What grease for my bendix 70? Did I wreck my hub?

[geobikes]

So I got this Ross Apollo in a trade for a knackerd barracuda beast and was wondering what lube I need? I live in DC so probably no hill grinding as this is a collectors bike and needs to be treated nicely! this is the kinda thing that I want to rock around the weekend instead of my regular schwinn cruiser. And yes, I already gave the flaking chrome on the wheels a do over with 0000 steel wool and a couple coats of clear nail polish. I like the “patina” effect a lot. So. After having the bike apart I decided to start on the rear hub so I did the usual cleaned it up good and popped some new balls in the retainer and I did not do a ton of research and I used what I had, parktool ppl-1 grease, is this ok? Is polyurethane based and has high shear strength and a 475F drop point. So these are my questions. :1 do I need to switch to a high temp grease? :2 will the grease I used be affected? :3 so far my hub works smoothly makes a nice metallic “wirr” smooth clutch engagement, If I hold the brake arm and grasp the cog and turn back abruptly the wheel stops smoothly and instantly. No grease leaks yet but I haven’t put the wheel on the bike so I will have to see. Perfect bearing adjustment. So far everything checks out! So although the grease I used is fine maybe in another 1-2 years when I rebuild I might put a high temp grease for peace of mind, I don’t mind pulling my hub apart now to put a better grease but it will be a chore, I really love this bike, I want to put some accessories and a new slick and front brick. So let me know if I’m good or am I just obsessing over details! thanks!

 

[ricobike]

I use whatever grease I can find. If you're using Park grease, I'd say you're good.

 

[coasterbrakejunkie1969]

@geobikes the park grease is more then OK it is used on road and mountain bikes. It is fairly heavy and you do not need to use much. Unless you are riding a lot of miles you should get well over 2 years out of a repack.

 

[geobikes]

@geobikes the park grease is more then OK it is used on road and mountain bikes. It is fairly heavy and you do not need to use much. Unless you are riding a lot of miles you should get well over 2 years out of a repack.

Sounds good! My hub checks out pretty good anyway, so why worry about it? I’m just combing the details. 2 years down the road on my next repack I’ll probably switch to a higher temp grease for peace of mind if I feel like it. If it’s on road and mtb than I’m more than good! Thanks!

 

[Che]

I use Phil Wood Waterproof grease on all the bearings & Timken high temp grease on the brake shoes and where the shoes make contact like the inside of the hub shell.
I do use park tool grease on other parts like pedal threads & seatpost tubes etc.
I use to use cheep grease a long time ago & always a mess when time to rebuild or maintenance. I advise to stay away from white lithium grease . I figure why use cheepie grease on your investment & you do notice a smoother quieter ride with quality grease.
I also use the Phil Wood grease on my patio slider doors wow great results.
I try to get all parts clean as possible & also use an ultrasonic cleaner .

 

[SirMike1983]

So I got this Ross Apollo in a trade for a knackerd barracuda beast and was wondering what lube I need? I live in DC so probably no hill grinding as this is a collectors bike and needs to be treated nicely! this is the kinda thing that I want to rock around the weekend instead of my regular schwinn cruiser. And yes, I already gave the flaking chrome on the wheels a do over with 0000 steel wool and a couple coats of clear nail polish. I like the “patina” effect a lot. So. After having the bike apart I decided to start on the rear hub so I did the usual cleaned it up good and popped some new balls in the retainer and I did not do a ton of research and I used what I had, parktool ppl-1 grease, is this ok? Is polyurethane based and has high shear strength and a 475F drop point. So these are my questions. :1 do I need to switch to a high temp grease? :2 will the grease I used be affected? :3 so far my hub works smoothly makes a nice metallic “wirr” smooth clutch engagement, If I hold the brake arm and grasp the cog and turn back abruptly the wheel stops smoothly and instantly. No grease leaks yet but I haven’t put the wheel on the bike so I will have to see. Perfect bearing adjustment. So far everything checks out! So although the grease I used is fine maybe in another 1-2 years when I rebuild I might put a high temp grease for peace of mind, I don’t mind pulling my hub apart now to put a better grease but it will be a chore, I really love this bike, I want to put some accessories and a new slick and front brick. So let me know if I’m good or am I just obsessing over details! thanks!

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The Park grease will be fine. High temp grease comes into play if you're really pushing the brake hard. For light and casual uses (just riding around the neighborhood, for example), the high temp grease does not offer much advantage, but it certainly doesn't hurt. If you're heating the brake up to the point you're cooking the grease, you're pushing it pretty hard (long downhill runs, for example) or you have a mechanical issue occurring. But you should be fine with Park's bike grease.

Red lithium grease, green polyurea, or similar quality greases are options. The green tends to run a little freer than the red/tacky lithium grease, but either will lubricate just fine. Avoid white lithium grease for bearing and high-wear applications, unless you plan to clean and re-grease frequently. White lithium grease does not have the longevity needed for high-wear areas such as bottom bracket bearings and wheel bearings.

Keep in mind some older coaster brakes were meant to use a medium oil on the braking surfaces rather than grease.

Grease - Guide to Bicycle Grease

A blog devoted to vintage bicycle repair and cycling in general.

bikeshedva.blogspot.com

 

[geobikes]

I use Phil Wood Waterproof grease on all the bearings & Timken high temp grease on the brake shoes and where the shoes make contact like the inside of the hub shell.
I do use park tool grease on other parts like pedal threads & seatpost tubes etc.
I use to use cheep grease a long time ago & always a mess when time to rebuild or maintenance. I advise to stay away from white lithium grease . I figure why use cheepie grease on your investment & you do notice a smoother quieter ride with quality grease.
I also use the Phil Wood grease on my patio slider doors wow great results.
I try to get all parts clean as possible & also use an ultrasonic cleaner .







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I guess I did not do my research! It works fine for now but on my next rebuild I’ll remember to not cheep out

 

[geobikes]

The Park grease will be fine. High temp grease comes into play if you're really pushing the brake hard. For light and casual uses (just riding around the neighborhood, for example), the high temp grease does not offer much advantage, but it certainly doesn't hurt. If you're heating the brake up to the point you're cooking the grease, you're pushing it pretty hard (long downhill runs, for example) or you have a mechanical issue occurring. But you should be fine with Park's bike grease.

Red lithium grease, green polyurea, or similar quality greases are options. The green tends to run a little freer than the red/tacky lithium grease, but either will lubricate just fine. Avoid white lithium grease for bearing and high-wear applications, unless you plan to clean and re-grease frequently. White lithium grease does not have the longevity needed for high-wear areas such as bottom bracket bearings and wheel bearings.

Keep in mind some older coaster brakes were meant to use a medium oil on the braking surfaces rather than grease.

Grease - Guide to Bicycle Grease

A blog devoted to vintage bicycle repair and cycling in general.

bikeshedva.blogspot.com

Thanks! I won’t be pushing the bike, great advice

 

[nortonguy]

I have used something called "super-lithium EP moly grease", the last few years over 7000 miles and at speeds close to 40 miles per hour. So I have a lot of experience with extreme Bendix coaster brake use. My regular daily ride route sees me going down one long fast hill over 30mph every time, and I have had to stop in the middle of it when a deer ran into the road and stopped in front of me, and let me tell you it was quite a trick. Have also got the brake so hot down long hills that when I threw snow on it at the bottom it turned it into steam.

After abuse like that, I am amazed the inside of the brake looks better than new in yearly tear-downs. This is why I know that nobody needs to worry about what sort of grease they put in a coaster hub, because those who do not subject their coaster to extreme abuse as I have will ever wear it out as long as it has been cleaned and greased, and even if you do abuse it badly it won't hurt it if you clean and re-pack it once a year.

This won't stop me from trying a different grease now and then, as when you do hit the brake hard when going downhill over 30mph you have to be very careful as the grease turns to liquid where the shoes contact the inside of the shell and then the grease is either squeezed out or vaporizes, the effect being the brake then tends to lock up, which may not be what you want when trying to keep control at such high speeds. Some people bevel the edges of the shoes so that they may keep more grease between the shoe and hub during braking, but I have tried it and it does not seem to make any real difference in that situation. It would be nice to find a grease that keeps the rear wheel from locking up at high speed and high temps, and at the same time does not create a lot of drag, but maybe that would have to be magic grease. For now the lithium/moly EP grease I have in the rear hub, which does not actually say it is high-temp, works as well as anything I have tried and it has very low drag, almost zero drag, in normal daily riding. Lately I have been braking early before fast hills and slowing down before I get to them so I am not going 30-40mph down them and instead staying in the teens or twenties of mph, much safer and easier on the brake too, but it always easy to get carried away and lost in the moment, so maybe I will hit a deer yet, or a car, or a tree.........

 

[vincev]

High temp grease on a pedal bike ? I doubt the hub barely if at all gets warm if the bearings are set correctly.