Weight Weenies

Simple question: when/where do you use Loctite instead of grease for bolts? Why? My chain ring bolts are creaking a little, and I wonder which one will be best actually...

Grease, thin layer. Take the bolts apart and check for cracks.

Most loc-tite applications will be advised by the manufacturer (ie: speedplay inner bolt, certain crank bolts and certain wheel sets).

Please keep in mind there are over 100 different types of red, blue and green thread locking compounds and you must use the correct one per application. Don't buy blue and use it on a wheel set. Don't by a green made for hobbyist modeling and use it on your cranks, etc.

Grease reduces noises, loctite reduces loosening.

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The link below shows you wich are medium or high strenght locktite's

I personally would not use grease but mounting pastebut thats me (;

carbonLORD wrote:Don't buy blue and use it on a wheel set. Don't by a green made for hobbyist modeling and use it on your cranks, etc.

Exactly. Go by the number, not the color.

My personal rule is to only use loctite on the things that you don't care if they loosen.





(Yes, that means on virtually everything)

The Blue is "general purpose"; the green is low viscosity to wick into already assembed parts, and the red is for stuff you don't want to ever take apart again without having to use heat. But as a practical matter, you usually can get it apart.

That said, there are some special applications: boiled linseed oil really does seem to have a perfect set of properties for spoke prep. It lubes when wet, gets gummy when dried, but you can still true the spoke without much effort. Ti-to-aluminum or steel does well with a copper-based anti-seize compound. But again, Blue loctite seems to work quite well.

michel2 wrote:I personally would not use grease but mounting pastebut thats me (;

Totally slipped my mind.

The biggest problem that most people have for chainring bolts is galling. I would recommend using an anti-seize compound, instead.

blue loc tite on chainring bolts.

Some manufacturers use Loctite Dri-Seal on the chainring bolts of their high end cranksets. But if you have creaking I would be inclined to use some copper anti-seize assembly grease and see if that sorts the creaking.

On chainring bolts grease is the way to go.
Especially on chainring bolts that are exposed to water and salt during the year.
You can use grease, anti-seize (which has grease in it btw), copper grease whatever grease, they all work.
High temp bearing grease that is somewhat waterproof and is very cheap when you consider a tub lasts decades.
Properly torque the bolts evenly.

I recently removed the chainring bolts from a Sram Red Crankset and they had blue loctite on them. If loctite prevents movement/loosening of the bolts then wouldn't it solve noise problem as well?

I've had good luck with just using grease on the crank bolts but will need to reapply after a few cleanings.

Grease is fine 95% of the time, but for riding in REALLY heavy rain with tons of road spray, grease will eventually wash off threads, even marine-grade grease.

Locative on bolts. If they creak probably worth replacing?

They would creak because of dirt or because un even tension between one more or less loose then they other, if you would replace them with new ones and 'do them up' the same way i would still creak.
To be quite honest i dont think you need loctite on a bike, a torque wrench and assembly or mounting past is more likely to be of help

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