Wheel bearing grease types?

[[email protected]]

I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an ugly mess as the
grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad
reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
viscous green Phil Wood stuff.

--
See You On The Funway
Purphekt

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the
> preferences for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was
> considering using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an
> ugly mess as the grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are
> there any bad reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was
> that thick viscous green Phil Wood stuff.

Was there anything wrong with the Phil grease? That's what I still use in
just about everything. Good stuff. I've played around with other greases,
but it seems like the Phil grease is less likely to cake up after a while.
And it works. Maybe something else might work as well; maybe something else
might even work better. But I gave up trying to figure that out some time
ago, after experimenting with various greases. Phil works. Who cares if it's
over-priced Chevron marine grease. A $6 tube will last for quite a few years
of normal bike use. And when I found a tube lying around in the garage...
for over 20 years... it still worked just fine.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[RS]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
>
>> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the
>> preferences for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was
>> considering using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an
>> ugly mess as the grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are
>> there any bad reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was
>> that thick viscous green Phil Wood stuff.
>
>Was there anything wrong with the Phil grease? That's what I still use in
>just about everything. Good stuff. I've played around with other greases,
>but it seems like the Phil grease is less likely to cake up after a while.
>And it works. Maybe something else might work as well; maybe something
else
>might even work better. But I gave up trying to figure that out some time
>ago, after experimenting with various greases. Phil works. Who cares if it's
>over-priced Chevron marine grease. A $6 tube will last for quite a few years
>of normal bike use. And when I found a tube lying around in the garage...
>for over 20 years... it still worked just fine.
>
>--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
>www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>

Phil Grease works. Lasts. Park TL-1000 is a little cleaner and seems to work well
but you can't go wrong with Phil.

 

[ddog]

On Feb 28, 1:46 am, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an ugly mess as the
> grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad
> reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
> viscous green Phil Wood stuff.
>
> --
> See You On The Funway
> Purphekt

I use Walmart marine waterproof grease so it will be available
anywhere. But it may just be local to here in FL or beach locations.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Feb 27, 11:46 pm, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an ugly mess as the
> grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad
> reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
> viscous green Phil Wood stuff.
>
> --
> See You On The Funway
> Purphekt

grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great barrier
between the inside and outside.

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Feb 28, 12:46 am, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an ugly mess as the
> grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad
> reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
> viscous green Phil Wood stuff.
>
>

I've been using SuperTech Marine Grease for several years. Designed
for use in boat trailer wheel bearings (i.e., much tougher than any
duty on a bicycle), the stuff is water resistant and really resists
washout. Available at your local Wal-Mart in various size containers
and priced so you won't feel like you're being drilled and tapped when
you buy it.

 

[John]

> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
> much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great barrier
> between the inside and outside.

If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw nearby
water droplets into the hub?


John McMurry

 

[landotter]

On Feb 28, 12:46 am, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> using Black Moly grease.

If you got some on the shelf, it'll work just fine. Only reason to
spend $$ on Phil's is that it comes in a handy tube and smells quite
nice. If you have a auto parts store nearby, they sell the "single
serve" packs of grease in little plastic bags by the counter for 99c.
Snip off a corner like it's a pastry bag. Good stuff. Should do half a
dozen wheels. Mine was out last time, so I'm stuck with a $3 tub that
should quite literally last me 20 years.

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Feb 28, 10:03 am, "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Feb 28, 12:46 am, "[email protected]"
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> > for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> > using Black Moly grease.
>
> If you got some on the shelf, it'll work just fine. Only reason to
> spend $$ on Phil's is that it comes in a handy tube and smells quite
> nice. If you have a auto parts store nearby, they sell the "single
> serve" packs of grease in little plastic bags by the counter for 99c.
> Snip off a corner like it's a pastry bag. Good stuff. Should do half a
> dozen wheels. Mine was out last time, so I'm stuck with a $3 tub that
> should quite literally last me 20 years.

For people who don't use alotta grease in the course of a year, there
is also a neat package of fishing reel grease packed in a soft plastic
container that resembles a miniature concertina. Just push on the
blunt end, and grease comes out the business end. In most sporting
goods departments/stores. Packaged under the Zebco brand, and probably
others. Cheap.

 

[A Muzi]

>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
>> much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great barrier
>> between the inside and outside.

John wrote:
> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw nearby
> water droplets into the hub?

As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant out or
water in.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[John Henderson]

[email protected] wrote:

> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on
> the preferences for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing
> hubs and I was considering using Black Moly grease. Other than
> the color making for an ugly mess as the grease slowly crawls
> out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad reasons to
> use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
> viscous green Phil Wood stuff.

MoS2 (moly) grease was my choice for wheel bearings last time I
needed to repack. That was aeons ago, and they're still
running as smooth as silk with no play.

It's not for nothing that this stuff is specified for the likes
of Shimano internal-gear hubs and automotive CV joints.

John

 

[Ken Wright]

On Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:46:58 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

>
> I re-greasing the wheel bearings next week. I need a tip on the preferences
> for wheel bearing grease. I have ball bearing hubs and I was considering
> using Black Moly grease. Other than the color making for an ugly mess as the
> grease slowly crawls out of the hub over the miles, are there any bad
> reasons to use it? The last wheel bearing grease I used was that thick
> viscous green Phil Wood stuff.

A couple years ago I bought a can of automotive Pennzoil Premium Wheelbearing
"707L Red Grease" at Walmart. I think it is excellent, good water
resistance and very sticky. It's also an EP grease but it is a
transparent red.


kw

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[[email protected]]

i had pennzoil on the shelf when the castrol marine came in. the
castrol went on the standard rear deray pulley wheels' plain bearings-
a scheduled maintenance here-snd an excellent test area as i commute
in the florida rain. the castrol is just excellent at the price,
doesn't wash out, is slippprrier than a and its cheap too.
probabbbly excells at cat 6 ifn you're repacking a worn unit. i
repacked a beat up ball and cone 3 times with it before going to the
cartridge BB-the ball/cone looked better at 3 than it did when i
started with the castrol.
but if you're exotic with grade 25 bearings and wheels mfg. axles then
spring for the Phil wood or finish line-the low temp viscosity is for
bicycles while the marine grease tends toward a warmer operating temp:
especially when the driver tows off with a wheel locked up. FL is good
to the very last film.
As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant out
or
water in. so put some in unless you're at the salt flats or crossing
verdun-the ooze does keep water out.

 

[jim beam]

A Muzi wrote:
>>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
>>> much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great barrier
>>> between the inside and outside.
>
> John wrote:
>> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw nearby
>> water droplets into the hub?
>
> As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant out or
> water in.
>
that's jobstian muddy water. /some/ seals don't seal, most do. it
depends on their spec. on bikes, the spec is often "loose" to minimize
bleating of those that think seals "too draggy". "draggy" seals however
seal just great. my personal two wet seasons on "draggy" mavic cosmos
exhibit not the slightest seal/bearing problem. not so for shimano in
identical conditions.

 

[[email protected]]

Andrew Muzi writes:

>>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
>>> much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great
>>> barrier between the inside and outside.

>> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw nearby
>> water droplets into the hub?

> As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant
> out or water in.

Just so that doesn't dangle there without further word, let me add a
link:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sealed-bearings.html

Jobst Brandt

 

[jim beam]

[email protected] wrote:
> Andrew Muzi writes:
>
>>>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use too
>>>> much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great
>>>> barrier between the inside and outside.
>
>>> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw nearby
>>> water droplets into the hub?
>
>> As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant
>> out or water in.
>
> Just so that doesn't dangle there without further word, let me add a
> link:
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sealed-bearings.html
>
> Jobst Brandt

so that's all clear then. "seals leak. except for when they don't."
terrific. now, excuse me for a day or two - i must go do my monthly
strip-down of all the bearings on my car since the seals must be
leaking... and would it be worse on bmw's since they're brinelled from
factory perchance?

 

[[email protected]]

"jim beam" writes:

>>>>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use
>>>>> too much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great
>>>>> barrier between the inside and outside.

>>>> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw
>>>> nearby water droplets into the hub?

>>> As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant
>>> out or water in.

>> Just so that doesn't dangle there without further word, let me add
>> a link:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sealed-bearings.html

> so that's all clear then. "seals leak. except for when they
> don't." terrific. now, excuse me for a day or two - i must go do
> my monthly strip-down of all the bearings on my car since the seals
> must be leaking... and would it be worse on bmw's since they're
> brinelled from factory perchance?

I see you have difficulty reading. Where does your car have a single
seal lip separating two liquids? That all seals must weep to survive
is understood so we don't see that sort of design in cars. The last
one I came across was a single seal between differential and automatic
transmission fluid in a 1960 Corvair, a car that had myriad design
errors. This caused the ring and pinion gears to burn up when ATF
seeped in there through the single, unvented seal.

Jobst Brandt

 

[jim beam]

[email protected] wrote:
> "jim beam" writes:
>
>>>>>> grease is oil in 'soap'. use any grease, use lots. cannot use
>>>>>> too much. When it may ooze out, leave it there, acts as a great
>>>>>> barrier between the inside and outside.
>
>>>>> If packed with too much grease, could capillary action draw
>>>>> nearby water droplets into the hub?
>
>>>> As Jobst notes regularly, 'seals' exhibit flow - either lubricant
>>>> out or water in.
>
>>> Just so that doesn't dangle there without further word, let me add
>>> a link:
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/sealed-bearings.html
>
>> so that's all clear then. "seals leak. except for when they
>> don't." terrific. now, excuse me for a day or two - i must go do
>> my monthly strip-down of all the bearings on my car since the seals
>> must be leaking... and would it be worse on bmw's since they're
>> brinelled from factory perchance?
>
> I see you have difficulty reading.

yes, i have a good deal of difficulty reading you telling us a good deal
more than you actually know.

> Where does your car have a single
> seal lip separating two liquids?

er, how about a wheel bearing? and you're certain that all bike
bearings are single lip are you? be careful now jobst...

> That all seals must weep to survive
> is understood

indeed.

> so we don't see that sort of design in cars.

yes we do!!!! when's the last time you looked at an automotive seal???

> The last
> one I came across was a single seal between differential and automatic
> transmission fluid in a 1960 Corvair, a car that had myriad design
> errors. This caused the ring and pinion gears to burn up when ATF
> seeped in there through the single, unvented seal.

quality issues are not design issues. and design issues are not spec
issues. your example is one where speed, temperature and pressure
differentials are somewhat different to a bike bearing. but don't let
details get in the way of the fudge.

 

[[email protected]]

"The next time water contacts the interface, it wicks into the gap by
capillary action and begins to fill the bearing;"
An elmer's blue school glue bottle is in use here for dispensing
(significant upgrade)valvo synth trans lube onto the chain and not the
south 40. The elmers is left outside atop a railroad tie. The trans
lube is cloudy with water not that the rains are heavy here.
"There doesn't seem to be a consensus on cup-and-cone bearings vs the
cartridge bearings": hereabouts in S. Fla, a brief survey of LBS found
the most common opinion as "those cartridge hubs are ****." However,
as stated finding a phil wood hub owner is akin to the extinct
woodpecker.
One of the fine elements of cycling is the common ability to grok the
equipment more readily than ur morgan or maserati -8 and so with the
bearing repack: how much grease? Well, we know the lbs is cheating us
on grease and 2) we're not running the salt flats or Verdun although
there are times when, so packing the cup good and solid is a good idea
so come the next maintenance interval when your too busy and time
slips away for 6-7 months, the bearing will retain a small quantity at
1 year plus, right?
Gee, "a bimmer:" auto's have brake heat driving the moisture away as
the grease evaps and pressures outward as you drive to the course at
pebble for a few rounds with clint.
Actually, not schooled as a mechanical engineer, I rather see grease
as stated; fudge with walnuts. Notice how the walnuts disappear into
the batter when operating the beater. The walnuts go down then come up
on the outside against the bowl wall. That's what I saw when grokking
the front hub.
THIS IS GREASE'S TRUE FUNCTION!!! Absorbing dirt, dog ****, broken
campy hub particles and shimano oil seals.

 

[Ozark Bicycle]

On Mar 2, 4:14 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> "The next time water contacts the interface, it wicks into the gap by
> capillary action and begins to fill the bearing;"
> An elmer's blue school glue bottle is in use here for dispensing
> (significant upgrade)valvo synth trans lube onto the chain and not the
> south 40. The elmers is left outside atop a railroad tie. The trans
> lube is cloudy with water not that the rains are heavy here.
> "There doesn't seem to be a consensus on cup-and-cone bearings vs the
> cartridge bearings": hereabouts in S. Fla, a brief survey of LBS found
> the most common opinion as "those cartridge hubs are ****." However,
> as stated finding a phil wood hub owner is akin to the extinct
> woodpecker.
> One of the fine elements of cycling is the common ability to grok the
> equipment more readily than ur morgan or maserati -8 and so with the
> bearing repack: how much grease? Well, we know the lbs is cheating us
> on grease and 2) we're not running the salt flats or Verdun although
> there are times when, so packing the cup good and solid is a good idea
> so come the next maintenance interval when your too busy and time
> slips away for 6-7 months, the bearing will retain a small quantity at
> 1 year plus, right?
> Gee, "a bimmer:" auto's have brake heat driving the moisture away as
> the grease evaps and pressures outward as you drive to the course at
> pebble for a few rounds with clint.
> Actually, not schooled as a mechanical engineer, I rather see grease
> as stated; fudge with walnuts. Notice how the walnuts disappear into
> the batter when operating the beater. The walnuts go down then come up
> on the outside against the bowl wall. That's what I saw when grokking
> the front hub.
> THIS IS GREASE'S TRUE FUNCTION!!! Absorbing dirt, dog ****, broken
> campy hub particles and shimano oil seals.


I think there may be a name for a new Ben & jerry ice cream in the
above. )