Originally Posted by
randyjawa
I worked as an Industrial Mechanic for close to 40 years. Generally, we did not grease bolts. That said, stainless steel bolts and nuts did get a good shot of anti-seize prior to assembly. The anti-seize was to help prevent the occurrence of thread pick-up. Put another way, it is not uncommon for stainless steel fasteners to transfer, as is darn near weld, tread to thread. Perhaps the following, not my words, but certainly what I believe...
"Generally, lubricating bolt threads with grease should be avoided in most cases, especially if a specific torque value is required. While grease can prevent corrosion and ease future removal in some situations, it significantly reduces friction, which can lead to incorrect clamping forces, potential damage to components, and even bolt failure."
In the context of threads like this one, where a newcomer is asking basic questions, it's probably best to avoid using jargon such as "thread pick-up" that even experienced bike mechanics might not have encountered. I've never seen it before, and I've been working on bikes since I began building wheels in the mid-'60's.
FYI, a search using the term first returned information about sewing machine bobbins (problems with guiding sewing thread through the machine).
I then added "metal fasteners" to the search term and got results describing electric guitar pickups.
Can't help speculating that "thread pick-up" was made up by someone in a manufacturing plant somewhere and used only there.