Vaseline ok for pedal threads?

[brokenbetty]

I'm just about to replace my pedals. Being a bike maintenance novice I don't have any grease in the house to grease the threads. Will Vaseline do the job?

T'voices on t'Interweb say no but that's usually in the context of using it instead of grease in bearings. This is just to stop the threads seizing - there shouldn't be any movement between the surfaces.

I promise to buy some grease next time I'm at a bike shop.

Liz

 

[alecstilleyedye]

better than nothing imo. try and get some grease (finish line's is excellent) and redo the threads some time soon.

 

[Matthames]

The best grease I find for threads is copaslip, nothing can beat it in my opinion.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

The best grease I find for threads is copaslip, nothing can beat it in my opinion.

+1 to that, but for BrokenBetty's benefit, don't use it on bearings, it acts like grinding paste.

 

[Davidc]

I used to use it years ago for all sorts of jobs which needed grease. It worked OK but the specialised greases now available (try the LBS) are better.

 

[brokenbetty]

Thanks guys - I've vassed them for now but will grease them properly this week.

 

[I am Spartacus]

I have a feeling that vaseline might 'set' over time... don't quote me on that tho'
I would say pop into Godhelpme Halfords and get a small tube of copper grease.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thanks guys - I've vassed them for now but will grease them properly this week.

Really no need. Vaseline works fine, it's pretty much the only thing I've used for the past 30 years and all of my bikes and the families run fine. I tried all kinds of other greases and they offer no advantage that I can see.
I re-assemble all my bikes with Vaseline and use it on all the bearings, wheel, headset, freehub and in the old days bottom brackets etc. No worries, whack it in there and relax.

Useful when touring, one less thing to carry as has multiple uses!

 

[Campfire]

I'm sure I remember being told that Vaseline can encourage moisture or something, so I have never used it, just decent grease. However, I seem to rememeber my Dad using it occasionally.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I'm sure I remember being told that Vaseline can encourage moisture or something, so I have never used it, just decent grease. However, I seem to rememeber my Dad using it occasionally.

No water attraction. Really, it's a perfect bike grease!
From Wiki...

Petroleum jelly is a flammable, semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons, having a melting-point usually ranging from a little below to a few degrees above 167°F (75°C). It is colorless, or of a pale yellow color (when not highly distilled), translucent, and devoid of taste and smell when pure. It does not oxidize on exposure to the air, and is not readily acted on by chemical reagents. It is insoluble in water. It is soluble in chloroform, benzene, carbon disulfide and oil of turpentine.

There is a common misconception (resulting from the similar feel they produce when applied to human skin) that petroleum jelly and glycerol (glycerine) are physically similar. While petroleum jelly is a non-polar hydrocarbon hydrophobic (water-repelling) and insoluble in water, glycerol (not a hydrocarbon but an alcohol) is the opposite: it is so strongly hydrophilic (water-attracting) that by continuous absorption of moisture from the air, it produces the feeling of wetness on the skin, similar to the greasiness produced by petroleum jelly. The feeling is similar, but petroleum jelly repels water, and glycerine attracts it.

 

[Alice Smith]

Grease would be a better option than Vaseline. If you ask me

 

[tyred]

I use Vaseline too and have had no problems.

IMO, it is cheaper than proper bike grease and superior for bicycle applications than the sort of cheap greases available in the motorfactors for car use which dry out and then provide little lubrication. They are designed to grease the kingpins of your Austin Cambridge every 2,000 miles so never get time to dry out when used for their intended purpose.

 

[biggs682]

its better than what a lot of people use it for !

 

[Fab Foodie]

Grease would be a better option than Vaseline. If you ask me

Well if you want to use Grease then do, I won't be upset, but it won't offer any great benifit.

 

[Fab Foodie]

its better than what a lot of people use it for !

Me and Mrs FF use it to improve our sex life, we put it on the bedroom door knob and it stops the kids from busting in ....