Hi all,
My bike is sounding like a creaking ship in a gale…
I’ve decided to remedy it and do a proper job of greasing and tightening all the bolts.
So – what sorts of greases do I need for different applications, and can you recommend a decent torque wrench with a proper range of bits for the different types of bolts on a bike?

This wrench covers most things Wiggle

Norbar for torque wrench 🙂

Dear Sir,

Many thanks for your enquiry.

The grease we would recommend for use with possible water ingress in our K323 Premium Blue.

Regards,

Simon…

Technical Services Manager
Morris Lubricants

An enquiry has been received from the website:

Comment: Hi, what grease do you suggest for packing mountain bike bearings? Slow rotation, don’t get hot, subject to medium loads but alot of dirt and water.
Thanks, Alex.

Thanks for the replies. Is there much difference between expensive and cheaper torque wrenches?

Hope use this as standard, I figure if it’s good enough for them..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobil-Grease-XHP222-Lithium-Complex/dp/B00S68HNCG

Mobile grease XHP222 as used by Hope

Doh, what matty said

I’ve got a Norbar and a cheaper one.
The cheaper one needed adjustment from new, and has stayed within 4% for two years without further adjustment. It’s drifted by approx 3% now and I’m told that it can’t be corrected across the full range when it’s finally out of tolerance
The Norbar has never needed adjustment and has drifted by 1% in the same time

XHP 222 will do you. We use it in our high pressure valves offshore, quite light though. Your other good option would be Aqualube, pretty pricey but holds and performs really well and will never wash out with water.

Niall

Torque wrenches – buy cheap, buy twice.

Even brands you would have heard of like Draper or Stanley are rebranded cheapo wrenches which are. In my exoerience, cack.

Norbar/Torqueleader/MHH Engineering/Gedore/Snap On/Tohnichi are pretty much the industrial std – in Aerospace any way.

Torque wrench test

Careful with small torque bolts. As I found torque to spec and snapped bolt. One suggestion was thread lock used changes the torque. Another was Santa Cruz spec was too high, which they kind of admitted to me. They did send me some free bolts though.

I use caution and hand tighten many small bolts or use the torque wrench but stop if I feel it should have clicked by now.

I’ve just been through exactly the same thing.

Even switched from my normal 222 loctite to 248 loctite as per the manual.

My park beam deflection torque wrench wouldn’t fit in the gaps so got the little Topeak one at great expensive, but it is really nice and gets good reviews. I think it’s a strain gauge rather than a spring and cam. I assume that would mean it’s less affected by the passage of time.

I’ve used silkolene RG2 grease for years but also use copaslip in some applications.

By the way, my squeak wasn’t in the frame after all that.

Excellent guidance – thanks!
Going to source some XHP222 for the grease side.
Going to look at the bank account to decide which wrench is best 😆

A cheap wrench might drift by a few percent, but bear in mind a bolt labled 4-6Nm is +/- 20% of 5Nm its really not that crittical. And they dont even list them as greased or dry which typically halves or doubles the tension in the bolt.

Its better to be right, but neither the tolerance nor the consequences of failiure are really anything like aerospace or industrial applications.

Norbar and XHP222.

Maxima Waterproof. Slightly cheaper than XHP222, more convenient to use tub, and its very similar to the 222.

While checking current price, I found this, which basically is my opinion written by someone else: Review of Maxima Waterproof

EDIT – Actually its slightly more than the 222 now, but were talking a few pence per 100g.