headset bearing grease

im wanna clean and regrease a loose ball heasdset, can i just use regular bike grease? or do i need bearing grease?

i’ve been using teflon grease for everything.

i dont have any teflon grease.

can i use bike grease (forget which brand, i use it for everything. Its Pink)

Headsets don’t see the high speed rotation / loads of car bearings, so HTB grease isn’t required. Just use marine bearing grease (or Phil, essentially the same stuff) to help protect against water and junk thrown up by your front wheel.

Any grease you have will do, just regrease more often if riding in crappy conditions.

Awesome, thanks Blakey

While running the risk of starting world war 27 here, any DECENT multipurpose grease (NLGI 2, ISO 220, lithium complex) will do for any bearing on your bike.

There is nothing on a pushbike that sees the speed of an electric motor, more than 80 degrees in temp, or any sort of serious loads or shock. There are far more specialised applications in the world of industry than a pushbike, even a car wheel bearing is considered light duty. Most greases marketed for pushies are often repackaged multipurpose greases from the majors.

whatevs bro, everyone knows only NJS grease can be used on a fixie

Careful you don’t get conned, the NJS stamp doesn’t last very long in grease, it might not be genuine :smiley:

I admit I’ve only ever used good quality automotive grease on the bearings of most bikes I’ve owned and serviced myself (mostly shitter pub bikes). Lithium spray for the shifters and brakes and those kinds of bits. I’d like to push the forum for some knowledge about things like phil grease, campag grease, etc. Are they overpriced and unnecessary or “you will totally notice the difference man, you’ll be like why the fuck haven’t I been using this my whole life!!!”? And please no arguments like: “well you’ve spent $x hundred on quality components so why put cheap grease on them?”. If there is clear benefit for the massive price difference then I probably will, otherwise I just can’t justify it.

Personal preferences?

I use Finish Line Teflon for assembling anything and for things like headsets because it’s sticky and persistent. For things that spin like hubs I use slick honey because it’s slipperier than toddler snot, it’s persistent and it doesn’t congeal.

grease is grease i just use whatever is cheap when i need it. currently brown valvoline stuff, formerly valvoline marine (blue), prior to that campy ‘white’

Good quality marine grease will sort everything. Get a syringe (bigish type one) fill it with grease and away you go. Makes it soooo easy.

Marine grease is disgustingly messy. that dark blue stains clothes.
The other problem with marine grease it is petroleum based and no good for anything that has rubber near it. Not so much of a problem on bikes but something to consider on other applications.
I love my silicone grease: clear, water proof, high temp resistant, no stains and comes in a handy tube.
I have also seen grease melted out of a headset in the peek of summer so some temp resistance is needed.

I would say most modern greases would be fine on bicycles. It was more of an issue in the old days when they used clay as a emulsifier which broke down over time.

One important thing to remember is not to mix different greases- ie clean a headset of the old grease completely before putting new grease in.

Kind of the same rules as using a Pronton pack.

Otherwise your head(set) asplode while doing mad barspins.

Also:
http://yarchive.net/bike/grease.html

you know what I mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2LtwS13248