How & Where To Use Grease, Lubricant & Threadlock On Your Mountain Bike – The Complete Guide

Aug 24, 2023

How & Where To Use Grease, Lubricant & Threadlock On Your Mountain Bike – The Complete Guide

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Making sure your bike is clean, lubed and greased is vital for ensuring longevity of your components - but it can be confusing with the amount of different lubes and greases out there.

Also, it can be confusing where you should be using grease; assembly compounds and thread locks. So here’s our guide to the different options out there, and where you should use them…

Depending on the level of bike maintenance you plan on doing, there are a few basics that everyone should have in their collection:

- Water Displacer
- Chain lube
- General spray lube
- Grease

Water displacer is ideal for use after a wet ride or following cleaning your bike; to drive out the water from small moving parts like the chain. It’s also ideal to use on things like the cleats on your shoes to stop them from rusting.

Chain lube is the best thing for your transmission. Pick one that suits the conditions you ride in - more on that in a minute though.

The spray lube can get lube in to places that chain lube can’t go - like brake lever pivots; and the mechanisms on clipless pedals. Although you can use spray lube on your chain, it’s thin viscosity means it won’t stay in place as well as a dedicate chain lube.

Grease is a necessary essential for helping keep water away from moving parts like bearings, and for use when assembling certain bike parts.

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Content

3.975 -> - Keeping your bike clean and well lubed is the key

6.586 -> to making sure your transmission works really well.

9.058 -> And also for ensuring the longevity of your bike.

11.671 -> But it can be quite confusing cause

13.074 -> there's a lot of different greases

14.266 -> and lubes available on the market.

16.205 -> And more specifically it can be quite confusing

18.098 -> where, specifically, you use them on the bike.

20.604 -> So here's our guide to different greases,

22.425 -> thread lock compounds, and lubes out there

24.645 -> and where you should be using them.

28.524 -> So, obviously, there's a lot of stuff available to you

30.791 -> out there, but this is the bare minimum that

32.424 -> you really should be having to look after your bike at home.

35.311 -> So you need some sort of water displacer.

37.765 -> Now you'd use these after cleaning your bike

40.013 -> just to drive out the water from your transmission

41.946 -> to make sure it can't rust.

43.573 -> And also, if you're just riding your bike

45.244 -> in wet conditions, to have the same effect.

47.665 -> Then you're gonna need some sort of chain lube.

49.537 -> There's various different ones on the market

51.438 -> which we're gonna explain to you later.

53.677 -> You're gonna need these to lubricate your transmission

55.929 -> to make sure all those rollers on the chain work nicely.

58.713 -> A generic sort of spray lube, cause you can

60.497 -> use these on various places on your bike

62.358 -> that you can't get to with a chain lube.

64.383 -> And some sort of grease.

69.754 -> So first off, you're gonna need a chain lube.

72.165 -> Now, the main types of chain lube

73.424 -> come in two options, wet and dry.

76.093 -> So wet lube, as the name suggests, is a wet lube

78.949 -> and it's quite thick viscosity

80.964 -> and it sits on your chain keeping it wet

82.84 -> and lubricated at all times.

84.687 -> These are ideal for really wet, foul conditions

87.436 -> cause they stick to your chain really well.

89.513 -> But the problem with that is it can

91.138 -> attract grit and other nasty stuff that gunks up.

93.117 -> So you do have to pay attention to your drive train

95.913 -> a little bit more if you're using this stuff.

98.044 -> But the point is, if you're using it in wet conditions,

100.133 -> this is what you need because it's also a rust inhibitor.

103.965 -> Dry lube, a little bit different.

105.775 -> So, dry lube, despite what the name is,

108.2 -> is still a wet substance.

110.148 -> So it's basically a carrier which is solvent-based

112.565 -> and it holds the lubricating particles.

114.781 -> So you apply this onto your chain

116.591 -> and then the solvent itself dries up

118.51 -> making sure those particles have gotten into

120.256 -> the rollers and pins of the chain.

122.474 -> So this sort of stuff is not too good in wet conditions

125.34 -> cause it can be washed away, but

126.994 -> due to the dry nature of it, once it's

128.719 -> sort of dried onto your chain, it doesn't

130.893 -> attract dirt and grime.

132.485 -> So its ideal for dusty conditions.

134.99 -> The down side with dry lube, other than

136.691 -> it comes off in the wet, is it doesn't last as long

139.198 -> so you're gonna need to apply it more frequently.

141.445 -> So the main point with all lubricants,

143.372 -> and in particular dry lube,

145.347 -> is that they get into the chain rollers themselves.

148.13 -> So there are some lubricants on the market,

149.984 -> you have to read the manual quite extensively

152.409 -> and you have to wait up to four hours

153.749 -> before you ride the bike.

155.095 -> And I know for a fact that no one is actually gonna do that.

158.125 -> You just want to apply the lube and get out riding.

160.043 -> So make sure you get a decent lubricant.

161.646 -> When you put it on, it soaks into the chain properly

164.656 -> and it gets all those rollers moist

166.49 -> because that is the backbone of the chain.

168.719 -> If they're not lubricated, you're wearing your stuff out.

171.28 -> So just invest in a good lubricant

172.974 -> and it's worth having a wet and dry

174.149 -> so you can ride in different conditions.

178.452 -> So next up is to have a general purpose spray lube.

181.177 -> Now these are quite convenient to use

183.221 -> and you can use them, due to the wet nature of them,

185.735 -> as a chain lube, but because they're quite thin,

188.036 -> it's never gonna last as long.

189.758 -> They'll sit somewhere in the middle

191.214 -> between a wet and a dry lube,

192.758 -> but what it's really useful for

194.094 -> is things like brake lever pivots

195.524 -> or even inside of your u-lock

197.125 -> if you leave it outside, for example.

199.324 -> They're just a really good, convenient lubricant

201.056 -> to have in your selection and, of course,

202.884 -> be used to flush out gear cables.

207.357 -> So WD-40 does contain a lubricant,

209.775 -> but it's also a solvent.

211.226 -> So that means it's gonna break down greases and stuff.

213.258 -> So what you don't really wanna do

214.914 -> is have this stuff around bearings and that for too long.

217.464 -> However, it's not actually gonna create

219.414 -> that much damage in the long term

220.934 -> as long as you look after your bike

221.908 -> because it is still a lubricant.

223.966 -> So you could use this on your chain

225.714 -> although it's never gonna be

227.235 -> as good as using a dedicated chain lube.

229.285 -> So we'd always recommend using a specific chain lube.

232.137 -> Just use this to make sure stuff is driven out,

234.898 -> wipe it off with a rag, and then

236.577 -> lubricate your bike properly with a proper chain lube

238.981 -> before you go riding or immediately afterwards.

241.769 -> Another thing that WD-40 is brilliant for

243.354 -> and a reason to have this in your tool kit

245.374 -> is it's really for freeing seized components

247.543 -> and locks and stuff.

248.73 -> So in particular, I had one last winter,

250.938 -> a frozen shifter.

252.487 -> So my shifter just got loads of water in it

254.245 -> from just a winter of riding

256.007 -> and gradually it just started getting

257.294 -> really, really stiff with use.

258.935 -> Flush it out with this, take it apart,

260.537 -> clean it, works fantastically and it's also great

263.175 -> for flushing out auto cables.

265.268 -> Multiple use, sole product.

267.534 -> And if you drive to your trails

269.384 -> you might have had sticky car locks before

271.432 -> or even any problems with sort of electrical stuff,

273.852 -> this is actually conductive so it's really good

275.679 -> for using with any of that sort of stuff.

277.773 -> Now finally, another reason to have this

279.496 -> is it's actually really good for getting

281.004 -> grease out of carpet and out of clothing

282.673 -> which a lot of people don't realise.

284.182 -> I made a really cool hacks video.

286.115 -> You can demonstrate getting some oil out of carpet with it.

288.959 -> So great multiuse product just to have in your tool kit.

294.395 -> A lightweight spray grease is also another thing

296.183 -> really handy to have in your collection.

298.27 -> But, don't get me wrong, it's not a replacement

299.813 -> for heavy duty workshop grease to use on bearings

302.225 -> and threads and things like that.

303.935 -> It's good for using on pedal threads.

305.7 -> You can use it on the lightweight stuff

307.062 -> on the inside of shifters.

308.551 -> There's gobbings that would get bogged down

309.989 -> with a thick grease and, well, an oil

311.599 -> would just run out and won't do anything.

313.548 -> Also useful off the bike for a few other things.

316.323 -> So your bike rack on the car, for example,

318.529 -> where the elbows come up to sort of clamp you down,

320.096 -> they creak quite a lot.

322.089 -> This stuff is great for that and it doesn't

323.732 -> get washed off by sort of rain when you're out driving.

326.162 -> So just a good multiuse product, comes in handy.

329.294 -> Buy it once, it stays on the shelf, gets used a few times.

334.333 -> You're gonna need a decent grease for working on your bike.

337.121 -> Now grease is obviously used to reduce friction

339.049 -> between surfaces, it helps keep water at bay,

342.281 -> and it's used to generally assemble parts of your bike.

345.229 -> So you're gonna be using grease in areas like

346.848 -> pedal threads, pump bracket threads,

348.892 -> putting the headset cups into the frame.

351.234 -> Be aware, though, that some greases contain petroleum

353.695 -> and other substances that are damaging to carbon fibre.

356.714 -> So, before you go smearing some on any carbon parts,

359.533 -> make sure it's carbon safe.

363.344 -> So first up is lithium grease

365.052 -> which tends to be white by nature.

366.954 -> Often sitting in big tubs in workshops

368.917 -> and it comes good in spray cans cause it's quite thin stuff.

372.124 -> Now whilst this is good for assembling parts of your bike,

374.415 -> it's not the best stuff for general lubrication

376.815 -> because it does wash away eventually

378.566 -> so you don't see it used that much.

380.514 -> However, like I said, it's great for nestling in

382.864 -> cartridge bearings into the frame

384.451 -> cause it's still gonna provide a sort of

385.814 -> waterproof barrier and it's not gonna get washed away

388.14 -> in a location like that.

389.605 -> So this is quite handy to use on wheel axles

391.864 -> and things like that just to make them slide into place

393.913 -> and not get corroded.

397.215 -> A lot of other common greases you'll see

398.537 -> referred to as PTFE, or teflon-based greases.

401.494 -> Now these have teflon particles in them

403.359 -> so they're some really good slick grease

405.598 -> and it can be used on many places on the bike, but

407.561 -> generally, teflon grease isn't that good

409.725 -> for using on carbon fibre.

411.234 -> So just be cautious of that if you do buy some.

414.096 -> Now these two are quite generic workshop greases here.

416.494 -> They're both safe to use on carbon fibre.

418.924 -> They're also ideal to use to waterproof parts of your bike

421.803 -> and use on any bearings.

423.493 -> I tend to just use it

424.703 -> just a standard tub of this stuff

426.329 -> for pretty much everything.

429.84 -> So you're also gonna need some

431.092 -> sort of assembly compound on your bike.

433.456 -> So an assembly compound, often referred to as anti-seize

436.052 -> or sometimes a carbon compound is essentially

438.844 -> a form of grease that's got particles suspended in it.

441.569 -> And that helps create friction between surfaces.

444.231 -> So this is ideal to use in places like

446.146 -> your seat post junction where you wanna make sure

448.178 -> it doesn't corrode into your frame but also it doesn't move.

451.29 -> So the really unique thing about assembly compounds

453.507 -> is it can help reduce the torque you have to put

455.75 -> through an allen key junction, for example,

458.255 -> on a handlebar stem or a seat post

461.02 -> to hold that component in place.

463.567 -> This is particularly important with carbon fibre

466.045 -> cause you don't want to over tighten those components

468.05 -> cause you can risk damaging them and worse,

470.215 -> you could actually crack them.

471.856 -> So make sure you've got the right sort of assembly compound

473.814 -> that is compatible with the sorts of things on your bikes.

477.161 -> So there are specific carbon compounds.

479.536 -> I mean, this particular one is an all-around compound.

481.85 -> It's safe to use with carbon but you can use it on

484.22 -> aluminium, steel, any other materials.

488.099 -> Now some people think you should be using a grease

489.486 -> something like the Hope system which is narrower cup

492.099 -> that preses into the frame.

494.311 -> It's actually got these sort of bars

495.74 -> that hold the cups together.

497.053 -> You can use a grease with that cause it's not gonna

498.961 -> sort of walk around or move in there.

500.91 -> Now if you're using plastic cups,

502.624 -> I recommend using a specific retaining compound.

505.644 -> So this is a form of glue basically that holds it in place

508.356 -> but it's easy enough to get it out afterwards.

511.144 -> Just make sure you look up what's recommended

512.329 -> for that specific component when you're installing it.

517.785 -> Assuming you have some sort of suspension fork

519.654 -> or shock on your bike, you're gonna want

521.343 -> some kind of suspension-based grease.

524.099 -> Now they're quite specific because they're very thin

526.628 -> and very slick and you use these typically in areas

528.973 -> like under the fork seal.

530.883 -> So it helps create a barrier against

532.381 -> the water getting in there and obviously

533.947 -> keeps the fork running smoothly.

536.124 -> Make sure you get a decent one and make sure

537.648 -> it's compatible with your suspension fork.

541.378 -> Okay, so, next up is thread lock.

543 -> It's not something you'll use that often on your bike

545.736 -> but there are very particular places you should be using it.

548.874 -> So, for example, chain link bolts are something

551.623 -> subject to vibration and rattle out on the trail.

554.624 -> If they come loose when you're out riding,

555.949 -> it's generally gonna ruin your ride

557.414 -> so that is exactly where you're gonna want a thread lock.

560.137 -> Other places worth considering to use thread lock

562.303 -> are the jockey wheel bolts that hold

563.784 -> your rear mech cage together,

565.59 -> your actual rear mech hanger bolt itself,

567.941 -> and if your bike has removable drop outs,

570.137 -> you'll find it will have some kind of retaining bolt

571.893 -> to keep those on.

573.06 -> Definitely want to keep those thread lock

574.474 -> so they don't rattle loose.

576.027 -> And finally, something that I often see loose

578.104 -> on people's bikes, the brake lever pivot bolts.

581.174 -> So you'd never really think of checking those

582.653 -> but if they rattle loose and if your brake lever falls off,

584.797 -> you're gonna know about that.

588.18 -> So this one's a bit of an old one.

589.455 -> This is brake grease.

590.708 -> So it's a grease, obviously,

592.414 -> for assembling your brake components or the callipers.

595.037 -> And the only difference really between this

596.733 -> and a normal grease is it's duct proof.

598.821 -> So that refers to a style of fluid used in a lot of brakes,

602.095 -> and that's duct and it's a corrosive liquid.

604.116 -> If you use regular grease in it it's gonna break down.

606.529 -> So this is specifically formulated just to avoid doing that.

610.028 -> You'll barely ever need to use this stuff

611.757 -> but if you are quite an in depth home mechanic,

614.054 -> it's good to have in the tool kit nonetheless.

618.283 -> So next up are suspension oils and lubricants.

621.47 -> So firstly the oils, you're probably less likely

624.088 -> to use these at home cause they involve taking

626.279 -> the oil out of the damping unit itself.

629.094 -> And these come in different oil weights

631.039 -> and that refers to the viscosity of the actual oil.

633.755 -> So in addition to the external adjustments

636.021 -> you can make to those damping units,

638.471 -> you can use different weight oil to control

640.234 -> the characteristics of your suspension fork or shock.

643.573 -> It's quite a specialist part and you will find

645.563 -> with every fork and shock there'll be

647.511 -> a recommended weight oil to use.

649.493 -> Of course, you can sort of custom tune that

651.314 -> by running different oils.

653.143 -> Next up is suspension lubricant.

655.744 -> Now this has no bearing on the damping of

657.708 -> the fork or shock itself whatsoever.

660.006 -> It's purely used to lubricate.

662.064 -> In this case this is just a lower leg lube.

664.43 -> So this would go in the lower leg of the fork

666.421 -> and its job is to make sure it slides up and down nicely,

669.593 -> to keep the seals nice and moist, and also to make sure

672.675 -> the bushings don't wear too prematurely.

675.919 -> And this stuff is Fox float fluid.

677.838 -> It's basically the same equivalent for using

679.411 -> on Fox products on, in particular, Fox rear shocks.

682.853 -> It's not a damping oil, it's just there

684.551 -> to lubricate the seals.

687.04 -> And finally, with suspension products,

689.345 -> you can also use that lower leg lube just to perform

691.375 -> a quick, sort of, wipe of your upper legs.

693.795 -> But you can also use this stuff.

695.185 -> It's a silicone spray and it's amazing stuff.

698.051 -> It's super, super, super thin so you can

700.272 -> actually get this under the wiper seals if you

702.309 -> just roll up the garter and you can just use this

704.71 -> just to keep your forks running smooth

706.21 -> on a day to day basis.

707.932 -> So hopefully our breakdown of lubricants, greases,

709.766 -> and retaining compounds has been helpful for you.

712.584 -> If you want to find out a few more cool videos on

714.529 -> how to use these sort of things, click down here

716.754 -> for installing a press-fit bomb bracket

719.176 -> where I demonstrate some retaining compounds

721.185 -> and stuff down there.

722.018 -> And if you wanna find out about a fork lower leg service

724.231 -> using some of the products here, click down here.

726.997 -> As always, click on the globe to subscribe in the middle.

729.329 -> And, of course, if it's been a useful video,

731.162 -> give us a thumbs up.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2uw2DTE3B8