Will Lithium Grease work for Bearings?
12-21-08 | 01:53 PM
#26
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 33,657
Likes: 1,119
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Reference to lithium is refering only to the thickener and is only part of the reason to choose or not choose a grease for a given application.
Grease is composed of oil (synthetic or mineral), thickener, and additives. For bike wheel bearings a I think a moderate viscosity oil (around ISO 100) with a calcium sulfonate thickener (for rust prevention in the wet) would be a good choice.
I think some better boat trailer wheel greases may fit this or you could just buy something that says it's for bike wheel bearings, like Phil Woods.
Grease is composed of oil (synthetic or mineral), thickener, and additives. For bike wheel bearings a I think a moderate viscosity oil (around ISO 100) with a calcium sulfonate thickener (for rust prevention in the wet) would be a good choice.
I think some better boat trailer wheel greases may fit this or you could just buy something that says it's for bike wheel bearings, like Phil Woods.
That said, unless you are maintaining a fleet of dozens of bikes, you use so little grease that even the most expensive stuff isn't a budget breaker.
12-21-08 | 02:31 PM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 249
Likes: 0
From: Stoughton, WI
Bikes: Specialized Rock Hopper, Felt F-70, lemond Buenos Aires, Trek T900 Tandem, Bianchi Volpe
In general, bicycle bearings have a very easy life. They run at very low rpm, temperature and load compared to most industrial and automotive bearings. So the choice of grease is pretty undemanding and almost anything will do adequately.
Super high-performance greases are a waste of money and the very fibrous automotive wheel bearing greases are certainly functional but unnecessarily heavy bodied. Regular white lithium grease will work fine if you do any kind of routine maintenance, like an annual overhaul.
The "bicycle specific" greases are just repackaged industrial products but do work well. I buy Phil Grease in either a 14-oz cylinder or a 22-oz tub which is much more cost effective than the 3-oz squeeze tubes.
I also bought a Duelco refillable grease gun (https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...item_id=DU-LG1 ) and fill it with the Phil Grease. It meters the grease accurately, reduces waste and keeps the grease in the bulk container clean.
Super high-performance greases are a waste of money and the very fibrous automotive wheel bearing greases are certainly functional but unnecessarily heavy bodied. Regular white lithium grease will work fine if you do any kind of routine maintenance, like an annual overhaul.
The "bicycle specific" greases are just repackaged industrial products but do work well. I buy Phil Grease in either a 14-oz cylinder or a 22-oz tub which is much more cost effective than the 3-oz squeeze tubes.
I also bought a Duelco refillable grease gun (https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...item_id=DU-LG1 ) and fill it with the Phil Grease. It meters the grease accurately, reduces waste and keeps the grease in the bulk container clean.
12-21-08 | 05:10 PM
#28
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 5,391
Likes: 2
From: Snowy midwest
An excellent grease for bearings, widely available at Home Depot and other stores for around $4/tub, is Lubritech's "Marine Corrosion Control and Trailer Wheel Bearing Grease"; for a dollar or two extra, you can also pick up some "flux brushes" to apply the grease.
PS - Here's a not so cheap link that includes a photo of the tub: https://www.etrailer.com/p-l11404.htm
PS - Here's a not so cheap link that includes a photo of the tub: https://www.etrailer.com/p-l11404.htm
I just **** the grease onto the cones and bearings with my fingers.
Of course, it means I have to wash my hands with dish soap to get it off.
Am I missing something fancy? Are flux brushes the thing to use for grease?
12-21-08 | 06:36 PM
#29
Palmer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,169
Likes: 2,275
From: Parts Unknown
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
