Got Silicone Grease???, Do you lube your wheel lugs? Options

[JeffBowlsby]

Volume 6, page 4.1-2/1 (where did these germans ever learn to number pages (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ?) of the factory manual says under 'Wheel Change':

"Observe the following: 1. Coat ball surfaces of wheel bolts with an MoS(sub2) paste. (Type 914/6 has wheel nuts.)"

What is this paste? I have heard previously it is silicone grease. Is that correct...I am not a chemistry guy...

Not that I would ever buy any, much less look for any in the stores... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

but just on a whim...I went looking for 'silicone grease' at FLAPS. They had wheel bearing grease, synthetic grease, white (lithium) grease, red grease...but no silicone grease.

When ever I have removed wheel lug bolts from my alloy Fuchs or Mahles, the bearing surfaces of the bolt and wheel are shiney...so there must be movement there.

Does anyone else use a wheel lug lube like the factory manual commands? What kind, brand name, why, and where to get it...?

Woulnt the lube prevent a necessary binding action (torque) between the bolt(nut) and wheel, potentially causing wheel loss? I know the lube goes on the bearing surfaces...not on the threads...

Your thoughts...esteemed colleagues...

[GWN7]

We use a silicone grease for lubing the ladder portion of our aerial. Comes in a standard tube to fit a grease gun. We also use a silicone lube for the rollers and door channels.

[PatW]

I like to use the white grease. Then give'em a tug after a few miles.

[Brad Roberts]

We use a copper looking "paste" on the single center locking nuts for the race wheels.

The factory racing manuel calls for it. Let me find the name. You can buy it in tubes from Porsche.


b

[redshift]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Or by the gallon at the drugstore...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)


M

[campbellcj]

I use the Lubromoly anti-seize, which I think is copper-based (?), on the threads and the hub-to-wheel face surface. A tiny bit goes a long way.

[Eddie Williams]

Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) is an oil-insoluble anti-friction agent... LubroMoly LM508 Anti Seize Compound


FLAPS will have Silicone Grease as Disk Brake Lube.

[JeffBowlsby]

Molybdenum Disulfide

THATS the word I was looking for...of course...not silicone grease. I've never lubed the lugs...sounds like it would be a good idea? Does it reduce wheel fatigue or what does it do? Why put it on the wheel/brake rotor interface?

[sanglee007]

NAPA AUTO PARTS
Cook's Automotive Service
1440 N 4th St.
San Jose CA, 95112
(408) 453-7771

a 4oz squeeze tube of Napa Sil-Glyde, Part # 765-1351

At Cook's it's on last shelf furthest from the enterance as of this summer, it's in a blue squeeze tube and kind of hard to find.


Sang

[Eddie Williams]

differential metals, corosion, blah blah blah

MoS2 and SylGlide are not the same.

[meursault]

Ah, yes. Anti-seize. I should use it more often. Like on lug nuts and spark plugs. It's this great copper paste you brush onto threads to keep corrosion and other forces at bay. It's the anti-loctite!

[Andyrew]

Doesnt it do bad? like turn false readout on a torque wrench? I know the PO of my rear 5 lug put some on and it takes forever to spin the nuts because the past dried up..

Andrew

[kdfoust]

I lube the ball seats on my wheels with a light moly grease. Don't lube the threads, it'll really have you over tensioning the bolts.

I assume that the factory called for the lube on the ball seats to prevent galling.

Good luck,
Kevin

[meursault]

Hmm, I've never seen the copper paste dry up to any great extent. Nor do I think that it'll cause you to overtighten the lugs; it doesn't act to overcome friction like oil or grease would. But I would agree, on further thought, that it is best used where steel and aluminum interface, so putting it on the threads of the lugs probably serves little purpose.

[cnavarro]

Should you then not put anti-seize on the lug bolt threads? I'll take extra care to make sure to put some on the ball of the seat. I've been doing this ever since my '73 autostick beetle....

Charles Navarro
LN Engineering
http://www.LNengineering.com
Aircooled Precision Performance

[ArtechnikA]

LubroMoly 48 is the MoS2 'Assembly Lube" anti-sieze. very light body, thixotropic (flows easily but doesn't drip once you've put it somewhere). i use this on lots of things, especially wheel studs. and EVERY TIME when i'm using the alloy lug nuts... it can take the brake heat. (if you've got dried, hardened, pasty stuff in there, get in there with some brake cleaner and a brass-bristle brush and get it out - it's doing you no good...) yes, IMO, put it on the threads and the lug mounting surface. be aware that it WILL STAIN clothing so you need to be careful around the stuff where you use it...

LubroMoly 508 is the copper-based "Hi-Temp" stuff. i use a VERY, VERY thin film of this on spark plug threads. (I've seen a Porsche TSB where they don't like anti-sieze on spark plug threads, because it 'might' cause grounding issues, but my philosophy is that i've never seen anything like a bad spark plug grounding issue, the copper is a conductor, and it's my heads i'm trying to save...)

i've been a big fan of LubroMoly for a long time.

[TimT]

Anti-sieze, copper or graphite based, you can use either just use sparingly. A dab the size of a small booger on the threads is fine. Using more doesnt do anything better except make a bigger mess.

Wont give false readings on a torque wrench, most torque values are for threads with some sort of lube on the threads. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)

[DNHunt]

Can we have a different form of measurement. A small booger is kinda hard to define. How about a small hunk of ear wax. I'm easpecially fond of that small bead of sweat between a couple of large boobs.

Dave

[kdfoust]

Anti-sieze, copper or graphite based, you can use either just use sparingly. A dab the size of a small booger on the threads is fine. Using more doesnt do anything better except make a bigger mess.

Wont give false readings on a torque wrench, most torque values are for threads with some sort of lube on the threads. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mueba.gif)

Um, you sure about that? I seem to remember that torque specs are developed with dry fasteners. The torque is the torque. Lubrication (especially grease) on threads significantly impacts the tension applied to a bolt for a given torque level.

Have fun,
Kevin

[TimT]

Dry threads allow galling, friction scatter and imprecise torque indications. Most procedures call for bolts with a coating of light machine oil, this of course is open for debate, just what is a "light coating" I dont have my ASTM procedures on this PC, but did find some info on bolted connections on the net, here and here. is some good reading if your trying to take a nap.

To really get precise torque/tension readings, you have to select a sample ( 3 or so) of the fasteners your using, and calibrate the wrench to them, using a tension indicating device. We dont have that luxury, or need that level of precison when tightening our lug nuts.

A little extra oil, or a booger sized blob of anit-sieze wont change the friction between the nut and the bolt enough to affect the tension of the bolt that greatly. The fasteners on our cars arent stressed enough that a little extra tension would be harmful, and tighter is always better than looser.

I doubt you could even tell the difference between dry threads and lubricated threads with a clicker style torque wrench calibrated in 5lb increments.

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