Eric F 

Stupid? I don't know you well enough to make that determination. Ignorant is probably more accurate. Your lack of knowledge about the parts you're dealing with has lead you to a band-aid solution. Your BB is a sealed unit. Spraying teflon lube on it does not actually lubricate the bearings. If your hub bearings are sealed, same thing. If your hub bearings are not sealed, spray teflon lube may get to the bearings, but it is not the proper lubricant, and not a good recipe for long-term durability.

smd4

My loose hub bearings don't need any lubricant at all (but I did use grease just to hold them in place when I installed them).

Eric F 

I was taught to be a greaser - LOL.

rc5781

I'll let everyone I know how long mySUNTOUR BB10-XCT-SQS-113-CBT CARTRIDGE (68mm x 113mm, Cartridge bearing, Square taper, Solid cromoly axle, English threading, M8 bolts included) lasts. So far it's been about 18,000 miles.

Anyway time for my daily ride. It's 72 degrees outside. People drive crazy on Fridays, gotta watch out for 'em.

grumpus

You need to block all the tubes that open into the bottom bracket shell, or mount the grease nipple directly to the body of a cartridge bearing.

maddog34

i need to NOT put a grease fitting into a bottom bracket. Care to explain how you would install a Zerk into a rather small cartridge bearing?

I once worked on a bike that had more raw drag in the wheel hubs than i'd ever seen before... it felt like the brakes were applied... the owner had completely packed the hubs with thick "bubble gum" grease.. the hubs featured actual seals and had retained so much grease that it was UNDER PRESSURE.. this caused extreme drag and made the bike a struggle to ride.. i removed 90% of the offending goop, added a few drips of PB Blaster, and slapped the hub back together...the bearings felt kinda gummy but they turned MUCH EASIER.... the Headset was the same way, minus the pressurization...... i removed all the grease, put in thinner grease... worked fine.

Camilo

My sealed bearing stuff - bottom brackets, wheels, headsets - last forever without teflon spray, grease or any other maintenance. So I dont' think spraying you do is increasing longevity at all. It might stop a squeak, but I wonder if the squeak is bearing related or soemehing else.

rc5781

"Last forever", I love that. Thank you for the most constructive reply I've gotten on this thread.

Didn't think I would do it today, but I'm doing a double ride.... 72 degrees with a setting sun...

Camilo

Last forever means among all the sealed bearings that have come through the family, I can only remember replacing two sets: one BB and one headset. And by the way, both are extremely cheap and simple to do. Even for a non-maintenance kind of guy.

Eric F 

I wish I could say that. The SRAM press-fit BBs on my MTB have been awful. I've replaced it twice in the last year. Next time, I'll try Wheels Manufacturing. I recently replaced the cartridge bearings in the freehub body on my road bike. That said, I have a few 20+yo Shimano cartridge BBs that still spin smooth.

rc5781

The PSA was stupid, I admit...forgive me...

grumpus

Into the metal or plastic cylinder that spaces the two bearings, not into the outer race of the actual bearings. You''d also have to remove the inner seals, if present. Bear in mind this is only suggested as preferable to lubricating the bbkt with Teflon spray.

joesch

Teflon lubricant spray is often used on nuts, bolts, and washers to protect them from exposure to things such as oil and seawater. The non-stick characteristics of teflon lubricant also allow for easy tightening and loosening of fasteners, etc.

I prefer teflon squeeze lubricant.

Keep in mind that it penetrates and can actually do more long term damage than good to bearing which should be protected using greese because the greese can be broken down and Not work as a longer term protectant.

Kai Winters

If you think it works...go for it...I've no monkeys in the circus.

drlogik 

You're not "stupid" but if you continue to do this your crank's bottom bracket bearings, they will wear out prematurely and you'll be spending more money. Better to take it to a shop and have them look at it.

Kontact 

"Protect bolts from oil"?

joesch

Yes, for example the oil on the roads that especially after rains makes roads less "grippy" and can splash up with the water puddles. In this case, a teflon coating on your external moving parts, like bolts and chain, helps keep such debris off your bikes parts. Does this make sense?

mpetry912 

I'd be much more concerned about wiping out in a corner.

/markp

Kontact 

Not really. All chains have some sort of "oil" on them, whether it is wax or regular oil. I have never seen nor heard of a chain lube that is just teflon - it wouldn't lube well and would be a disaster if it shed the oil that needs to be there.

Sounds like a theory.

joesch

Nope not a theory but from one of the manufactures of these products.
These are tangents to thread but real concern is using teflon for parts that should stay covered in greese

joesch

For sure, no debating this top priority concern

Kontact 

Which product?

joesch

If you would spend some of your time posting debates and challenges to statements, doing google searches then this evidence would be one of the top hits. Respond however you want but Im done with this.
Hint: Dupont

Kontact 

Hint: Dupont invented teflon and puts it in a wide variety of products. The only ones I can find that are chain lubes are wax based. Not lubrication coming from largely teflon.

veganbikes

Do you mean constructive or do you mean the post that said what I want someone to say to validate statements I have made. It is common on web forums especially where people aren't happy when someone gives a response contrary to the firmly held belief they are posting about usually in a question form but really just wanting a echo chamber. I am not saying that is necessarily you nor am I intending to attack you and please keep this in mind that it is not all that uncommon.

It is generally a bit more likely that yes a well sealed bearing on a bike that is taken care of generally will not need much of anything and could potentially last quite a while or slowly wear but not as noticeably so sometimes people do end up saying it is fine because we get used to our bikes and how the work and if it slowly gets worse we may not notice as much. I see it often and I see a lot of folks who come in say before a big ride or a race or something and want a tune up without any time to ride the bike and get used to it and adjust things as needed. I will usually tell those folks unless they have no brake pads or things are really dangerous to go do the ride or race and come to me as soon as it is over and we will tune it and replace parts so you are ready for the next one. You will be amazed what people say after their bike has been tuned up properly and how well it works and feels like a new bike to some or them not knowing or remembering something worked or did it's job so well.

A double ride can be quite fun and riding in the evening hours and seeing the sunset is always nice. I love riding off into the sunset and then into some night riding (assuming good lights). I did a lovely ride Friday evening about 30 miles and then did another nice ride the next day in the afternoon with some friends on a MUP half of us hadn't been on. Was surprisingly a very uncrowded MUP for how nice the day was and the general number of people out.