WD40 as tire mounting lube

[keelerb]

A good tire lube goes on slippery, to help you mount the tire, but dries tacky, to help the tire not slip on the rim.

Does WD40 meet that description? Not to my knowledge.

Use a dedicated tire lube, please. As others have said, they're not that expensive and a single investment will probably last you a lifetime. Or more. I have a gallon of RuGlide from NAPA that I intend to leave to my kids in my will....

 

[roborider]

Oh by the way it is a great tar remover though.

It is, but it costs about 3x the price of actual tar remover!

 

[akbeemer]

There is a guy who is posting info about his experiment with using only WD 40 to (excuse my rash use of the word) "lube" his chain. Says he has over 30K miles on the chain; he lubes the chain daily. No I can't recall the link. Trust me, I read it on the inter-webby thingy.

 

[keelerb]

I suppose it's either complete BS or a good illustration that newfangled o- or x-ring chains don't actually need additional lubrication, so much as they need to be kept clean and free of corrosion. So a guy who cleans his chain daily with WD40 might just get that kind of mileage, especially on a low-HP bike. I've got nearly 20K on a Ducati with FCRs, high-comp pistons, etc. and the chain shows very little wear - and yes, I'm anal about cleaning and lubing, and no, I don't use WD40 (Chain Wax, please).

 

[stkmkt1]

Wait! I'm supposed to lubricate the tyres when I change them? Just kidding. I would not use WD40 on your tyres. But then again, I know a guy who poured ArmourAll in his soap bucket when he washed his van. Back in the '70's Not sure that was a good idea, but it really did make his van shine. Of course, so did brake fluid on tyres. And we all know that was a bad idea.

 

[kantuckid]

If any of you guys have a can of WD40 around please read it carefully. If you find the word "lubricant, lubricate or lube" anywhere on that can I'd like to hear about it. WD40 is junk. If I see a can of it in a shop my opinion of that shop takes a hit.

Oh by the way it is a great tar remover though.

I use WD-40 in the summer to kill wasps around the shop & farm machinery & sawmill. Kinda messy @ the house though! It kills them dead in their tracks... Another thought-it also will build up on gun parts , fishing reels over time so is a no-no there too

 

[pglaves]

This is killing me. A tire thread and "oil" thread all combined in one. Some folks hate and revile WD40. Some folks love WD40 and praise WD40.

I use it. But for its intended purposes.

 

[pglaves]

If any of you guys have a can of WD40 around please read it carefully. If you find the word "lubricant, lubricate or lube" anywhere on that can I'd like to hear about it. WD40 is junk. If I see a can of it in a shop my opinion of that shop takes a hit.

Oh by the way it is a great tar remover though.

OK: It says"

"LUBRICATES moving parts such as hinges, wheels, rollers, chains, gears";

and, " Protects against rust and corrosion";

and, "Penetrates to free stuck, corroded parts like nuts, bolts, valves and locks";

and, "Displaces Moisture".

 

[pglaves]

There is a guy who is posting info about his experiment with using only WD 40 to (excuse my rash use of the word) "lube" his chain. Says he has over 30K miles on the chain; he lubes the chain daily. No I can't recall the link. Trust me, I read it on the inter-webby thingy.

I use it on my chain all the time. A modern O ring chain is greased and sealed and the grease protects and lubricates the cross pins and rollers internally. Whatever is applied to the exterior of the chain needs to clean it and protect the exterior of the rollers and the sprockets.

I live in the Chihuahuan Desert. Deserts have rocks, cactus, gravel, and sandy soil. Heavy oils and waxes just attract grit, creating an abrasive paste much like valve grinding compound. Whether it is like fine, medium, or course grinding compound depends on the specific grit you found that day.

WD40 works well to keep chain rollers and sprockets clean without attracting grit and making grinding paste.

I was scolded about chain wax by the then lead instructor at AMI, now the national service rep for Ducati who pointed out to me he lived near the beach in Daytona and what a heavier oil or wax would do in that sandy environment.

Folks who ride the Big Bend or Utah have one need. Folks who ride muddy forest trails have a different need. Folks who street ride have various needs depending on where they ride.

You are all, of course free to use whatever you want. But really think about what you are trying to accomplish and make a wise choice.

 

[jforgo]

Well, I wound up buying a gallon of NAPA tire mounting lubricant, product 765-2434. Cost was about 8 bucks, was on the shelf. Poured some in an empty spray bottle, worked like a charm!
Thanks for all the replies!

 

[lmo1131]

I wound up buying a gallon of NAPA tire mounting lubricant, product 765-2434.

Re-bottle into 2oz. units and offer in on the BMWMOA Flea Market.