wd-40 as chain lube
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:09 am
I just spent the better part of the last 8 hours searching online for
anything I could find having to do with cleaning/oiling/lubing O-ring
and X-ring chains.
I read A LOT of stuff. I even got onto WD-40's website for a while.
While reading, I kept finding the same things over and over and over
and over again, like:
1. Guys using sticky name brand spray lubes had gunk collect all over
their chains, bikes, tires, and sometimes clothes.
2. These same guys hated the mess it made putting it on, hated
cleaning the mess up, hated how many steps they went through and how
much time they spent to go through the process of their chain
maintanence.
3. LOTS of guys were using WD-40 only to clean/lube their chains with
no mess, in one step, and they loved it.
4. These same guys were telling countless stories about how "the most
miles they ever got out of a chain" were while they were only using
WD-40. These milage figures were usually in the 15,000-30,000 mile
range. Some of them higher. A lot of the bikes were high horsepower
bikes as well.
I was actually pretty surprised at how the guys using only WD-40
raved about it. I did read a lot of guys saying stuff like, "WD-40
will eat your rings", and "WD-40 is not a good enough lube" and on
and on. But you know what? Not once did I read about a guys chain
having problems that was only treated with WD-40. Not one ring
missing, not one problem with rust, not one story about having to
adjust the chain more often. In fact, they said that they adjusted
them less. I never read a rave review about someone using sticky
stuff, or wax, or any other name brand product. Some guys used gear
oil with good results, but it was still messy. Lots of mechanics
recommended WD-40 to other riders, and some mechanics even mentioned
that the chains that they saw that were the cleanest, least abused
best looking chains on their customers bikes were only treated with
WD-40.
The company's website says that the stuff was created in 1953 when a
small company with 3 employees set out to create a line of rust-
prevention solvants and degreasers for use in the aerospace
industry. It was on the 40th try that they found the Water
Displacement formula and hence the name WD-40. Then they used the
stuff all over the Atlas missle to protect it from rust and
corrosion. Did you know all that? I didn't.
I am one of these guys that has used non O-ring chains on the KLR to
get more HP to the ground, with a lot of extra work. I lubed it with
sticky stuff for a while, then moved on to just gear oil. Then moved
on to a cheap O-ring chain that was better, but not by much at all.
I was still lubing with gear oil. It worked ok, but was still messy
and still collected stuff on the chain. Off road was the worst of
course. Then I went to a really good DID X-ring chain (online I
found a bunch of raves about it too) and am now only using WD-40 on
it to clean it after riding in the dirt, and I will use it to clean
the chain when it needs it. But that is turning out to be not that
often. I said in earlier posts that I am not lubing my chain at all,
except when I cleaned it with the WD-40, but I guess that is not
quite correct. As I read tonight that although WD-40 is considered
to be a "light" lubricant, it is still a lubricant. I read that it's
lubricant will stick well to the chain, and still in fact be there
for some time, even though the chain seems to be "dry". So far, I'm
really liking what I'm experiencing with the stuff.
MrMoose
A8 (Barbie and Ken special)