Hot take: cheap grease vs. bike-specific lube for bottom brackets

I spent last Sunday rebuilding my old mtb's bottom bracket, used the cheap auto grease from the gas station like my buddy swears by, then spent Monday chasing creaks. My other bike with the $12 Park Tool grease has been silent for 6 months. Who else thinks the expensive stuff is a waste, or am I just using the cheap stuff wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_hannah20d ago

Has anyone else noticed the cheap stuff just doesn't hold up long term? I tried that Walmart grease once and my BB sounded like a haunted house within two weeks... swapped to the good stuff and it's been totally silent forever. Tire of fighting with noises over saving ten bucks.

jade22620d ago

Haunted house within two weeks? That's wild. I actually tried the Permatex gray stuff from Autozone once and it made my drivetrain sound like gravel in a blender by day three. Your Walmart grease experience sounds exactly like that but somehow worse. Two weeks is practically record time for that kind of failure. I keep hearing people swear by the cheap stuff but every time I try it I end up regretting it within a month. Your mileage may totally vary but I'd rather spend the extra cash and not have to pull my crank arms off again for another year.