How to grease

laurentian

All

I have an Izoard XP since December 2013.

I have also developed an annoying creak/squeak whilst riding and believe this is coming from the headset/steerer or possibly the seatpost.

I am intending on greasing both of these components(?) in order to see if I can rid the bike of the problem and have the following questions:

1) Is greasing these components advisable and/or likely to solve the problem (assuming one of them is the source)?
2) For the headset, is it just a case of loosening the allen bolt on the top of the steerer, lifting the steerer out, greasing and replacing?
3) Given that, in both cases, I have an alloy tube going into a Carbon Fibre frame, what grease should I use?
4) Any other things to look out for?

I'm very keen to develop my limited "skills" in terms of maintenance and setting up and all and any help and advice greatly would be appreciated

Thanks

964cup

WRT the seatpost, you don't want to grease it, you want to use a carbon assembly paste to *increase* the friction between post and seat-tube. You will also want to use a torque wrench for re-assembly.

For the headset, you need to:

Undo and remove the steerer bolt and top-cap.
Undo the stem bolts that hold it to the steerer and lift off the stem.
Remove any spacers.
Holding the forks with one hand, gently pull the headset cone spacer off the steerer, then remove the compression ring (little alloy ring that effectively holds the steerer inside the top bearing).
Now you can carefully drop the forks out (assuming you have enough brake and gear outer length).
Remove the top and bottom bearings (if the bottom didn't come out with the fork).
Clean the inside of the head-tube, especially the bearing seats, with degreaser; careful not to let this get anywhere else.
Rub down the steerer to remove old grease and muck.
Check the removed bearings for play and smoothness. If they're knackered, replace them (simplybearings.co.uk is a good source, and cheaper than buying a new headset); otherwise wipe them clean (no degreaser). If you're feeling brave, you can use a seal pick to take up the cartridge seals and regrease the bearings, then replace the seals, but cartridge bearings are cheap.
This is optional, but I then cover the bearings all over with a thin film of decent grease to help seat them and add some more weather-proofing.
Place the lower bearing (right way up!) over the steerer and seat it on the crown race.
Reinsert the steerer into the head-tube, taking care to seat the lower bearing properly.
Drop the top bearing over the steerer and seat it carefully.
Put the compression ring back on, taking care that the split in the ring is to one side, not facing forwards or backwards.
Put the cone spacer back on, keeping upward pressure on the forks (because the cone spacer has a rubber O-ring which will resist your downward pressure).
Replace any spacers you removed earlier.
*IF* the steerer is carbon, or the stem is carbon, apply some carbon assembly paste to the steerer where the stem will sit.
Replace the stem; leave the bolts loose.
Replace the top cap and steerer bolt.
Tighten the steerer bolt until there is no fore-and-aft play in the forks at the bottom of the headtube when you rock the bike backwards and forwards on the brakes. Check that you can still turn the forks easily - one test is that with the bike on a stand and the forks free to turn, the forks turn all the way to the side once given a gentle push.
Now align the bars properly and retighten the stem bolts using a torque wrench. Remember to tighten them alternately to keep the pressure even.

Repeat every couple of months, more often if you frequently ride in mud or bad weather.

laurentian

964Cup wrote:

WRT the seatpost, you don't want to grease it, you want to use a carbon assembly paste to *increase* the friction between post and seat-tube. You will also want to use a torque wrench for re-assembly.

For the headset, you need to:

Undo and remove the steerer bolt and top-cap.
Undo the stem bolts that hold it to the steerer and lift off the stem.
Remove any spacers.
Holding the forks with one hand, gently pull the headset cone spacer off the steerer, then remove the compression ring (little alloy ring that effectively holds the steerer inside the top bearing).
Now you can carefully drop the forks out (assuming you have enough brake and gear outer length).
Remove the top and bottom bearings (if the bottom didn't come out with the fork).
Clean the inside of the head-tube, especially the bearing seats, with degreaser; careful not to let this get anywhere else.
Rub down the steerer to remove old grease and muck.
Check the removed bearings for play and smoothness. If they're knackered, replace them (simplybearings.co.uk is a good source, and cheaper than buying a new headset); otherwise wipe them clean (no degreaser). If you're feeling brave, you can use a seal pick to take up the cartridge seals and regrease the bearings, then replace the seals, but cartridge bearings are cheap.
This is optional, but I then cover the bearings all over with a thin film of decent grease to help seat them and add some more weather-proofing.
Place the lower bearing (right way up!) over the steerer and seat it on the crown race.
Reinsert the steerer into the head-tube, taking care to seat the lower bearing properly.
Drop the top bearing over the steerer and seat it carefully.
Put the compression ring back on, taking care that the split in the ring is to one side, not facing forwards or backwards.
Put the cone spacer back on, keeping upward pressure on the forks (because the cone spacer has a rubber O-ring which will resist your downward pressure).
Replace any spacers you removed earlier.
*IF* the steerer is carbon, or the stem is carbon, apply some carbon assembly paste to the steerer where the stem will sit.
Replace the stem; leave the bolts loose.
Replace the top cap and steerer bolt.
Tighten the steerer bolt until there is no fore-and-aft play in the forks at the bottom of the headtube when you rock the bike backwards and forwards on the brakes. Check that you can still turn the forks easily - one test is that with the bike on a stand and the forks free to turn, the forks turn all the way to the side once given a gentle push.
Now align the bars properly and retighten the stem bolts using a torque wrench. Remember to tighten them alternately to keep the pressure even.

Repeat every couple of months, more often if you frequently ride in mud or bad weather.

Wow! Thanks for that . . . I'm daunted. So, carbon assembly paste in both cases rather than grease?

964cup

*IF* the fork is a carbon steerer, then yes. If it's an alloy steerer, then nothing. You need to make sure none of the grease from the bearings makes it onto the top couple of inches of the steerer (where the stem will go), so wipe that down before fitting the stem if any has.

Don't be daunted - it's much easier and more obvious than it sounds.

JayKosta

Have paper & pencil to make sketch of all the parts and the exact order in which they are arranged, and which side is UP or DOWN - don't trust your memory....

Grease on the bearings, assembly paste on the seatpost.
You can buy specialty 'bike grease' from LBS, but pretty much any automotive bearing grease will be fine. The bearing in the headset aren't really to make anything spin easier or faster - the headset bearing just support the fork and steer tube in the frame.

Use lots of rags & tissues to remove old grease, and especially the de-grease fluid.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

laurentian

Fantatsic chaps - really really appreciate your help.

All the best