What grease do you use to lubricant axles/pivot points?

[jgelack]

I'm in the process of mounting new tires and while I have the axles out wanted to lube them up before reinstalling the wheels. The service manual recommends a lithium soap based grease. Ive had many people recommend Belray waterproof grease, which seems to be very popular. But my concern is it a aluminum complex grease, and not lithium. Not sure if that would pose a problem of not. Yamaha's Race grease is Lithium based and comes in a regular and synthetic version, maybe that would be a better option? What would you guys recommend?

 

[TN6R]

I'm in the process of mounting new tires and while I have the axles out wanted to lube them up before reinstalling the wheels. The service manual recommends a lithium soap based grease. Ive had many people recommend Belray waterproof grease, which seems to be very popular. But my concern is it a aluminum complex grease, and not lithium. Not sure if that would pose a problem of not. Yamaha's Race grease is Lithium based and comes in a regular and synthetic version, maybe that would be a better option? What would you guys recommend?

I just mounted a new rear tire on mine and used Permatex white lithium grease (same as soap based). I got it at O'Reilly's and it was recommended to me by a well known local bike garage where I live.

By the way when I pulled the rear axle it was totally dry so not sure the grease will even last as long as intended. I only had 8k miles on my bike and we don't get snow so it's a no salt area. Plus I never ride when the roads are wet.

 

[BluePill]

Usually any NLGI 2 rated grease is OK, but you don't want to mix different chemistries (Lithium, Aluminum, Molybdenum, etc.) in the same place, like wheel and steering bearings.

 

[Blue-Sun]

I used some leftover wheel bearing grease that I used when I repacked my truck's front wheel bearings. It's supposed to be heat treated.

Like, TN6R, my axles were quite dry.

Even if this wheel bearing grease wasn't an exact match for what was called for, I figured some lubrication was better than none.

I put a light coating on the axles, not too much.

Just my two cents...

 

[jgelack]

I just mounted a new rear tire on mine and used Permatex white lithium grease (same as soap based). I got it at O'Reilly's and it was recommended to me by a well known local bike garage where I live.

By the way when I pulled the rear axle it was totally dry so not sure the grease will even last as long as intended. I only had 8k miles on my bike and we don't get snow so it's a no salt area. Plus I never ride when the roads are wet.

Yeah, I pulled my axles out at 4K and was surprised they were bone dry! I do ride in the rain, but still wasn't expecting that. I don't think the factory lubes them very well, if at all.

 

[dart1963]

considering the axle is rotating inside wheel bearings.... the "grease" is only there to prevent the axle from seizing to the wheel bearings, so, not much needed at all....

 

[alaskanflyboy]

considering the axle is rotating inside wheel bearings.... the "grease" is only there to prevent the axle from seizing to the wheel bearings, so, not much needed at all....

It's also there to keep the axle and wheel from corroding with all the grime that will slowly collect in that space.

 

[jgelack]

Usually any NLGI 2 rated grease is OK, but you don't want to mix different chemistries (Lithium, Aluminum, Molybdenum, etc.) in the same place, like wheel and steering bearings.

Thanks for this information. I will just look for a Lithium based NLGI 2 grease, since Yamaha recommends a Lithium grease in the service manual. Thanks for all the responses guys!