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As the title, should I use anti-seize or normal grease for the threads of a BB?
nothing<normal grease<Copper Slip(anti-seize) IMO
What frame material? I'll use grease unless it's a Titanium frame, in which case it's CopperSlip
Aluminium
I thought anti-seize, but as my last BB has seized in 7 months (Race Face Cinch, yeah I know...) I'm being doubly cautious.
Bit of both won't do any harm.
Have always used anti seize, as it's usually an alu cup in a steel frame for me
PBC/D is a thick grease we put in our nuclear assemblies. They come apart without any issues after 20 years so I figure my bike should be ok.
I've always used copperslip and never had any issues
Grease is better than nothing.
Shimano anti-seize is good.
Ideally not copper based if aluminium and steel are together as there can be galvanic issues.
Surprised about the copaslip and galvanic corrosion as when I built up my Ti bike I used finishline anti seize (suitable for everything apparently) and it looks exactly like copaslip!
https://www.finishlineusa.com/products/specialty-products/anti-seize-assembly-lubricant
Fwiw, it's always worked perfectly fine for me.
Ive always used the Juice Lubes AAS Juice.
https://juicelubes.com/aas-juice-aluminium-anti-seize-paste-aas-g1.html
Ive taken BB's out years later and its still got a nice layer of silver paste in there.
Ceramic anti seize grease for me on BB's and anything car tinkering related.
I've always used standard grease, from the big tub that is really old.
Never had a BB seized.
I do have coppaslip but for some reason never used it, not sure why. Shimano BB cups come with some sort of grey thread lock on from memory.
There's always Marley's Blue Slip n Slide. It's not called that but now I've got it in my head I can't get past it.
Give me a minute...
Shimano BB cups come with some sort of grey thread lock on from memory.
Or flouro yellow. I'd trust Shimano's goop scientists. I did just that last Thursday, actually, despite having the aqua paste on the shelf.
No idea if I'm right but I tend to use copper slip if it has threads like threaded bb and bolts on bottle cages and mudgaurds and pannier racks etc and if no threads I use grease like headsets, seatposts etc. If it's carbon, then the special carbon grease stuff.
So far it's worked fine but I'm sure someone will tell me I'm wrong 😂
Ptfe tape then Grease
If the bottom bracket is the correct size and round then you shouldn't need Ptfe tape and you shouldn't be able to fit it if it's the correct size. But I guess perfect bb sizes are rare so people have come up with solutions. If it's not round then Ptfe could make it worse where it touches/doesn't touch.
However, if it's oversized I can see the benefits of Ptfe tape but ive found my bearings go from the outside, not from the inside. My frame has a drain hole for any water that gets in.
But I haven't tried it so I can't really comment but it's an interesting idea.
Metallurgy or something. Sacrificial protection as well. Maybe. Reactance? It's late and I'm tired. But yes, there's a good reason for not using coppaslip on aluminium threads, or between dissimilar metals, or maybe both, and you're supposed to use Molyslip instead. In reality it's probably not going to matter too much, especially if we're talking about GXP or Dub since they require bi-monthly changes anyway.
Lithium grease on the threads in the frame and then one turn of PTFE tape on the BB threads and in they go. And they (DUB!) come out again without fuss and still mostly clean even after a filthy winter. Only changed the DUB after 3700km and regreased only twice in that time
I’m wondering if the anti-seize contributed to the short life span of my old bottom bracket?
I can't see how any anti-sieze would get into the bearings, but then I don't know how much you applied. Did you use a trowel?
always used copperslip on all my frames from steel to Au, Ti and Carbon. Never had one seize yet. there is always a first time I guess. I'd happily use a good old thick grease if no copperslip were to hand.
I’ve always used standard grease, from the big tub that is really old.
That's the same stuff I use for everything. Castrol Multi-purpose, it's been great for BBs.
There's always going to be some sort of leverage involved once a BB has been used a couple of months. The specific grease is largely irrelevant.
Yep, agree that it probably doesn't matter. I guess the exception is if you throw the bike in a shed and bring it back out in 20 years and have to change the BB- the worst bike job I ever did was extracting an ancient shimano square taper from an old steel frame, it was pretty much welded in. And you never plan ahead for that of course.
Mine all just get a little wipe of whatever grease comes to hand, probably some white waterproof stuff.
Anti seize paste. Copaslip if you want a brand name. It does what it says, grease is for lubrication.
These are all aluminium BB cups in steel frames, except one, aluminium to aluminium. All came out with no bother at either on regular service or the one poor beater after forgetting about it for 13 years.
I've started using PTFE tape and grease which seems to work. I understood it prevents creaking and creates a better interface between cup and frame
I’m wondering if the anti-seize contributed to the short life span of my old bottom bracket?
I can't think how. If you apply it to the BB cup threads then it tends to squidge out as you screw the cup in. Wipe the excess away before you fit the cranks
You can probably pack a bit more conventional grease into a new bearing before fitting. Sealed bearings tend to be underpacked because it suits faster machinery more than it does slow cadence cyclists
The copper grease/aluminium frame thing is a theoretical problem that doesn't happen IME. All that you need to do, practically, is isolate the two metals (frame and BB cup) so that water, especially salty water, is kept out of the gap and can't conduct a galvanic reaction. Solid copper is a good conductor, copper suspended in grease much less so
Grease good, anti-seize better.
I understood it prevents creaking
Or causes it. If your frame and BB threads are within tolerance chances are the tape will just bunch up (especially as the BB threads are likely a much finer pitch than the plumbing threads the tape is intended for).
Ah, and right on cue:
Glow-in-the-dark, self-illuminating BBs. I’m IN.
Nice and warm too.
I understood it prevents creaking
Or causes it. If your frame and BB threads are within tolerance chances are the tape will just bunch up (especially as the BB threads are likely a much finer pitch than the plumbing threads the tape is intended for).
That's an interesting take on it, I've not had any issues since I started using it, but that's not to say it's the perfect solution.
Park Tool ASC-1 Anti-Seize is the best in my experience. Very durable, nice and thick paste, aluminium powder / grease mix, stays there for years and parts come off easily. Basically water- and soap-proof. I have used it at work and home for over 10 years, and nothing installed with it has stuck. Better than Shimano anti-seize.
It will stain your clothes though and hardly comes off in the wash, either.
https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/anti-seize-compound-asc-1
Normally I would put anti-seize on any and all threads that do not need thread-lock compound, and are not next to a bearing, causing risk of bearing grease contamination. So any other threaded fastener gets it instead of regular grease.
At risk of repeating myself......
Just buy some ceramic anti seize, it doesn't suffer from galvanic weirdness, it can magically fill fairly large voids/threads, is heat resistant, is cheap because it's for automotive use rather than cycling is the new golf charge 10x more for a tiny little tube and best of all the description uses the term nano.
Anything that isn't branded as cycle specific. So a scoop from the tubs of grease kicking around the shed. Kept me going for 45 years and I suspect bikes in general for another century on top of that.
I wouldn't say there is a huge difference in cost bike vs car non-copper anti-seize.
e.g. the Shimano stuff is pretty reasonable at £20 for a 455g tub with a brush in the lid (which makes it very convenient to use) and 100g tubes of various bike or car stuff is generally £5-10.
For those saying there is no galvanic issue, Molyslip (makers of Copaslip) specifically make Alumslip to avoid using copper in joints involving aluminium and steel. In practice you won't see a seizing problem as the galvanic issue eats the aluminium......
Slightly different circumstances, but here is my steerer starting to get galvanically eaten in 2-3 years due to the presence of steel, aluminium, water and copper.
For those saying there is no galvanic issue...snip
I don't think that anyone is saying that. IME of both steel and aluminium frames, with components in a variety of materials, copper grease doesn't cause a noticeable problem. I don't own a carbon frame so can't comment on that
Molyslip (makers of Copaslip) specifically make Alumslip to avoid using copper in joints involving aluminium and steel.
I'm all for a one-pot solution. When my 1.1lb (500 new-fangled grams) tub of copper grease runs out then I'll buy ceramic, as recommended by RNP ^^
In practice you won’t see a seizing problem as the galvanic issue eats the aluminium……
IME, no visible damage to threads, etc. Just clean the old copper grease out and replace once or twice a year
Slightly different circumstances, but here is my steerer starting to get galvanically eaten in 2-3 years due to the presence of steel, aluminium, water and copper.
The key ingredient here is water, which is the electrolyte that allowed galvanic corrosion to take place. Grease will keep it out
I am a liberal user of copaslip and have never seen galvanic corrosion. I use grease on stuff that is taken out often, copaslip on stuff that is dismantled rarely and locktite very occasionally on critical bolts. Many times I thank the great god copaslip when for example a disc bolt comes out nice and easily