Blue Loc-tite, purple Loc-tite, grease

[OES]

In bike work, where do YOU use them? How do you make the determination?

[MD_007]

I use White Lithium Grease. Not the aerosol version though. the tube version. Good for metal-to-metal contact and also prevents wear and is water proof.

[FBinNY]

The makers of Loc-tite offer explanations of the properties of each of the products. I rarely use any loc-tite on bikes, but if using I use the blue as a treadlocker, and rarely, if ever, use the red which is intended for permanent assemblies.

Grease can be used for a number of applicaions, for ball bearings, for sliding parts or as an anti-seize for things like pedal threads, seatposts and handlebar stems. Everyone has their favorites, including me, and mine is traditional white lithium base, though many others are easily as good (maybe better?).

[Kuma601]

I've not used a thread locking agent. Grease, there is a wide variety to choose. I use Phil Wood or an automotive synthetic, wheel bearing, chassis...type. Headsets, wheel bearings, brake pivots, pedals...etc. The auto types when bought in cartridges is super cheap and lasts a long-long time, like a decade+ and you still can lube the car up with it.

[sw1]

Are u saying that u only use white lithium? I've been using a waterproof auto bearing grease. We use it on all of our fire fighting gear.

[cxwrench]

grease. white lithium or even that ugly blue boat trailer bearing grease for threads and assembly stuff. carbon assembly paste for seatposts and sometimes bars if they're carbon. really high quality grease for bearings, either dura ace or campy.
the only time i actually use loc-tite is when it's called for specifically on press-fit bb stuff.

[Kerry Irons]

In bike work, where do YOU use them? How do you make the determination?

I must be doing something wrong because in over 45 years of working on bikes I've never had the need for thread lockers. And things don't fall off my bike either. I just use a quality grease - the brand doesn't really matter. I'm currently working through a tub of Slick50 One Grease, but there are many other fine greases out there. My experience with the white lithium greases is that they tend to emulsify when water is present, so are not good for bearings in the rain. They are a little less durable as thread grease for the same reasons.

[FBinNY]

I'm with you. So far in 45+ years the only thing I use Loc-tite for is when rebuilding Campy egolevers, where it was used by the factory originally.

But in all fairness, I'm also using Loc-tite sometimes though not by choice. These days it isn't rare to have parts that come from the factory pre-treated with some sort of threadlocker. This is becomming more common of BBs for example.

fb

[Pitts Pilot]

I hadn't ever used Loc-tite until recently. Jeremy from Alchemy Wheel works recommneds it on the final endcap on his Alchemy hub, so I picked some up for that. Then just recently, I've found that my removable valve cores in my Continental tubes keep unscrewing when I unscrew the (Lezyne) pump head and they blast across the room. When that happens (and I can find it,) I put some Loc-Tite on, as I don't need them to be removable.

[OES]

Phil BBs come with a recommended threadlocker. Though I, like Kerry Irons, have always used grease and used grease with them.

I'm with you. So far in 45+ years the only thing I use Loc-tite for is when rebuilding Campy egolevers, where it was used by the factory originally.

But in all fairness, I'm also using Loc-tite sometimes though not by choice. These days it isn't rare to have parts that come from the factory pre-treated with some sort of threadlocker. This is becomming more common of BBs for example.

fb

[foto]

I use blue loctite on my spokes after the final touch up on a new wheel build. I have used green too, wish I hadn't.

[cxwrench]

I use blue loctite on my spokes after the final touch up on a new wheel build. I have used green too, wish I hadn't.

there's a product called 'spoke freeze' that is made specifically for that. slightly less 'sticky' when compared to blue loctite. wicks into the threads really well. comes in handy on certain builds for the non-drive side.

[jpick915]

I use blue lock-tit on chainring bolts and have also used it on some finicky rear derailleur limit screws. Otherwise I use grease and/or carbon assembly paste.

[JimP]

Jeremy of Alchemy recommended using the Loctite Blue stick when rebuilding the rear hub. I found the stick much easier to use than the liquid.

[davez26]

I use blue Loctite on stuff that may rattle loose, or I just feel that may need it.The Zinn manual has some great pointers on proper application technique. Loctite the company has a guide of all the different flavors of Loctite; they aren't all necessarily thread lockers, some are intended to fill gaps, and do other jobs as well.
Probably more important than to Loctite or not, is proper torque spec, which is a whole different issue.

[flatlander_48]

I use blue Loctite on stuff that may rattle loose, or I just feel that may need it.The Zinn manual has some great pointers on proper application technique. Loctite the company has a guide of all the different flavors of Loctite; they aren't all necessarily thread lockers, some are intended to fill gaps, and do other jobs as well.
Probably more important than to Loctite or not, is proper torque spec, which is a whole different issue.

Actually, that's how a thread locker works. Threads are not perfectly round or have perfectly formed peaks and valleys. Loctite and other compounds fill the imperfections. After it's cured, it prevents the screw from rotating. Contrary to what some people think, it isn't a glue.

[flatlander_48]

I use blue loctite on my spokes after the final touch up on a new wheel build. I have used green too, wish I hadn't.

Assuming things haven't changed much, it used to be that the green Loctite (formerly #290) was intended to be applied to screws that were already in place and torqued. It was thin enough to wick in like a penetrating oil. You could use it where you didn't/couldn't apply one of the thicker blends before assembly. When you're filling small imperfections between screw threads and tapped threads, it doesn't take much liquid. I've actually used 290 on a soldered copper plumbing joint. I had a tiny leak that did one drop every hour or 2. Not enough to hurt anything, but enough to tick you off. I applied a little of the compound and when I pressurized it the next day, there was no leak.

Also, people used to complain about how hard it was to disassemble screws put in with Loctite. Used to be that the stuff turned to powder at something like 340-350 deg. F.

[sw1]

Is it difficult to remove when it drys? I had a hard time loosening a few bolts of the brakes on a used bike.

[flatlander_48]

Is it difficult to remove when it drys? I had a hard time loosening a few bolts of the brakes on a used bike.

Well, that's the purpose of a thread locking compound. It prevents screws from loosening due to shock and vibration. How difficult it is to remove is a function of which variety of compound is used. Some are more difficult than others. They are rated as High Strength, Medium Strength and Low Strength.

[Phredly]

I'm surprised to hear that at least some of you never use Loc-tite.

I recently changed my rear derailleur from a 5600 105 to a 5700A 105 to accommodate a 12-32 rear cassette and removed the derailleur cogs to do it without breaking the chain (didn't have any of the bits to put it back together again).

The idler cogs on both derailleurs were very tight and had what looked like orange Loc-tite installed at the factory.

I cleaned the screws up a little with steel wool and reinstalled them with some Phil Wood waterproof grease which is all I had at the time. This called for very modest torquing--from memory about 5 nm and maybe about 1/4 of the torque required to get them out. I assume they want these screws to stay tight without using much torque and risk damaging or deforming the bearings etc. I have a nagging feeling that it would be better to re-apply a little Loc-tite for peace of mind. What say the best and brightest.

As well, after adjusting the shifting is very good, but the low limit screw is quite loose, compared to the high limit screw and I wouldn't mind hitting it with some of the "weaker" Loc-tite as well. Seem reasonable?

[flatlander_48]

The idler cages are fairly thin metal. The rule of thumb for screws is that you need an engagement length as long as the diameter of the screw plus one thread. This allows you to be able to develop the full strength of the screw. However, given a fairly small screw size and thin material, it could be safer to use low torque and a threadlocker rather than higher torque alone. I would think that it would greatly reduce the chances of striping the threads.

[Opus51569]

I generally just apply grease to threads. If I have a bolt on something that is persistently working loose, I might apply some Loc-tite (Blue) to it, but that doesn't happen very often.

Otherwise, as FBinNY mentioned, only for bolts where Loc-tite was applied at the factory. One that comes to mind is the bolt that holds the derailleur pulley wheels. Since they only thread in to the other side of the cage and don't technically have a dedicated bolt, I can see where a little Loc-tite wouldn't hurt.

[FBinNY]

....One that comes to mind is the bolt that holds the derailleur pulley wheels. Since they only thread in to the other side of the cage and don't technically have a dedicated bolt, I can see where a little Loc-tite wouldn't hurt.

Even here, component makers can and do engineer not to need Loc-tite. My basic rule still applies, if the maker didn't use Loc-tite at the factory, it shouldn't be needed later.

Of course common sense has to prevail. If, for example, the threads were compromised, or I had a problem of chronic loosening, then it's Loc-tite to the rescue.

In most cases there's no real reason not to use Loc-tite, other than possibly more difficult disassembly later on, but it's easy to fall into the trap of over dependence on adhesives as a crutch for bad design or practice.

IMO- with the exception of the very most pure race bikes, bikes can and should be designed without dependence on Loc-tite type products. Not that they're inherently bad. But user serviceability should be a high priority, and too many end users neither have the right products, nor do they know how to properly prepare the fasteners and apply the products.

[xxl]

I don't use thread lock on any of my bikes, but I find it's a must on my cleat bolts.

And nothing but blue Loc-tite.

[Fixed]

In bike work, where do YOU use them? How do you make the determination?

I use:

Phil or Park grease
low strength Loctite
copper anti-seize

Grease for 99% of threads. Torques more smoothly, comes apart later.

Anti-seize on aluminum and titanium threads. If I'm being diligent, I use it also on pedal threads.

Only place I can recall using Loctite was on my Italian thread bottom bracket, after the drive side loosened one time, and for mtb bolts that hold the brake disc on. Use it a lot on the threads on my hitch bike rack, as I've lost many small screws from it.

Oh, when I do the FC 508, I prepare the bike with Loctite on many threads (like stem bolts, crank bolts, etc.), as the roads are bumpy, there are 60+ mph descents in the dark, and it's a race. Don't want to take chances.