Best spoke thread - nipple - rim lube compound?

[Ron Ruff]

I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
humid, wet and salty conditions.

I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
using the little nipple washers?

Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?

 

[john]

Ron Ruff wrote:
> I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
> didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
> ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
> humid, wet and salty conditions.
>
> I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
> there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
> using the little nipple washers?
>
> Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
> in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
> years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?

I use anti seize on the nipple rim interface. When building a new
wheel, I use Wheelsmith's Spoke Prep (I think that's what it's called)
on the threads. I figure, why not? I've got nothing to loose. The $20
or 30 it costs is next to nothing as it lasts for many wheels.
Especially when considered next to the price of a good rim ($50+); hub
($40+); spokes & nipples.

When truing an old wheel, I drip Tri Flo into the threads & nipple/ rim
interface, & let it soak overnight. I've had to cut very few spokes out
due to nipple spoke seizure. This is true even for cruddy 'ol
galvanized spokes

The retrued wheels have held quite well.

The few times I've had to touch up one of my new wheels, the Spoke Prep
has lubricated quite well many years after new.

I actually have no idea if the SP helps hold a spoke from rotating. But
then, again, why not use it?

Regards, John

 

[Ron Ruff]

john wrote:
> I use anti seize on the nipple rim interface.

I'd expect that to be the most critical area... but is anti-seize going
to last for years? Will it prevent corrosion of the aluminum (no
eyelets)?

> I actually have no idea if the SP helps hold a spoke from rotating. But
> then, again, why not use it?

I'm not interested in keeping the spoke from rotating... I rather want
it to rotate freely when I try to turn it.

Never used Spoke Prep, but I wonder if it is similar to the plumbing
pipe thread compound? That is very inexpensive at the hardware store...
and when I used it in the past it seemed to work well. The problem is
that I don't remember having any problems with *anything*; grease and
oil were ok too... I mean, I was able to true the wheel if I needed
to... but I didn't do that often (or ever) with the wheels I built. And
then I stopped cycling and sold everything. That was 12 years ago...
the memory fades...

 

[john]

Ron Ruff wrote:
> john wrote:

-snip-

> I'd expect that to be the most critical area... but is anti-seize going
> to last for years? Will it prevent corrosion of the aluminum (no
> eyelets)?

Dunno

-snip-

> I'm not interested in keeping the spoke from rotating... I rather want
> it to rotate freely when I try to turn it.

Spoke Prep works well as a lube when new & several yrs later, from my
experience.

John

 

[Llatikcuf]

Ron Ruff wrote:
> I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
> didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
> ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
> humid, wet and salty conditions.
>
> I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
> there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
> using the little nipple washers?
>
> Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
> in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
> years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?

I just use Tri-Flow. Never had any problems, but I only ride in dry
weather.

-nate

 

[Michael Press]

In article
<[email protected]>,
"Ron Ruff" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
> didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
> ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
> humid, wet and salty conditions.
>
> I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
> there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
> using the little nipple washers?
>
> Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
> in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
> years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?

I keep my bikes inside and do not ride in the wet, unless
caught out. Every couple years I put some penetrating
lubricant on the the nipple-spoke boundaries just before
going out for a spin; typically LPS-2, or Tri-Flow. My
spoke nipples turn easily in the eyelets and on the
spokes.

--
Michael Press

 

[Kenny]

Ron Ruff wrote:
> I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
> didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
> ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
> humid, wet and salty conditions.
>
> I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
> there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
> using the little nipple washers?
>
> Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
> in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
> years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?
I use chassis grease. Never dries out. Never had a problem with spokes
loosening up.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Ron Ruff wrote:
> I've used pipe thread compound, oil, and grease in the past but I
> didn't notice which provides the best long term service.... ie best
> ability to turn the nipples after 20,000+ miles riding in sometimes
> humid, wet and salty conditions.
>
> I suppose the rim-nipple interface is the most severe, especially if
> there are no eyelets in the rim. Has anyone had good (bad?) experiences
> using the little nipple washers?
>
> Also, I saw where someone recommended anti-seize, claiming a reduction
> in thread friction (which would reduce windup), and ease of maintanence
> years down the road. Has anyone else tried this?

Boiled lindseed oil...works great between nipp and spoke but also
between nipple and rim. Stay away from spoke prep. Besides smelling
like ammonia, it is the reason some wheels cannot be trued, as the
niple is frozen to the spoke. Just saw a WS wheel like that
yesterday...spoke winds up or the nipple shatters...