lucky53s

I'm cleaning/tuning my bike up for the spring and decided it was time to take the hubs apart and re-grease the bearings. Now that I have them all torn apart I decided it would be a good time to get a pro's opinion on what to grease the bearings with.

I've taken the axle out and removed the loose ball bearings. I've cleaned out the wells that the bearings rest in (I have no idea what the area is called).

Here is the question: Can I use Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease or do I need to use something else? I already have the WLG so I would like to hear that it will work.

No disrespect meant but please, no amateur opinions here. I am looking for the honest and humble opinion of someone that knows exactly what they are doing here.

Thanks in advance.

M

rhenning

I have used Phil Woods grease for 20+ years with zero problems. Roger

reptilezs

in my experience white lithium grease dries up too fast. i have used lucas red n tacky, phil wood, park tool

lucky53s

I know I can pick up the Red N Tacky at Home Depot. Maybe I will hit it up tomorrow if the general consensus is that it will work.

fietsbob

I favor Sta Lube [or 'what ever' brand] Boat Trailer Wheel Bearing grease,
Here.

Obviously a Boat trailer's hubs are Immersed to Float the Boat off,
and Retrieve it again.

1 tub has lasted decades.

lucky53s

Bob, have you tried Red N Tacky? I wonder if you could tell a difference. I'm just a pleasure rider with an occasional long ride (50+) so I doubt I'd be able to tell much of a difference.

time bandit

red and tacky is fine.

lucky53s

RNT-2
Marine Lube-1

Burton

I use a variety of greases including Park tool, Pedros and ... Clean-flo White Lithium Grease. Specifically the lithium grease goes in my winter bike because it handles low temperatures really well.

The problem is that not all Lithium grease is the same and although Clean-flo is specifically recommended for high temperature, high load race car applications including wheel bearings - your`s is different.

If you check the product description on the label it should read: NOT recommended for wheel bearings.

Any reasonable quality grease suitable for wheel bearings will do the job..

TLCFORBIKES

I will throw my hat in with Burton -- any reasonable quality grease suitable for wheel bearings will do. O'hauling the bearings should be a annual practice so you do not need marine lube. I think that it is way too thick to allow the bearings to roll freely. I have seen it used in hubs and found that although the bearings may roll smoothly they also stop rolling sooner than other less thick grease. I use Park Tool grease or something similar.

davidad

Any good bearing grease from the autoparts store. I use Lubriplate EMB synthetic and overhaul my hubs every 2500 to 3000 miles.

Scrockern8r

+1 on the bearing grease.
I use the high temp stuff, same as auto wheel bearings. Works like a charm and one tub lasts forever.

skilsaw

Amateur here.
Butter will work well if you grease it now,
It will last until the weather gets warm.
Get the expensive salt free butter.
You don't want salt in your hubs.

clasher

Yep, auto parts store like napa or partsource is your destination, you can snag a big tub of bearing grease for a fiver. The ones here have a nice selection of standard metric threads and nylocs for much cheaper than a bike store and not much different, except for the size of the packaging... split a tub up with some buddies if you want, it's a nice gesture. There are many other good substitutes for the expensive bike brand stuff. I learned this stuff and many other great tips from my friend, the search function... but it's fun to see the different rehashing of this come along too, so yeah... any grease sold for wheel bearings will work great.

Sizzle-Chest

It's obvious that honey or some sort of tree sap would be inappropriate, but if you're really looking for natural alternatives, then I would suggest whale or perhaps even seal blubber.

LesterOfPuppets

I've used Bullshot and Phil's in the past. I'm on a tub of this at the moment. I like it just fine:

lucky53s

Possibly the best response. I'm very worried about my salt intake while preparing for the cycling season.

On a side note, I now I WAY too much Red N Tacky. If anyone on the eastern side of the Mississippi needs to grease their bearings come to Baltimore and send me a PM (it's best not to put my address on here, right?) I actually found it fun and I love taking things apart so when I move back to FL this summer maybe I'll offer to grease my buddies bearings for them. (Sounds inappropriate....)