Can you use white lithium grease on bikes? We hear this question quite often, and the answer is both a yes and a no. Read on to find out more.
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Biking is fun! It is a healthy and low-impact exercise that anyone can enjoy. Regular biking can help you stay away from obesity, diabetes, and severe heart issues. It is also an eco-friendly means of transport that helps you save a lot of money on fuel. Interestingly, in return for so many things, a bike only requires regular servicing and maintenance.
A bike comprises many small parts, and from time to time, they all need overhauling. Greasing is a great way to keep the parts moving and also helps prevent any friction between the bike components. It also helps to protect your bikes from corrosion.
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But not every grease is suitable for bikes. Putting the wrong grease in the wrong spot of the bike can reduce its performance and even cause damage. For example, grease made for gears cannot be used for chains and vice-versa.
If you have a tube of white lithium grease in your garage and are planning to use it on your bike, then wait! Read this content before doing so. Here you will get all your answers.
Can You Use White Lithium Grease On Bikes
White lithium grease is a multi-purpose, high-quality grease. It has extreme pressure-resistant properties and is suitable for household applications and also for a variety of automotive uses, including trucks, tractors, cassis, and other metal equipment.
The grease is also ideal for a working temperature range that extends from –25Cº up to 130Cº.
White lithium grease is heavy grease. It helps the key components of your vehicle move and prevents the water from entering the body. Hence it is perfect for your bike’s gear system.
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White Lithium Grease is, however, not suitable for the bike’s chain. Since the grease is thick, it will stick to the chain and shall attract a lot of dirt and debris from the road.
If you use it for your bike’s chain, you will end up spending a lot of time cleaning it. Hence it is recommended you use a thinner lubricant instead of grease for your bike’s chain.
Can You Use White Lithium Grease On Bike Chain?
As discussed above, the answer to this question is quite clear. No, you cannot use white lithium grease on a bike chain. If you do so or even apply it sparingly on the chain, it will pick up a lot of debris and shall affect the working of the entire chain system.
After applying the grease, if you try to use oil or any other lubricant, later on, this dirt will go inside the bearings and cause the chain to wear out.
However, if by mistake you apply white lithium grease on the chain, it is highly recommended you fully enclose the chain. You can use a chaincase to do the same. This will not only protect your bike’s chain from debris, but You may also not need to service the sprockets or chain for the life of the bike.
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Is WD 40 White Lithium Grease Good For Bike Chains?
WD 40 is an American-based company that manufactures WD 40 (Water Displacing Spray). The product works as a moisture displacer, rust preventer, lubricant, and penetrator. The company also manufactures WD 40 White Lithium Grease, which is a metal-to-metal application grease.
This grease is perfect for gears, sprockets, latches, automotive hinges, and many more.
The manufacturer, however, does not say anything about using it on bike chains.
But since it is mentioned that the grease can be used for sprockets, we can assume it is suitable for chains as well. However, some of the users who used the WD 40 white lithium grease on the bike’s chain are fully satisfied with it and with the chain’s performance.
Can I Use Other Types of Lubrication On My Chain?
No, you cannot use any other type of lubricant that is not designed for bike chains. If you consider motor oil, it contains several chemicals, acids, and metal particles that can affect a chain’s strength and damage it prematurely. Also, it is too thick for use on a bike chain and will not penetrate the smaller parts of the bike.
Similarly, very lightweight household oil will grease the chain for a shorter period. But it will eventually drip down and will very quickly wash away. Hence you will have to apply it to the chain regularly.
Hence it is advisable to use a lighter spray-on lube with more solvent on a chain because it will stay for a longer time, will attract less debris, and make regular maintenance easier. This way, you will not only increase the life of the chain but also enhance its performance.
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What Are The Other Uses Of White Lithium Grease?
This grease is a heavy-duty lubricant; hence it is perfect for preventing friction between two metals. You can use it for car door hinges, bearings, pulleys, fittings, conveyors, winches, wire ropes, and many more. It is also ideal for lubricating sunroof sliding panels, motor pivot points, and tow bars for trailers and caravans.
How To Use Lubricant On A Bike Chain?
Wet lubricant
Step1: clean the bike chain properly before applying the lube.
Step2: Apply one drop of lube into every chain link.
Step3: Grab a cloth and gently wipe the chain to remove any excess lube.
Dry lubricant
Step1: clean the bike chain properly before applying the lube.
Step2: spray lube properly into every link.
Step3: leave it for a few hours to dry out completely before taking it for a ride.
You Can Use White Lithium Grease Of Bike Gears, But Not On Chains.
White lithium grease is perfect for all other parts of a bike but not suitable for the bike chain, and it can severely damage the chain and affect its performance. You can, however, use other lightweight lubricants to grease your chain.
If you found the above information helpful, don’t forget to share it with your other riders. Also, if you have anything else to add to this segment, do let us know in the comment section.
Happy Riding!