I scrape all the corrosion off the surface of the wheel centre hole using a sharp knife, wire brush the hub to remove any dirt and corrosion and refit the wheel using just a smear of copper grease on the surface where the hub meets the wheel centre hole.
I know what you mean about copper grease but touch-wood, this works for me quite well. I think the secret is to remove any existing corrosion carefully first.
Ordinary grease will do, anything really that will keep the weather out.
yes there is a perfect alternative : aluminium grease, which contains alu grain instead of copper grain.
Otherwise its got exactly the same properties : hi.temp resistive, anti seizing etc.
For some reason the alu pendant to copper grease is not that wellknown as a widespread antiseize paste. Might be because the copper one was the first type anti-seize widely used, before so many automotive parts were made of alu/alloy.
IMHO the alu paste is much more versatile, as you got so many parts on modern cars made of alloy. And still its perfect on steel-to-steel parts as well - i.e. on exhaust parts for antiseize purposes.
Its got to be available the same places where you can get the copper paste.
Its not that hard to find around here my place. Here is one example :
http://www.biltema.se article no 36-910 (copperpaste article no 36-1800)
(submitted the swedish version on purpose, seems to be easier to find english translations)
superloopy1 wrote: and also on the wheel bolts? Copper grease doesn't seem to be best as i've read that copper and alu dont mix well. True? Is there an alternative. Just know that it took a fair whack to get the fronts off and i'd rather grease it this time around. ..
You shouldn't use any grease on the wheel bolts.
It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right
Stempy wrote:You shouldn't use any grease on the wheel bolts.
... nothing wrong smearing a little on the threads ...
Until they come undone on their own, it has happened, I know someone it happened to.
Only if they are incorrectly torqued! Grease on bolts will always make them easier to remove so it makes it more critical to torque them to the correct figure of slightly over. A seized wheel bolt on an alloy wheel is the worst thing to remove.
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I always use a torque wrench and no grease and I've never had any trouble undoing the bolts. Some manufacturers specify that grease is not to be used. But each to his own, I didn't want an argument, just trying to offer friendly advice, I shall say no more on the subject.
It infuriates me to be wrong when I know I'm right
I've always used grease on wheel bolts as well - and provided that you correctly torque them I've never heard of anyone having them come undone.
Why should they ? There are a hundred other bolts in a car that are greased that could come undone on their own but don't - what's special about wheel bolts that would make them come undone ?
In fact with the alloys on my Xantia I routinely find that even though the threads are greased the bolts are tighter when I come to remove them a few months later, than what I did them up to...certainly not looser.
Bolts grip on the thread face and a rust free lubricated bolt is gripping over the maximum thread contact area - compare that to a highly rusty corroded bolt where the threads wont be flat and the contact area through rust patches may be a lot less...
Also as long as you use "normal" grease (no moly/graphite/copper type solid additives) the extreme pressure on the thread faces will force the oil film out and allow metal to metal contact - the grease just sits around in the gaps in the thread to prevent corrosion but wont actually prevent the metal to metal grip from occuring.
Regards,
Simon
Simon
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The tapered (or flat on alloys) bolt SEATS are the points not to lube. The threads can not lock the bolt against turning. If the threads were to do so, then you cold not wind in the bolt either.
The real horror is trying to repair a hub with a broken bolt
I've only once tried having a wheel becoming loose fit during drive. But that was caused by sloppy work. I simply forgot to torque the bolts when the car got on its wheels again after a repair job.
AndersDK wrote:
I've only once tried having a wheel becoming loose fit during drive. But that was caused by sloppy work. I simply forgot to torque the bolts when the car got on its wheels again after a repair job.
Been there, got the t-shirt!
I've lost count of the number of times I've forgotten to tighten the wheel nuts once I've dropped the car off the jack!
