I maintain six old school 70's touring bicycles. I am looking for an aluminum complex, NLGI #1 hub grease in a 1-2 lb. tub in the $4-6/lb range. I am not looking to buy large quantities. Some bicycle greases like some of the DuPont products can be $200/lb. Someone recommended Bel-Ray buy have only been able to find NLGI #2, which is to heavy for my application.
Hub Grease
- Thread starter deoxy4
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I dont quite understand the question or the NLGI references...Ive always liked BullShot grease for almost any bicycle application.
Sorry, perhaps some explanation is necessary.
I come from a boating background, a very expensive hobby. Any boater will attest when you buy anything that has "MARINE" on the label expect to pay a premium of 50-100%. I got to be pretty savy about buying products of the same quality through varying sources but without "MARINE" on the label for much less.
That being said when I went to buy bicycle hub grease I paid my $6 for Park Polylube 1000 for 4 oz. of grease. Not too bad. While I was replacing the bearings it dawned on me that this grease was $24 per pound. I reached up on the shelf to check the price of some car bearing grease I had bought some years ago and it was $2.75 per pound. I then came to realize that the word "BICYCLE" came with a premium.
So I investigated the properties of a bike grease to see if I cound find it from an industrial source. I doubt that Park makes their own grease or has a huge R&D staff working on lubricants.
The NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) rates grease by its consistancy on a numerical scale. For bearing use in automobiles a NLGI 2 rating is common. For bicycle bearing use a 0 to 1 NLGI rating is common.
Most bicycle hub greases are polyurea or an aluminum complex grease. Both are heat resistant and water resistant. Some are fortified with moly or PTFE.
I have found McMaster-Carr, an industrial supply house has a large selection grease. I can order NLGI 0,1, petroleum based, aluminum complex, moly fortified, 10-400 F rated temperature range for $6.70 per pound plus shipping. It comes in 14 oz. tubes so I'll order 6 for a lifetime supply.
Another product which is new to the market is Dupont Multi-Use Lubricant with Teflon Fluoropolymer. Notice no "BICYCLE" in the name. I tried it. Better than any chain lube I have used. It costs $4 for 4 oz. The last chain lube I bought was $6 for the same size.
[ July 28, 2006, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: deoxy4 ]
I come from a boating background, a very expensive hobby. Any boater will attest when you buy anything that has "MARINE" on the label expect to pay a premium of 50-100%. I got to be pretty savy about buying products of the same quality through varying sources but without "MARINE" on the label for much less.
That being said when I went to buy bicycle hub grease I paid my $6 for Park Polylube 1000 for 4 oz. of grease. Not too bad. While I was replacing the bearings it dawned on me that this grease was $24 per pound. I reached up on the shelf to check the price of some car bearing grease I had bought some years ago and it was $2.75 per pound. I then came to realize that the word "BICYCLE" came with a premium.
So I investigated the properties of a bike grease to see if I cound find it from an industrial source. I doubt that Park makes their own grease or has a huge R&D staff working on lubricants.
The NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) rates grease by its consistancy on a numerical scale. For bearing use in automobiles a NLGI 2 rating is common. For bicycle bearing use a 0 to 1 NLGI rating is common.
Most bicycle hub greases are polyurea or an aluminum complex grease. Both are heat resistant and water resistant. Some are fortified with moly or PTFE.
I have found McMaster-Carr, an industrial supply house has a large selection grease. I can order NLGI 0,1, petroleum based, aluminum complex, moly fortified, 10-400 F rated temperature range for $6.70 per pound plus shipping. It comes in 14 oz. tubes so I'll order 6 for a lifetime supply.
Another product which is new to the market is Dupont Multi-Use Lubricant with Teflon Fluoropolymer. Notice no "BICYCLE" in the name. I tried it. Better than any chain lube I have used. It costs $4 for 4 oz. The last chain lube I bought was $6 for the same size.
[ July 28, 2006, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: deoxy4 ]
Amsoil Synthetic Multi-Purpose Grease, NLGI #1 would be an excellent choice. It is $4.90 for a 14 oz. tube, which amounts to $5.60/lb. That falls right in the range you requested.
Keep the rubber side down,
WW
Keep the rubber side down,
WW
Schaeffer's Oil (with sponsers here) makes their Moly Supreme (product #238) in NLGI grades 0 thru 3. It is a superb aluminum complex grease with moly.
Yes it's Li based, but honestly it's not going to washout even with a solid hot water spray.
Makes you wonder what ends up in your chow
It is good stuff, though.
It is good stuff, though.
Where to buy a couple of tubes of Schaeffers??
Go to this post, about 8 threads down for the answer from Bob the oil guru, himself:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000367#000007
Go to this post, about 8 threads down for the answer from Bob the oil guru, himself:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000367#000007
Food grade safe??? Id pay a good 20 bucks to see someone eat a mouthful.
I really like Phil Wood's products. I don't know about the technical qualities, I just like its performance.
http://www.philwood.com/webcatolog/page18.htm
http://www.philwood.com/webcatolog/page18.htm
wow they still make Phil's grease and it looks the same. i used it in the 70s for my BMX bikes
IS using a NLGI #2 grease thatmuch of a problem.
I've been using it for my front hub since I still have part of a can (High temp auto wheel bearing grease) that I bought 20+ years ago.
I could see where a Lance Armstrong type would find a thinner grease more important, but I'm certainly not up to his caliber. (since I'm MUCH older and have bad knees & back and don't ride below 36F).
The layer of grease on ball bearings is pretty thin when you think about it.
I've been using it for my front hub since I still have part of a can (High temp auto wheel bearing grease) that I bought 20+ years ago.
I could see where a Lance Armstrong type would find a thinner grease more important, but I'm certainly not up to his caliber. (since I'm MUCH older and have bad knees & back and don't ride below 36F).
The layer of grease on ball bearings is pretty thin when you think about it.
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