ace, SRAM, KMC ) should, with proper lubing and cleaning, last at least 4000 miles and I've gone 8,000 on the new school narrower chains, but we've seen these chains completely worn out with only 2000 miles on them from discussions right here on this forum and other forums. Why were these chains worn out? Wax lube, you know the ones White Lightning, Krytek etc. You can probably get just as good results using WD40 and spraying it on the chain repeatedly, the wax lubes stay clean because the wax doesn't get into the rollers to properly lube the chain. Have you ever noticed how noisy wax lubed chains are? Have you also noticed wax lubes don't fight corrosion? Have you noticed you need to relube your chain more often? like every 60 or 70 miles? I had to take a bottle of wax lube when I rode more then 60 miles so I could relube it on the damn road! And where there is noise there is wear, you wouldn't let your lifters in your car rattle due to low oil would you? WHY NOT? My chain is nice and quiet and if properly applied, oil doesn't need to make the chain dirty and that's why I love Chain L #50.
I've had chains wear out using wet lubes in 2000 miles. I have results similar to yours with dry lubes. It depends on how you are using them and what you are subjecting them to. Off-road in dry environments...and probably in wet environments...grit does far more damage to the chain than whether or not the chain has lubricant at all.
Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
I recommend first you clean the chain completely with a water soluble degreaser (I use Finishline Ecotec), let it dry for a day, then reapply the lube one roller at a time, when you finish, run the chain through all of the gears to properly disperse the lube, after you've run through the gears wipe the chain with a clean rag until nearly dry. Ride and enjoy the silence! When you return from your first new lube ride wipe the excess lube off and you should be good for 300 to 500 miles depending on conditions.
If you are worried about corrosion, why are you letting any mild steel chain near water? You are doing more damage to the inside of the chain than miles of riding an unlubricated chain could ever do. Especially if you are allowing the water to remain in contact with the steel for a day.
I've stated above that I get as 500 to 600 miles between applications. You don't need the chain to be dripping lubricant to have it effective chain lubrication. I get well over 2000 miles per chain using White Lightning and I don't have to clean the chain once a week. I clean the chain
once when I install it. The stuff works. It works well...as well as sloppy wet lubricants in many conditions. I know because I've used it in all kinds of conditions.