Would you use WD-40 for cleaning and/or lubricating bike chains? If not, what works?

[Flowrider]

I've read and heard so many conflicting thoughts on WD-40.

Be great to hear what you think?

[Painkiller]

The short answer is no. WD-40 used to be a product, now it is a product line. But the original WD-40 is not a lubricant. They may have a lubricant in their lineup. I have not used any of their products

[enkei]

100% no.

The needs of bicycle chains are quite special. Done properly, immersive waxing is best for most needs, for a range of reasons.

Failing that, a drip wax.

Failing that a different specialized chain lubricant.

Study these results to filter out the vast majority of commercial bike chain lubricants, which are absolute garbage.

Beware the mountain of ill-informed opinion on the subject of chain lubrication. Some of it is completely ignorant. A lot of it is rooted in a bygone era when little if any science was applied to the development of effective chain lubricants. And definitely ignore the clowns on YouTube that tell you how to easily and cheaply wax your chain using a 'special' concoction made of mostly household ingredients.

[Jesper]

I have used WD40 at an industrial level. I am talking about the original product (penetrant) not newer products that may be different. We only used it as a penetrant in preparation for disassembling equipment.

At one time I had received a part for our machinery which required some milling to custom fit it. I took WD40 and sprayed it on the steel to keep it from oxidizing before I brought it to the machine shop. Over a weekend of time with it not exposed directly to any moisture it started to rust. That showed just how poorly it acted as a protectant and lubricant. It is just too thin of a lubricant to use for that purpose.

The best old style method for lubricating a chain (thoroughly cleaned) is paraffin wax immersion as previously stated. Chain must be properly cleaned first or you will still have contaminants that will cause continued wear regardless of wax treatment. Cogs must also be cleaned to prevent immediate contamination to a clean chain.

I been using a wax suspended in synthetic motor or gear oil as a general lubricant for the last 6 yrs or more. I have not noticed any detrimental effects (accelerated wear, excessive grit build-up, etc.). It definitely quiets the drivetrain without using very much per application (about every 2 weeks depending on mileage.

[enkei]

(07-15-2024, 09:57 AM)Jesper Wrote:  At one time I had received a part for our machinery which required some milling to custom fit it. I took WD40 and sprayed it on the steel to keep it from oxidizing before I brought it to the machine shop. Over a weekend of time with it not exposed directly to any moisture it started to rust. That showed just how poorly it acted as a protectant and lubricant. It is just too thin of a lubrica hnt to use for that purpose. h per application (about every 2 weeks depending

Funny you should mention the pathetic protection WD-40 offers. I can't remember if it was someone I knew or I read/heard it somewhere, but a guy had several valuable model airplane engines. He used WD-40 to protect them in storage. They ended up junk.

The only thing WD-40 might be useful for is for penetrating and loosening seized fasteners or similar, and even for that job I've found superior products such as Sea Foam Deep Creep.

[Flowrider]

Thanks heaps for the info!

After reading through these and the excellent link @enkei sent I've gone for Muc Off products to clean, degrease and lubricate.

I ride 90% on dirt in both wet and dry conditions.

Cheers

Have fun on your next ride! 🚵‍♂️💨

[enkei]

Please watch this before you put any Muc Off product on your bike.

[Beth Mason]

No, don't! You're better off going to the local Auto Zone and buying degreaser!
Alcohol is a good cleaner, as well.
WD-40 is way too caustic for cleaning anything on a bike.
(It can be used to loosen too-tight or rusted-in-place bolts, though.)

[Jesper]

(07-15-2024, 03:06 PM)enkei Wrote:  The only thing WD-40 might be useful for is for penetrating and loosening seized fasteners or similar, and even for that job I've found superior products such as Sea Foam Deep Creep.

For industrial purposes my company went with Kroil which worked better than WD40; also PB Blaster. I still do not use them for actual lubrication, but for a penetrant they work quite well.

Since I am not a professional cyclist, nor worried about the "fastest, lowest friction" lubes out there I just do not see the cost effectiveness between these high priced specialty products and a more general (in my case custom developed and low cost) products where given the cost I can afford to just replace my chain with a new one.
To me keeping your drivetrain clean is the most important aspect. If I just cleaned my drivetrain (full chain off and complete cog/pulley cleaning), and the next day I run into conditions that dirty it up again I will clean it again the same way. I have spare chains for different high use bikes that are ready to go so no real loss of time doing my double to triple solvent bath cleaning and suspended wax/oil bath lubrication.
I generally remove and clean the drivetrain about every 200 miles. I just look at what is on my legs and know my drivetrain was exposed to the same contaminants, not including the micro metal particles inherently being shed by your components.

Why are my chains and cogs lasting 5000 miles plus without failure or undue wear.

Note: my "custom" mix essentially occurred by accident while testing a "dry" wax lube. I hated the stuff other than keeping less debris from sticking to my parts, but the driventrain was nearly as noisy as unlubricated one and actually sounded squeaky in some cases. After lettingva bottle sit for over a year the solvent part dried up and I was left with the fine wax precipitant. Mixed with oil, I found a great (thus far) means of using wax while also having the wet lube benfits. I have used the synthetic motor oil over heavier hyboid gear oil because I want the suspended wax to better flow into the workings of the chain. Total cost: about $20; actually lower due to reusability of some products (bottle of dry wax lube about $4, 2 cups of synth. oil $3, 1 gallon petrol bath for chain cleaning $4, 1 quart 90% alcohol $3, 1 quart paraffin [will use for many chains] $5) = about 2 years of lube/cleaning for one chain. Even spending that amount on a yearly basis is no competition compared to the cost "Specialty" stuff. All I can say is "Muc-Off"!

My drivetrains are 30 to 50 years old (newest drivetrain is 25yrs old and original) some still with original cogs and chains. How can that be? Keep your stuff clean!

I am still experimenting using synthetic oil mixed with a very small amount of grease on hub bearings; the jury is still out on that one. I do use 1 to 2 drops of oil in bearing rebuilds with normal grease in order to keep grease from drying out since not all bikes are used regularly.

[Calson]

There are chain lubricants that are formulated not to attract dirt and gum up the chains and not to come off the chain when riding. These provide the simplest solution. No need to remove the chain and little chance of getting hit by the lubricant as you ride.

[rydabent]

(07-14-2024, 03:14 PM)enkei Wrote:  100% no.

The needs of bicycle chains are quite special. Done properly, immersive waxing is best for most needs, for a range of reasons.

Failing that, a drip wax.

Failing that a different specialized chain lubricant.

Study these results to filter out the vast majority of commercial bike chain lubricants, which are absolute garbage.

Beware the mountain of ill-informed opinion on the subject of chain lubrication. Some of it is completely ignorant. A lot of it is rooted in a bygone era when little if any science was applied to the development of effective chain lubricants. And definitely ignore the clowns on YouTube that tell you how to easily and cheaply wax your chain using a 'special' concoction made of mostly household ingredients.

Wax is NOT a lubricant!!!

---

A chain is a form of a machine. It needs a good grade of oil.

[Jesper]

(07-21-2024, 08:06 PM)rydabent Wrote:  

(07-14-2024, 03:14 PM)enkei Wrote:  100% no.

The needs of bicycle chains are quite special. Done properly, immersive waxing is best for most needs, for a range of reasons.

Failing that, a drip wax.

Failing that a different specialized chain lubricant.

Study these results to filter out the vast majority of commercial bike chain lubricants, which are absolute garbage.

Beware the mountain of ill-informed opinion on the subject of chain lubrication. Some of it is completely ignorant. A lot of it is rooted in a bygone era when little if any science was applied to the development of effective chain lubricants. And definitely ignore the clowns on YouTube that tell you how to easily and cheaply wax your chain using a 'special' concoction made of mostly household ingredients.

Wax is NOT a lubricant!!!

---

A chain is a form of a machine. It needs a good grade of oil.

Paraffin wax is a lubricant. It is a petroleum by-product. It just serves a different purpose than "standard" liquid lubricants. I have used it for decades without having any issues (premature chain and/or cog wear) when used properly and regularly. I also use a wax infused synthetic oil lube (wax suspended in the oil); it has worked quite well for many years and provides a quiet drivetrain (used on road and mtb). I do not use a "dry wax" lube (wax suspended in a volatile solvent) which I have found to be inadequate as a lube and noisy. You can still use an oil lube after using a wax immersion treatment.

[Xaun Loc]

(07-15-2024, 09:57 AM)Jesper Wrote:  I have used WD40 at an industrial level. I am taljing about the original product (penetrant) not newer products that may be different. We only used it as a penetrant in preparation for disassembling equipment.

At one time I had received a part for our machinery which required some milling to custom fit it. I took WD40 and sprayed it on the steel to keep it from oxidizing before I brought it to the machine shop. Over a weekend of time with it not exposed directly to any moisture it started to rust. That showed just how poorly it acted as a protectant and lubricant. It is just too thin of a lubricant to use for that purpose.

The original WD-40 was never meant to be either a protectant or lasting lubricant -- it was designed to displace water (it does that quite well) -- it did (and still does) have a good penetrating solvent with a tiny amount of lubricant. The solvent evaporates quickly, leaving a small amount of light lubricant, which also evaporates (taking a little longer). The old WD-40 commercial about using it on anything that "sticks or squeaks" was reasonably accurate, but failed to mention that the product was never meant to leave any lasting coating on the product.

I have occasionally used it as a degreaser when there wasn't a better solvent handy. You can use it on a bike chain to remove the layer of grease/oil/dirt that accumulates when people don't take care of the chain, but then you still need to lubricate the chain with a real lubricant. The one thing WD-40 is good for on a bike chain is if you are trying to rescue a chain that has been allowed to rust. It will penetrate and break through light to moderate rust, before you lubricate the chain -- Yes, I know, the weeping and gnashing of teeth going on over the idea of "rescuing" a rusty chain, but in the real world not everyone takes good care of their bike and not everyone is going to immediately run out to buy a replacement chain (even if one is available where they are). That old bike someone has in the shed or garage is a lot more likely to get fixed if it is at least rideable first.

[Jesper]

Just thought I would mention that there is a bike specific WD40 product out there for chains. I saw a 4oz bottle at $10. I have no personal experience or anecdotal knowledge related to this product. It appears to be a thinner oil than many chain lubes on the market.

[Flowrider]

I've used the WD40 specifically for bikes, though after reading all this excellent feedback, I am a bit cautious now as to how often I'll use it.

It seems it's such an individual choice.

[Nutribun]

If you're referring to the blue/red WD40, I wouldn't advice that one. Probably if you're going to use it as a chain or bearing degreaser (if that is your only choice). There are specific WD40 Bike products that formulated specifically for bikes. That I will agree.

[Jesper]

(07-30-2024, 06:47 PM)Nutribun Wrote:  If you're referring to the blue/red WD40, I wouldn't advice that one. Probably if you're going to use it as a chain or bearing degreaser (if that is your only choice). There are specific WD40 Bike products that formulated specifically for bikes. That I will agree.

I have no idea what colors the package is, only that it specifies chain lubricant. Nor am I recommending something I have not used myself, but for a 4oz bottle at $10 a shot I know I can beat that cost with something I have now used for well over 5 years without having any issues.

[Talha]

While WD-40 is great at getting rid of grime, dirt, and old gunk from your bike chain, and it helps keep moisture away to prevent rust, it's not the best choice for long-lasting lubrication.

Use this https://www.wd40.com/products/wd-40-bike-all-conditions-lube/

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

3-in-1 oils works pretty well for cleaning chains and cassettes.

It contains petrols that get deep in there and free up hidden grime.

Works pretty good as lubricant as well, but the animal portion causes it to solidify and essentially become like a wax (which is ideal), but doesn't quite have all the qualities of a wax.

If you use it on derailleurs and stuff, it won't loosen anything up unless there's enough heat in the atmosphere.

I've currently been using the 3-in-1 oil with Teflon and I think it's great for everything.

[froze]

(07-14-2024, 07:35 AM)Painkiller Wrote:  The short answer is no. WD-40 used to be a product, now it is a product line. But the original WD-40 is not a lubricant. They may have a lubricant in their lineup. I have not used any of their products

WD40 is a lubricant! Howbeit a very poor lubricant.

How do we know that WD40 is a lubricant? By simply reading the ingredients, here is what those ingredients are: 51% Stoddard solvent (i.e., mineral spirits: primarily hexane, somewhat similar to kerosene) · 25% Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant; carbon dioxide is now used instead to reduce WD-40's considerable flammability) · 15+% Mineral oil (light lubricating oil) · 10-% Inert ingredients.