Do you use threadlock?

Ian.B

Are there any bolts on which you would use threadlock rather than grease? I'm wondering in particular about chainring bolts as I'm about to replace one, and jockey wheel bolts as I lost a jockey wheel a while back when the small bolt came undone.

Also some bolts come with blue stuff on the end of the thread - should I avoid putting grease over that?

Jay dubbleU

I use Loctite 243 on pedals and headset

essex-commuter

I use it on my crank bolts, I had an issue with the driveside one continually coming loose....the old blue stuff fixed it.

stardude

caliper bolts, rotor bolts, jockey wheel bolts, grub screws in flat pedals?

rhext

The blue stuff is likely to be loctite, so probably avoid the grease! That should also help you work out whether it's a good idea to use loctite when working on that bit of the bike.

Where I've so far found it useful: SPD cleats; disk brake rotor bolts and attachment points; rack/mudguard mounting bolts; jockey wheels.

I try to avoid it on things which aren't going to kill me if they come loose, which don't tend to loosen themselves on their own, and especially those which I might have to undo again at some point (for which I use anti-sieze grease). And while I hate to disagree with Jay DubbleU, I'd not use it on pedals because their threads are already designed to be self-tightening and they're difficult enough to get off again if you grease them, let alone if you glue them.

So for chainring bolts, I'd probably start with anti-sieze, check them regularly for a couple of weeks and if they appeared to be working loose, I'd degrease them and use loctite instead.

Fireblade96

Rack attachments and SPD cleats - everything else gets copper grease so I *can* undo it when I want.

Aidy

Threadlock for things which might shake loose. Grease for everything else.

SimonAH

I use foreplay.

Ian.B

Thanks all, that's very helpful.

@rhext, I'll follow your advice on the chainring bolts.

On a bolt which comes with some blue stuff (threadlock) already on the end of the thread, would you grease the threads higher up the bolt where there isn't any blue stuff?

Fireblade96 wrote:

everything else gets copper grease .

Now, when it comes to different kinds of grease I get even more confused....

Ian.B

SimonAH wrote:

I use foreplay.

Have you accidentally strayed off the naked cycling thread?

Mr Sworld

SimonAH wrote:

I use foreplay.

If everything locks up after foreplay then you're doing it wrong....

optimisticbiker

Ian.B wrote:

Now, when it comes to different kinds of grease I get even more confused....

To stop bolts seizing or cold-welding use 'copaslip'(its literally powdered copper in grease). Normal bearing grease on its own won't always work. There are other 'anti-seize' pastes but Copaslip (thats the correct spelling) is the original and the best.

Do not use on bolts that should be torqued up to a high-level specification, as it prevents the correct preload being achieved (car wheel nuts are a good example) but there are few such bolts on a bike.

Grease for moving parts depends on the part... bearings need the right consistency of grease else they wont rotate freely, or will wear too fast. Different greases give a balance between friction-reduction and wear management. So theoretically the grease you use in the headset would be different to that used in wheel or pedal bearings however unless you are a pro-cyclist a general lithium bearing grease wil do for all. I use Molyslip HSB but thats because I got given a 2.5kg can many years ago and it lasts forever (3 gearbox rebuilds and 12y of cycling and its 3/4 full still!) but if you're buying new I'd go for something like this

Blue Meanie

CV Joint Grease (Molybdenum Disulphate) is really dirty to work and looks like treacle.
CL Grease is basic grease and looks like syrup.
Copaslip for where two differing metals are in contact.
Tiprep for people who like the spend extra money on their expensive bike.
Lithium (white) as Copaslip, but it's lighter?
Apart from the obvious; hubs and headsets. It's a must on pedal threads, crank bolts, seatpost, BB cups
Mechanic maxim - Always lube before you screw, always insert you tool fully before you work with it.

I grease my nipples! When building wheels that is, and Threadlock on radial spokes.

optimisticbiker

Blue Meanie wrote:

CV Joint Grease (Molybdenum Disulphate) is really dirty to work and looks like treacle. True but you'd never use it on a bike! (also its not so bad if you use the proper gun)

CL Grease is basic grease and looks like syrup. Hmm, theres a passing resemblance, but my syrup is thinner, especially on pancakes...

Copaslip for where two differing metals are in contact. or even the same metal

Tiprep for people who like the spend extra money on their expensive bike. no comment :roll:

Lithium (white) as Copaslip, but it's lighter?
Apart from the obvious; hubs and headsets. It's a must on pedal threads, crank bolts, seatpost, BB cups Agreed! You can use lithium grease instead of copaslip as an anti-seize but only where there is low-torque on the bolt (so thats really most places on a bike). At higher torques it squeezes out and doesnt work as well as copaslip (but I'm a traditionalist and again, I have a big tube of the stuff).

Mechanic maxim - Always lube before you screw, always insert you tool fully before you work with it. +1

I grease my nipples! tmi
When building wheels that is, and Threadlock on radial spokes.