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Is Mobil XHP 222 still the grease du jour for general use on bearings (BB, pedals, hubs) on mountain bike and road bike?
I seem to remember that it was very well regarded a while back and seems to be what Hope use in their service videos. It's a lithium-based grease fortified with a sprinkle of delicious molybdenum disulphide.
This stuff: https://lubes.mobil.com/uk-english-lcw/heavydutyoils_products_greases_mobil-grease-xhp-222.aspx
I know MTBRiders sell it in tiny 30ml syringes for six chuffin quid!
But there are folk on eBay selling 390g grease gun tubes of it for a tenner which seems like a slightly better deal! 😆
Still trying to find the source of "lithium grease is bad for seals" but I've read it in many forums which makes me cautious when I see lithium mentioned. Though I'm not sure if there's a difference between lithium based/compound and white lithium grease which is often mentioned.
Anyway... decent tub of marine grease. That's all you need.
Interesting. Never heard the seals issue, but I tend to apply a thin coat of red rubber grease to rubber seals anyway as it seems to prolong the life of them.
Funnily enough, while googling it I found this five year old thread on here with people falling over themselves to get some:
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/mobilgrease-xhp-222-grease-12-posted-for-400g/
Any particular brand of marine grease @deadkenny?
In the past I've used Finish Line Teflon grease (which is okay but never seems to last very long) and good ol' tub of Castrol LM (which is fine but feels a little 'basic' and sticky).
Lithium can degrade some oring type materials. It will not damage your bearing seals.
Hmm, I can buy 12 tubes of that for £60 quid. At a tenner a pop, I could be quids in.
I bought a grease gun tube ff XHP 222 about 6 years ago - and just decant some into a smaller grease gun as and when required.
From memory it's what Hope use in their hubs ... so naturally it's also what I use [where appropiate!]
@tthew yeah the eBay seller I am looking at also sells it in 12 packs for £60 with free delivery, but that is probably several lifetimes supply for most cyclists.
I'm happy to pay a higher unit price for a single tube just to avoid tripping over the rest of them for the next few decades. 🙂
That said, I think the MTBRiders version takes that theory a bit far!
I think you will find it's silkolene rg2 grease that you need for the win! TBf I heard the marine grease suggestion before but again I don't know if a 'good' brand
"It’s a lithium-based grease fortified with a sprinkle of delicious molybdenum disulphide"
I think it's the 'XHP-222 Special' that has the Moly content - I only know as that is what is recommended (not the XHP-222) for the Yeti switch infinity unit.
Oooh good spot @vmgscot, the Mobil website linked to above does indeed say "Mobilgrease XHP 222 Special is an extreme pressure grease fortified with 0.75% molybdenum disulfide"
I hadn't appreciated that "Special" was a different product.
This page has a better summary of the different types in the XHP 220 series:
https://www.mobil.com/en/industrial/Lubricants/Products/Mobilgrease-XHP-222-Special
Any particular brand of marine grease @deadkenny?
Used to use the stuff Santa Cruz shipped in their old big style grease gun, which was Sta-Lube. They stopped doing the big grease gun though and the stuff is mainly just available in US. Out of interest it says aluminium compound, not lithium. Primary use being on the lower link grease ports on a Santa Cruz bike, which has the open inner side Enduro bearings.
Since then though, just whatever I can find cheap or readily available. Currently using this stuff as found it in a local shop...
Carlube Aqua Slip Marine Waterproof Grease ( http://www.carlube.co.uk/?product=aqua-slip-waterproof-grease)
Bit of a weird beige colour of strange texture, but does the job, probably as well as most other marine grease.
Interesting ta @deadkenny.
"Waterproof" is a bit of an odd claim. Isn't any decent grease pretty much waterproof - that's why we need degreasers!
Presumably marine grease is extra waterproof somehow?
I'm into the beige though 😉
Silkolene RG2 +1
Looks like raspberry jam, but it is not so nice on scones.
Waterproof as in doesn't easily wash out I guess. After all, you can easily wreck your bearings by jet washing a bike with water. The better the grease the less likely it will all wash out. Though in my experience it's more about decent outer seals anywhere near bearings and using a lot of grease.
Or does it....?
As I say, it depends on the outer seals, in my opinion. Well sealed components, not just the bearing seals, and it can stand a lot.
More exposed components get cruddy quick and from experience having taken advantage of a jet wash occasionally after a really mucky ride, I've ended up with seized bearings. Usually because water has got in there, I've chucked bike in car and in house and let it dry out and rust.
Worst ones I find are the lower headset bearing as usually the outer seal isn't great (even Hope, though theirs is better), and it's a very exposed area so a lot of crud gets in. Jet wash and the crud is driving in as well I reckon. Though isn't necessarily washing the grease out, but I do use a lot of grease on the outer surfaces so water and crud shouldn't really get further in, but has done.
Yeah I tend to agree kenny, I'm not a fan of jetwashes. Doesn't seem like a sensible thing to spend ages carefully tweaking, greasing and lubing only to blast the whole thing with high pressure water.
Currently using Maxima waterproof grease or Lucas Red n Tacky which is very red and very tacky, both resist wash out pretty well.
Ooh thanks paton. That discussion lead me to Opie Oils who have XHP 222 for £4.99 + delivery 🙂
https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-121248-mobil-mobilgrease-xhp-222-high-performance-grease.aspx
Silkolene RG2 - 3rd user here. With a refillable micro grease gun you pull up a loop to suck up the hole in the plastic plate in the tub.