Different grease for different jobs?

I mostly use copper grease on the bike as I have a big tub of it. I know this is used to stop threaded parts seizing. But I wonder if I should be a bit more discerning about where I use it. Can anyone explain to me the applications for different types of grease, lithium, general purpose, etc.

Or should I just carry on using copper all round?

Well copaslip would be useless in moving parts for a start, so don’t use it in bearings or forks. You should also never use it anywhere near any hot components or hydrocarbons, or generaly anything flamable as copper oxide is used as a catalyst in explosives, so isn’t used much in indutry as there’s better alternatives. The punishment for using it on site here is the same as the punishment for drugs/alcohol use, imediate sacking, followed by your manager being called in and the possibility of the company being thrown off site!

It is fine for seatposts and general bolts though.

Rock and Roll do a good range of different greeases for different jobs on bikes, butin general a £3.99 tub of waterproof grease from halfords will do 99% of the jobs on a bike.

All I can say is I use good water repellent grease for bearings and moving parts and copper grease for threads (anti-seize) and then thread lock for stuff you dont want to budge or seize – I wouldn’t use copper grease for bearings & moving parts (like grinding paste) due to the fine copper particles.

Too late – as TINAS says above.

I have a small tub of RS Judy Butter, that I use on my forks and used on my BB cartridge bearings.

Thankfully my bike never moves fast enough to generate the temperatures required for combustion 😉

I’ll have a look at the RnR range, I could do with a grease gun…

I use the Dualco Grease gun – easily refillable 🙂

I use the Shimano grease recently and is good or TF2 Grease from Weldtite.

I like Castrol CL grease on parts like bearings – water resistant as it is for the marine industry and it seems to break down less than the lithiums I used.

Thankfully my bike never moves fast enough to generate the temperatures required for combustion

Agreed, more relavent if your’re building a car engine. But I do question the advice often touted on here to smear it on the back of brake pads.

lithium grease IME is quite hydrophilic so just turns into a mucky slop in the MTB world 🙁

When I run out of the Shimano stuff I might try that Castrol CL grease if its any good? Castrol LM is also pants!

You say don’t use coppaslip on anything hot? I hope your idea of hot is different to mine as I have a smear of the stuff on the back of my brake pads (car & motorcycle)

My lubricant tip is never use a petroleum based grease such as vaseline with latex condoms. Depending on exactly what you are doing a silicon based grease may also be a bad idea for different reasons 😯

Tub of silkolene RG2 is the same as most fancy ‘red’ bike greases. Wonderful stuff, it always comes out looking just the same after a winter in my bearings. About £10 a big pot, synthetic grease designed principally for motor cross. I have recommended to my 2 x LBSs and they now use it too!

RG2 for bearings, copper grease for bolts and Castrol Red Rubber on the rubbery bits 🙂

Thanks all.

What’s the thinking behind copper grease on the back of [bike] brake pads anyway? Maybe I go thru pads quick then most, not in long enough to seize…

The coppaslip on the back of brake pads may help to stop squeal if the pads are vibrating in the carrier.

I’ve never had a set of pads sieze to the (plastic) pistons anyway, which is why I question the need anyway. And why put greease on a seal that isn’t designed for it? You can get DOT specific greases for that.

Car’s usualy have a copper plate between the piston and the pad to stop them squeeling, is that where the idea comes from?

coppaslip on the back of brake pads is standard practice used widely.

I use
Castrol LM for most applications

Red rubber grese for brake seals

Copaslip for all threads

I use-

Copper slip on all bolt threads eg stem/post/shfter bolts etc – ie any threads to be undone at some point (with the exception of caliper bolts, where I use a light thread-lok)

Rock and Roll super web waterproof grease (the white one) on metal-to-metal contact areas (other than threads), plus headset bearings and generally any area subject to water ingress

Rock and Roll super coat on rear suspension pivot bushings

Englund Slick Honey on front and rear shocks seals/air-can

Scott carbon grease between carbon posts and carbon seat tubes

And finally Silicone grease on ceramic bb bearings!

Must admit I quite rarely use grease on my bikes. Assembly of parts that should never move – copper grease does a nice job but be very careful – it can cause galvanic corrosion, and increase it around steel/alu interfaces.

Waterproof grease – I’ve tried it in dozens of spots, including headsets, but found that generally it just seems to emulsify instead.

Grease holds grit and rubbish. I can’t really think of any spots other than the headset and seat post interface that I ever use grease. Sealed bearings on pretty much everywhere else apart from moving dérailleur parts which much prefer a light oil, no need to re-grease.

Bolts – can’t think of any other than stem bolts and they never seem to seize.

So all in all, on a bike, no I use sod all grease. Overhaul of fork might get some lithium. If I’m trying to eek out a few extra weeks from a pivot bearing while I wait for an order I might pop a seal and re-grease but it’s not a normal practice, only emergency.

The Castrol CL grease is lovely and gloopy as well for when you are using your fingers to shove it into your cup/cone bearings 🙂

Grease holds grit and rubbish.

True but its great at keeping water out – regular servicing it the key here not the amount of grease you use 🙂

Ramonol marine grease for bearings & hubs, shimano anti-seize for BB threads & Ti rotor bolts, judy butter on forks & lithium grease for anywhere else that needs it.

Copperslip for all brake pads and threads where likely to seize

Teflon grease for general use such as my headset and wheel bearings. No longer grease things like my seatpost etc as that comes out when I’m cleaning anyway and then gets sprayed. Would put some grease on the steerer tube under the stem as best I could.

Putting copper slip on the back of bicycle brake pads is such an old wives tale. I don’t know of a single mechanic that does it.

I use the same grease on everything – Lubrimatic trailer wheel bearing grease. It’s meant for boat trailers so it’s very tough, and it comes in handy cartridges for a grease gun.