How to use grease??

[The Fjonis]

Hello!

I didn't know in what forum I'm supposed to post this, so please excuse me if this is not the appropriate one..

Anyway - I'm simply wondering what parts of the bike should be greased, and how. Specifically, I'm wondering about the rear brake wires, as the rear brakes aren't as easy to operate as they used to be - seems there's more friction in the wire tubes than before.

So, would greasing help, and how do I put it on / what are the right places?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[stone61cm]

Try greasing the contact points on the brake setup to where the pieces move fluidly.

Also, you may need to replace the cable housing.

 

[The Fjonis]

Originally posted by stone61cm
Try greasing the contact points on the brake setup to where the pieces move fluidly.

Is this where I should put the grease?

Sorry for the n00by questions....

 

[stone61cm]

my aol doesn't like me opening links.....lol

grease the point where the two arms meet...if you really want to make it perfect, you can take apart the brake assembly but that's more a pain in the ass than you need.

Most likely, dabbing a little grease between the brake arms will do what you need. get a Q-tip and try to wipe away whatever **** there may be there first, tho.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by stone61cm


grease the point where the two arms meet...if you really want to make it perfect, you can take apart the brake assembly but that's more a pain in the ass than you need.

Takin em apart is not necessary.In fact, it's typically bogus advice exept in a worst case situation. Some are full of little tiny bearingsthat get lost real easy. A bit of spray lube will do the job there assuming it really needs it. If his casing if the old unlind type it may be full of rust. The real fix there is new casing. If the casing is plastic lined,there may be lube in it that has gotten od and stiff or full of crud and spider eggs. Mimimum fix is to pull the cable and relube.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by The Fjonis
Is this where I should put the grease?

Sorry for the n00by questions....

No! Grease on the outside is just a dirt magnet. There is alot of useful info in the repair section at www.parktool.com and Zinn writes a good maintenaince book ....about $20.

 

[daveornee]

Originally posted by boudreaux
No! Grease on the outside is just a dirt magnet. There is alot of useful info in the repair section at www.parktool.com and Zinn writes a good maintenaince book ....about $20.

Ageed on those references... also think it's more likely cable and housing than the brakes themselves.
Sheldon Brown's site has many good articles including this:
http://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

 

[mjw_byrne]

Originally posted by The Fjonis
Hello!

I didn't know in what forum I'm supposed to post this, so please excuse me if this is not the appropriate one..

Anyway - I'm simply wondering what parts of the bike should be greased, and how. Specifically, I'm wondering about the rear brake wires, as the rear brakes aren't as easy to operate as they used to be - seems there's more friction in the wire tubes than before.

So, would greasing help, and how do I put it on / what are the right places?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

What sort of brake is your rear brake? If it's a V-brake, you might need to unmount the brake arms from the bosses on the frame and clean the pivot points up and get some grease in there, as on some types of V-brake they aren't sealed at all and quickly accumulate ****, and this will really stiffen up the braking action.

 

[daveornee]

Originally posted by mjw_byrne
What sort of brake is your rear brake? If it's a V-brake, you might need to unmount the brake arms from the bosses on the frame and clean the pivot points up and get some grease in there, as on some types of V-brake they aren't sealed at all and quickly accumulate ****, and this will really stiffen up the braking action.

Yes, brake bosses get crud and corrosion too.
I guessed the cable and housing because there is more of it to the rear brake.
See Avid's page at URL:
http://www.avidbike.com/7_techinfo/1D7&Ti-0202.pdf
and look at the diagram #1 for an illustration.
Make sure that you clean away all the crud and corrosion before greasing the boss.
If all this looks like it is out of your range, at present, have a shop take care of it for you. Well adjusted brakes that are operating properly are important to your safety.

 

[The Fjonis]

Thanks a lot guys! And mjw_byrne - I have discbrakes.


When I purchased the bike (a Kona Nunu '03, by the way), I believe the dealer said it was a good idea to put some grease on the spots indicated on the picture I posted. I also believe that the bike had been greased on these spots when I bought it. However, I read the link you gave me (http://sheldonbrown.com), and its says:

Modern plastic-lined cables have made the use of grease in-appropriate, because the viscosity of the grease makes for sluggish cable movement. (...) Many manufacturers now recommend against using any lubrication on cables.

Does this mean that no grease / lubricant should be used on the wires at all?? Could it be sand / dirt inside the plastic outer covering that's causing the increased friction rather than a lack of lubrication?

Once again - thanks for your time and advice!

 

[mjw_byrne]

Ah, right - so, mechanical disc brakes then. In tha case if I were you I'd leave the brake itself alone and just work on making the cable work more smoothly.

Sand/dirt/general **** picked up while riding can indeed get into the housing and cause it to get really sticky and difficult to move. If you can move the housing to expose the cable that is usually inside and give the cable a good wipe, it should help. Although lubing is often not recommended, I find that some of that very runny teflon lube (similar viscosity to water) works very well - it's not thick enough to cause gooey performance but it does lube well. Slap it on the cable, move the housing back into place and then wipe any exposed cable well to remove excess. I think the Sheldon Brown website is cautioning against the use of thicker greases in cables.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by The Fjonis
Thanks a lot guys! And mjw_byrne - I have discbrakes.


When I purchased the bike (a Kona Nunu '03, by the way), I believe the dealer said it was a good idea to put some grease on the spots indicated on the picture I posted. I also believe that the bike had been greased on these spots when I bought it. However, I read the link you gave me (http://sheldonbrown.com), and its says:



Does this mean that no grease / lubricant should be used on the wires at all?? Could it be sand / dirt inside the plastic outer covering that's causing the increased friction rather than a lack of lubrication?

Once again - thanks for your time and advice!

The graase where you indicated was probalby for anti corrosion or to prevent creaking. Has nothing to do with cable and brake action. I never use it there or on the exposed wirel As for lube inside the casing, Sheldon is generally right,but there is heavy lube and light lube.I use the light stuff and no issures. Many come prelubed and sticky lube is more of an issue with shift cables than brakes.

 

[The Fjonis]

Thanks a bunch for your advice, guys!! That settles it, then.

Great forum, this is!