Originally Posted by
Ciufalon
I thought it was best to use something like spoke prep that keeps it from seizing, but also provides a bit of hold to keep it from loosening.
If you have enough tension on the spokes they're not going to loosen, even when the spoke threads are properly lubricated with anti-seize, even with Campagnolo hubs that have a more than typical imbalance between drive and non-drive sides, even when you have 250 pounds of obese rider + luggage + bike rolling on your wheels.
Except when you bend the rim, although that generally implies replacement which fixes the problem.
As a foot note, "hard to turn" nipples don't necessarily imply sufficient tension.