grease for nexus hub gear?

Ian Smith

Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication

Why?

I have a nexus hub gear. I want to take it apart. My plan would be
to swoosh it with WD40, let it dry, then re-assemble with liberal
application of a (non-shimano) decent synthetic waterproof grease.
Anyone done this? Did the world end?

Alternatively, anyone know of an on-line source of the 'right' grease?
The BoBridgwater list it, but I don't like to buy from them if I can
help it (long story, featuring spokes). I can't find it on Wiggle or
ChainReaction.

regards, Ian SMith
--
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|o o|
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john.sabine@gmail.com

On 14 Jun, 16:53, Ian Smith <i...@astounding.org.uk> wrote:
> Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
> shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication
>
> Why?

Not a clue, but if Sheldon says using wrong stuff causes problems,
I'm not inclined to disagree.

> Alternatively, anyone know of an on-line source of the 'right' grease?

http://www.petracycles.co.uk/intern...se-p-13738.html
(Not a recommendation, merely the sixth link from Google).

For £5.95 (yes, that's extortion for such a small quantity of grease,
but it's still only six quid) I'd be still less inclined to
experiment.

J

Zog The Undeniable

Ian Smith wrote:
> Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
> shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication
>
> Why?
>
> I have a nexus hub gear. I want to take it apart. My plan would be
> to swoosh it with WD40, let it dry, then re-assemble with liberal
> application of a (non-shimano) decent synthetic waterproof grease.
> Anyone done this? Did the world end?
>
> Alternatively, anyone know of an on-line source of the 'right' grease?
> The BoBridgwater list it, but I don't like to buy from them if I can
> help it (long story, featuring spokes). I can't find it on Wiggle or
> ChainReaction.
>
> regards, Ian SMith

Hub gears now use grease rather than oil. This is cleaner and saves the
manufacturer fitting decent oil seals, but means the unit is no longer
sealed for life - once the grease is past it, you have to pull out the
innards and re-lubricate.

The grease recommended for SA hubs by Brompton Bicycle, who use a lot of
them, is Castrol CLS lithium grease. This is not the same grease as
they recommend for the wheel bearings, which is Castrol LMX lithium grease.

The grease for the internals is thinner than normal and not as sticky as
bearing grease. It has to be able to move around fairly freely (like
oil), because it's constantly being squeezed out from between the
planetary gears. These also generate localised heat in use (a 5-10%
friction loss from a powerful rider is quite a bit of heat), which wheel
bearings don't.

Pete Biggs

Ian Smith wrote:
> Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
> shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication
>
> Why?
>
> I have a nexus hub gear. I want to take it apart. My plan would be
> to swoosh it with WD40, let it dry, then re-assemble with liberal
> application of a (non-shimano) decent synthetic waterproof grease.
> Anyone done this? Did the world end?
>
> Alternatively, anyone know of an on-line source of the 'right' grease?
> The BoBridgwater list it, but I don't like to buy from them if I can
> help it (long story, featuring spokes). I can't find it on Wiggle or
> ChainReaction.

For anything so expensive and inaccessible as a Nexus hub, I would use the
officially recommended grease unless sure I could get an alternative with
the same viscosity and durability. I don't know what that would be for this
case.

Maybe your LBS could order some as it's a Shimano product?

~PB

Don Whybrow

Ian Smith wrote:
> Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
> shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication
>
> Why?

Money?

> I have a nexus hub gear. I want to take it apart. My plan would be
> to swoosh it with WD40, let it dry, then re-assemble with liberal
> application of a (non-shimano) decent synthetic waterproof grease.
> Anyone done this? Did the world end?

I have stripped & re-greased my hub once using a decent grease, but
without swooshing it first. Not only is the world still going round, so
is the hub.


--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

People must not do things for fun. We are not here for fun. There is no
reference to fun in any Act of Parliament. [i]

[i] Other than: The Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order
(Northern Ireland) 2007 Schedule II Part 2

BigM

Ian Smith wrote:
> Shimano say the nexus hub gears should only be re-lubed with special
> shimano nexus hub gear grease. Sheldon agrees (agreed):
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html#lubrication
>
> Why?
>
> I have a nexus hub gear. I want to take it apart. My plan would be
> to swoosh it with WD40, let it dry, then re-assemble with liberal
> application of a (non-shimano) decent synthetic waterproof grease.
> Anyone done this? Did the world end?
>
> Alternatively, anyone know of an on-line source of the 'right' grease?
> The BoBridgwater list it, but I don't like to buy from them if I can
> help it (long story, featuring spokes). I can't find it on Wiggle or
> ChainReaction.
>
> regards, Ian SMith

Buy the real stuff, it is water soluble and feels less 'claggy' than
normal grease.

When I took mine apart, the grease around the main bearings at each end
were brown and thin where water had got in and mixed with the grease
(and rusted the ball cage), but the water hadn't got past and in to the
main unit. A good clean with a rag and a re-grease freed up the hub nicely.

I suspect the less 'claggy' aspect is to get the rachets to work
correctly if it contaminates them!

Take note of which direction the ball cages face as you take it apart -
it saves a lot of time later :-(

I put some self amalgamating tape around the plastic cap to hub body
interface which is were the water seems to get in.

Mark