White lithium grease for BB?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

I was out of my go to "Super Lube" synthetic grease so I threw a tube of WLG into my grease gun and reloaded my CK bottom bracket using their BB injector. seems to have cleaned out the old stuff just fine, but the cranks seem to have quite a bit more drag now. I've not used WLG on my bike before, so I'm wondering if it's just too thick, or if it will break in as I ride.
Thoughts?

[LiveFreeOrDie]

I wouldn't use white lithium grease. I got a tube of this (http://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html) for my DA 7700 BB and it works awesome. Or you can always spend a little more dough and use the Park Tool stuff. Either one is great. The key is to get waterproof/marine grease.

[Cicli]

Any waterproof grass is fine. Bike specific lube is a expensive way to go. It's nothing special just make sure the parts are clean and you use good lube.

[FastforaSlowGuy]

I wouldn't use white lithium grease. I got a tube of this (http://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html) for my DA 7700 BB and it works awesome. Or you can always spend a little more dough and use the Park Tool stuff. Either one is great. The key is to get waterproof/marine grease.

I always thought WLG is waterproof.

[ultraman6970]

Lithium grease is fine, you can't tell about the drag once you are riding. Water proof is a plus big time. I think the campy one is lithium too.

[abalone]

Something is wrong with yor bottom bracket. White lithium grease is no more draggy than standard grease. In fact, there should be less drag with the white lithium grease, but not enough for you to tell.

[rccardr]

I don't know much about white lithium grease, don't use it myself, but recently restored a bike whose previous owner had used it on, in and around every bearing surface: hubs, BB, headset.

I'm assuming what the PO used was just junk, because the headset was quite literally ruined. It took hours to pick out the crumbly remains from 'twixt the balls in the BB races since no solvent I had in The Lab would work on it. All in all, not very satisfactory as a lubricative product.

Obviously not all WLG is made the same, but personally I'm going to stick with Phil or Park.

[abalone]

I don't know much about white lithium grease, don't use it myself, but recently restored a bike whose previous owner had used it on, in and around every bearing surface: hubs, BB, headset.

I'm assuming what the PO used was just junk, because the headset was quite literally ruined. It took hours to pick out the crumbly remains from 'twixt the balls in the BB races since no solvent I had in The Lab would work on it. All in all, not very satisfactory as a lubricative product.

Obviously not all WLG is made the same, but personally I'm going to stick with Phil or Park.


Phil and Park are just rebranded generic automotive grease.

[rccardr]

Any idea whose brand and product?

[buldogge]

I'm not saying it's identical…but…I've found this to be a close alternative:

http://www.autozone.com/greases-and-gear-oil/lubricant-grease/green-grease-3-pcs-with-3-oz-85-049-g-each-multipurpose-synthetic-grease/945653_0_0/

-Mark in St. Louis

Phil and Park are just rebranded generic automotive grease.

Any idea whose brand and product?

[zerocool5468]

the drag is likely in your head. did you retorque the cranks to spec?

[ultraman6970]

This is the thing... if the op is expecting to have zero drag when turning the crankset manually using lithium grease, then that is not going to happen. IME feels always like that, later on gets better but 100% new lithium (at least the one I use) in any bb feels like it had some drag. But at the time of riding you cant feel a thing, later one with the use the grease starts getting thinner and smoother.

[oldpotatoe]

I wouldn't use white lithium grease. I got a tube of this (http://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html) for my DA 7700 BB and it works awesome. Or you can always spend a little more dough and use the Park Tool stuff. Either one is great. The key is to get waterproof/marine grease.

Why not?

Grease is oil in 'soap'. Oil if petroleum based is already waterproof(doesn't mix with water). Any grease is fne, for the OP or anything else 'bike'. It's sluggish cuz it's got lotsa of new grease in it.

[FastforaSlowGuy]

This is the thing... if the op is expecting to have zero drag when turning the crankset manually using lithium grease, then that is not going to happen. IME feels always like that, later on gets better but 100% new lithium (at least the one I use) in any bb feels like it had some drag. But at the time of riding you cant feel a thing, later one with the use the grease starts getting thinner and smoother.

Not expecting zero drag, or even for my CK to spin like those silly ceramic bearings I have in another bike (yes, I can feel a difference while riding, but I'm not at all convinced that feeling is real). It just seemed particularly sluggish. Maybe I packed it tighter than usual or something. I'll double check the torque when I get home - I did the work by flashlight in my garage, so it's possible I misread the wrench.

[LiveFreeOrDie]

Why not?

Grease is oil in 'soap'. Oil if petroleum based is already waterproof(doesn't mix with water). Any grease is fne, for the OP or anything else 'bike'. It's sluggish cuz it's got lotsa of new grease in it.

No real particular reason, I would just prefer to use something else. I've always thought the viscosity of lithium grease was a little too thin for my taste. I prefer something thicker. On the hand, white lithium grease is cheap and will work fine.

[jemoryl]

The old Campy grease of 30 years ago was clearly white lithium grease (of good quality) but it looks like Campy is using something else now. The stuff that is in their current equipment is more translucent - can't speak too what they sell in a tube, as it is over the top in price. The only problem with lithium grease is that it seems to get 'cakey' after a long time, this period being longer than one should wait before doing routine maintenance.

[Mikej]

I would not use lithium grease in bearings either. I know it has been done, but my time a heavy equipment mechanic has told me otherwise. Garage door tracks and static parts placement, fine, but not in bearings. There are three types of lithium grease, soap, hydro, complex. Is it really that hard to buy some grease from the LBS that is specified for bike bearings??

[oldpotatoe]

I would not use lithium grease in bearings either. I know it has been done, but my time a heavy equipment mechanic has told me otherwise. Garage door tracks and static parts placement, fine, but not in bearings. There are three types of lithium grease, soap, hydro, complex. Is it really that hard to buy some grease from the LBS that is specified for bike bearings??

Lithium white. Not want to get into a argument about grease but grease inna bike, the stresses aren't 'quite' what they are in this.






Been done by me for 30 years w/o any issue or problem.

[El Chaba]

'White Lithium Grease" is not a trade name for a specific formulation but a general term for a general grease formulation type. The old campy grease was a high quality variant of the type and was specifically formulated for bicycle bearings. Even though it was an old formula, it was better than 90% of the products on the market today specifically marketed for cycling. It could have been more waterproof, but really any grease that gets contaminated is better being replaced anyway.

[wallymann]

Something is wrong with yor bottom bracket. White lithium grease is no more draggy than standard grease. In fact, there should be less drag with the white lithium grease, but not enough for you to tell.

not necessarily true. depends on how "stiff" the carrier is formulated -- lithium-based grease (any grease really) can be super stiff or super soft.

also, if you inject "too much" grease into a bearing it'll run stiff until the excess is pushed out of the seals.

i use stiffer grease in the BB/headset while preferring softer/smoove grease in the hubs/fh/pedals.

[jmoore]

I always love a good thread about bicycle minutae, like what grease to use. Good stuff.




/carry on

[Cicli]

What difference does it really make?
If it's contaminated, clean it. If it's dry, lube it. Done deal.

Let's talk chain lube, mmmmmmmmkay.