To grease, or not to grease - Lubrication database.

I'm in Manchester, wrong time of year for polo relay courier this far.

Otherwise, in for 1.

hamrack x2
pastry_bot x2
mdcc_tester x1
pdlouche x2
Matisse x1
jdmitch x1
Emyr x1
NurseHolliday x1

Great stuff.
One more cartridge up for grabs, anyone keen?
I'll confirm the unit cost and order these today, I can either post them (prefer not to but can if needs be) or can meet around town (work in SW7 but happy to meet elsewhere). I don't mind holding onto them until people are able to collect.

I'm due a refill on grease so I'll take one if I can pick it up from you in London somewhere. Out of interest, any thoughts on this article that suggests that Lithium EP grease (like the Shell stuff) may be less good than standard Lithium grease?

Say that twice more and @mdcc_tester will come along to sort it all out!

Do I have to incant his name 3 times while standing in front of a mirror?

...and can I pickup that grease from you in London?

Only if you want a shot of grease to the face...

any thoughts on this article that suggests that Lithium EP grease (like the Shell stuff) may be less good than standard Lithium grease?

I think he worries too much about ball skidding, and we have addressed his worries about MoS₂ or Ca-soap greases being too thick by selecting the appropriate NLGI number.

My layman opinion would be that we're all too heavy, and too slow, with not enough power for noticeable ball skidding.

we're all too heavy, and too slow

Precisely. He correctly identifies that the fastest bearing on a bike is doing no more than 500rpm (<0.8m.s^-1 ball speed, probably <0.1m.s^-2 acceleration), unlikely to be very skiddy given that the bearing is also never unloaded.

The bearings in my rollers get up to >5000rpm, maybe I should pull them apart to check for signs of uneven ball wear, now that they have been in service for a decade and a half :-)

If you were that fussed, you'd simply replace the bb's with new ones each service anyway, no?

I'm still using my decades old tin of Shell Retinax AM, but if it ever runs out I'll be shopping for Retinax HDX1 or Gadus S2 V220 AD 1

*or WS2 when I'm feeling really tarty.

Its bicycles so one could just as well use any old "waterproof" grease (e.g. "marine" or disk brake wheel bearing grease) and just clean things and relube from time to time.. but if one is going to bother.. that Gadus is a really standard EP lithium grease.. and non-moly (or WS2).. Its OK and surely sufficient.. but I'd not consider it a first choice.. For bicycle bearings these days I like Klueber Isoflex NCA52-- its the Calcium soap version of NB52. Its not thin but also not thick.. visoscity, if it matters, at 40C is ~31 mm²/s. Its an industrial product so quality and price is comparatively high. Viewed as "price per application" (how much does one need for hubs and pedals?) it is cheap... Does Isoflex work better than the 2 GBP for 400g disc brake wheel bearing grease in this application? I feel it does.. For general uses around bikes I'll use Kluber Microlube GL261... save for things like pressfits where I use a dedicated assembly paste such as Klüberpaste 46 MR 401..

What about where a QR skewer mates with a frame. I have a slight creak when climbing. i have traced to the qr skewers. Its an Argon 18 carbon frame with DA 9000 C24 wheels
Any ideas

Are they the stock Shimano QR?

Yeah the dura ace ones.

1 Attachment

What about where a QR skewer mates with a frame.

I've never lubricated that contact, but I do coat the skewer with copaslip where it sits inside the axle, to prevent corrosion.

How have you isolated the noise to the skewer?

By using the bike on rollers and having a colleague listen with a tool called a chassis ear. basically headphones attached to micraphone. By moving the mic round the frame have traced the qr as the cause of the noise.

also if you remove the qr the noise goes.

i have traced to the qr skewers. Its an Argon 18 carbon frame with DA 9000 C24 wheels
Any ideas

Sure it is not the dropouts? Does not the Argon18 have replaceable bolt on drop-outs? If so I'd try to remove and reinstall the bolts using a good screw lubricants, resp. montage paste. You may want to also check the dropouts themselves. Clean them and apply some wax. Probably also want to clean the mating surface of the skewers too and add some wax or a bit of montage paste. Sometimes lube (wax is also a lube) solves things... Before mucking with the dropout I'd perhaps start off there.. just cleaning the dropouts, skewers, waxing, a drop of lube to the lever etc..
If it really is the skewers.. Running them tight enough? Tried wax or paste and did not help? If so.. Use other skewers. I've found that some skewers just don't mate well with some dropouts. Since these are pretty conventional steel rod skewers and tend to go pretty tight with ease I'd double check everything else first... Then I'd look at the QR itself to see if there are any cracks or defects in the alloy lever body.

Both the framset and the wheels/skewers are brand new. I will check the dropouts this evening, Im pretty sure that they are not removable. I have fitted the skewers tight and noise was sitll there. I managed to get as tight as i could and still there. I will try some wax on the mating surface tonight and hope that this cures it.

Just had to google this as wasn't sure,

Handlebar/stem interface.

I greased (very lightly) as I was getting creaking.

Going by @mdcc_tester advice, copperslip would have been the ideal treatment?

I'd use assembly paste rather than Copaslip, as you're looking to increase grip, rather than prevent seizure.

I had a creak in the same spot and got rid of it by cleaning the clamping area thoroughly! (just in case you havent tried it already)

I'd use assembly paste

So would I, but it probably won't cure the creak

cleaning the clamping area

Good start, because the creak is a fit issue, and contamination can affect the fit. Next step is to check for, and remove, any burrs which are acting high spots and preventing full contact. The end of that process is lapping the mating surfaces together.