'some' MTB specific greases...Are we being sold a pup?

retroenduro

retroenduro

Likes Dirt
Just thought i would raise this issue as im interested in peoples views...

Last week i bought some 'fork butter pivot bearing specific slick honey' whatever grease (not naming any names for now) as im rebuilding my forks, shocks and re doing the bushes on my lovely Rune etc...now as i love my bike and only want the best i spent some coin on getting the 'proper MTB specific' stuff...well wouldnt you?

So anyway when i opened it up i was somewhat suprised to see what looked suspiciously like, smelt suspiciously like and felt suspicioulsy like the same grease i use on my UJ's, wheel bearings and other bits in my car. (ill never forget that smell ...love it :) )

I even put the two together and smeared them on paper and did other 'less than scientific tests' and they looked identical.

So im asking the question what exactly is it in MTB greases that a) makes them so special and specific to MTB use and b) makes them cost $80 per tub! .....from what i see the only difference is that they can afford to be less engineered as they run at lower temps, bearing speeds, and with less exposure to crud than automotive greases. Think about it, a wheel bearing in a 4wd rotates far faster and hence at higher temperatures and in worse conditions and for far longer than a wheel bearing on a bike or a pivot bearing. it will also be subjected to far higher loading and longer times between servicing.

Can anybody out there give some good scientific answers?
 
beardi

beardi

Likes Dirt
Yeah always wondered the same. I use HTB grease from the auto shop now. I'm sure someone will tell me my bike is about to explode but haven't had any issues yet.
 
markb84

markb84

Likes Dirt
I know nothing scientific about the matter and agree that there's every chance we're all being ripped off however

retroenduro said:
from what i see the only difference is that they can afford to be less engineered as they run at lower temps, bearing speeds, and with less exposure to crud than automotive greases. Think about it, a wheel bearing in a 4wd rotates far faster and hence at higher temperatures and in worse conditions and for far longer than a wheel bearing on a bike or a pivot bearing. it will also be subjected to far higher loading and longer times between servicing.
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I would think that to conform to the higher tolerances, sacrifices have to be made to the grease compound; for instance it might be thicker to cope with higher heat load and therefore loose out on some increased stiction.

Therefore (if we aren't being ripped off) a more delicate grease that can focus more on perfomance and less on the high specs could perform better.

Also due to the lower loads in question on a bike (less torque, lower weights, smaller bearings, etc) the grease would need to be lighter.
 
Jeffgre_6163

Jeffgre_6163

Likes Dirt
I use moto fork oils in the forks of my bikes - heaps cheaper and available in a wide range of weights
I have never had any issues with excessive wear, blown seals etc - I figure if they are good enough for moto forks why the hell would they not work in MTB forks?

As for bearing grease i use Castrol boating grease and have done for years.
Its water resistant and seems to hang around within the bearing for much longer than MTB specific grease, not to mention heaps cheaper.

Top tip:
My wifes a nurse so I get her to bring home syringes - 20ml work best I find
Pull the plunger out, fill em with grease and bingo you have a fantastic grease gun perfect for injecting grease under pressure in to any place you like
 
downhillar

downhillar

Likes Dirt
Lets be honest, I think a whole lot more R&D has been done on the high-temp automotive grease than the stuff they sell for bikes. I've always used automotive grease, or as above, moto chain lube on chains. While it does make a mess it's not that hard to clean and re-apply, and compared to the little eye-dropper of bike chain lube you get for $15, I get almost a litre of moto chain lube for the same price :)
 
S

swatto90

Likes Dirt
rip

well first thing ill ask it why are you paying $80 for a tub of slick honey. I got my last tub for 25 bucks. I have heard that they have something specific in them thats good for seals on forks.
 
fatboyonabike

fatboyonabike

Captain oblivious
Yep..its all a load of wank!.
my new SC Nomad frame came with a SC embossed grease gun for the linkage, and with it came a regular cartridge of marine grease!
as long as the compounds in the grease are compatiable with the application (i.e. does not degrade rubber and elastomer etc) use whatever you think will suit, obviously dont use HTB or thick axle grease on fork sliders but you get the idea
i think alot of it comes down to marketing..good on em, make a few bucks from suckers!
 
D_Nine

D_Nine

Senior Member
Yeah, Slickhoney is made from Polar Bear fat,it's full off processed seal fat ! Seriously have not found any product that plushes suspension better than it,well worth the cost.Use quality marine grease everywhere else.
 
retroenduro

retroenduro

Likes Dirt
swatto90 said:
well first thing ill ask it why are you paying $80 for a tub of slick honey. I got my last tub for 25 bucks. I have heard that they have something specific in them thats good for seals on forks.
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oh no i didnt, got some cheaper stuff from everyones favorite website but this was seriously the price i was quoted in a certain well known Aus store...i would have laughed in the guys face but to be quoted such a price actually made me rather mad...coupled with the shop assistants attitude of how he was such a cool bike dude and how dare i interupt his day wanting some kind of assistance... grrr gets me going thinking about it...anyway back on topic, yeah i didnt pay that much.

BTW Thats syringe idea is the best idea ive heard all year cheers for that!
 
R

Rexy

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Different greases exist for different applications.
For suspension, it is worth forking out for something like Slick Honey, it really does help you suspension feel much smoother, and if you only use it for suspension purposes, a little tub goes a long way.
For other applications, like greasing bolt heads, axles, bearings etc you can use something a little more standard and a lot cheaper.
As well as grease, also consider what fork oils, brake fluid, chain lubes and degreasers you are using on your bike. You can certainly save some coin in some areas, fork oil is fork oil and dot 5 is dot 5, but be sensible, truck degreaser and sewing machine oil aren't your best choice, they are designed with a slightly different purpose in mind...
Overall, these companies aren't trying to stitch you up, they are trying to offer you a grease that works very well for a specific application. If you load up your headset with expensive suspension grease constantly, your wallet will complain. A bit of common sense goes a long way when it comes to this sort of thing.

PS: Love the syringe as a grease gun idea. My grease gun just died, and my student budget loves the pricing of syringes in comparison!
 
floody

floody

Wheel size expert
I'm satisfied suspension grease and ceramic greases are purpose-specific but for everything else I use Bel Ray or Castrol waterproof.
 
MarioM

MarioM

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Working in the truck game i thought i would use the blue apxt type extreme pressure grease on my bikes . Now that i`m injured again , a rebuild and upgrade of parts on both bikes seems like a good idea . And what an idea that was ! The trance`s bottom bracket had collapsed so i bought it some new slx cranks . When i pulled it apart tonite i noticed a burnt smell . Closer inspection revealed the grease was in fact burnt . Dug into the hub bearings and the same burnt grease .
I used to use the castrol marine grease with no problems and in fact used the apxt on a reps recomendation . I will be going back to the marine grease i think .
 
wilddemon

wilddemon

Likes Dirt
muzspeed said:
Working in the truck game i thought i would use the blue apxt type extreme pressure grease on my bikes . Now that i`m injured again , a rebuild and upgrade of parts on both bikes seems like a good idea . And what an idea that was ! The trance`s bottom bracket had collapsed so i bought it some new slx cranks . When i pulled it apart tonite i noticed a burnt smell . Closer inspection revealed the grease was in fact burnt . Dug into the hub bearings and the same burnt grease .
I used to use the castrol marine grease with no problems and in fact used the apxt on a reps recomendation . I will be going back to the marine grease i think .
Click to expand...
yeah but you probably put out a fair bit of power to do that ;)
 
teK--

teK--

Eats Squid
Is there an MSDS available? Best place to check.

Also just because a grease is good for high temp, high load automotive doesn't necessarily mean it is also as good for an MTB (different operating temp and machining tolerances etc). If indeed it is a different formula but smells the same due to a similar base then we are paying more because it sells in comparatively smaller amounts.
 
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