RCRAMER.COMChain Lube
Most of the time I just WD-40 it and call it done. In theory, O-ring chains already have all the lube they'll ever need trapped behind the O-rings. You only need to keep the chain clean to protect the O-rings and to prevent the links from rusting. WD-40, being more of a cleaner than a lubricant, is cheap and does the job. Some people prefer kerosene or any of the hundreds of alternate chemicals / products out there for cleaning their chain but, whatever you use remember that the most important thing for chain longetivity is to keep your chain CLEAN.
Here's a couple clippings about WD-40 and chains:
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Chain Care Motorcyclist Magazine, November 1998 Looking for chain maintenance recommendations for the latest O-ring chains, we went to Tsubaki's John Linden. He confirmed what he'd told us through the years, and thusly, told readers throughout time: Keep high pressure water and compressed air away from the chain. Don't hack on the chain with a wire brush to loosen dirt. The proper method of cleaning is to flood the chain with WD-40 or a similar water-displacement formula. Using a rag to catch the excess, liberally spray the chain down one section at a time. Now rub the dirt off, wipe off the excess lube and repeat this process until the entire chain is sparkling. Simple. What about lubing? Since O-ring chains come impregnated with a lifelong supply of lubricant, Linden suggests using WD-40 again to keep the outside of the chain from corroding. Using the long straw on the spray can, squirt lube on the edges of the chain, not the rollers. Four to six revolutions should do. Be sure to wipe off the excess - from the chain and the rest of the bike. If you feel you must lube your chain, do so with one specifically designed for O-ring chains. |
From the WD-40 Company: Thank you for contacting our company.WD-40 is a multi-purpose light lubricating oil. The WD-40 will definitely displace and remove the water or moisture from the chain. It will also act as a rust preventative on any of the metal surfaces. WD-40 will not "dry out" the rubber o-rings. In our testing, we have found no effects on surfaces of rubber or o-rings. Certain types of rubber may swell under prolonged immersion in WD-40 (this refers to long soaking, and not just a spray). WD-40 is also a cleaner, it will remove grime, dirt, tape, bumper stickers, and oil. It is possible that if there was a special lubricant in the o-rings, the WD-40 could act as a cleaner and remove that oil. The special lubricant would be replaced with WD-40, which is a light lubricating oil. I'm sure there are more superior, heavy duty (and costly) chain lubes on the market. There are a lot of people that recommend using WD-40 on their chains. Perhaps some experimenting with WD-40 as a water remover and rust preventative, followed by a heavier chain lube, would fit your needs. The bottom line is WD-40 will not harm your o-rings, but it could remove a lubricant that was previously applied to the chain. |
However, chains get old and the O-rings will eventually leak and, for racing, you're probably not using an O-ring chain anyway and this means lubing it. Here's some of the products on my shelf:
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Dupont Teflon Chain Lube I haven't tried this product yet but, it has been getting some rave reviews and is relatively cheap so, I'm gonna grab some next time I'm stocking up on chemicals. An 11 oz. can of the stuff retails at around $6.95 and can be found cheaper if you try. |
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Maxima Chain Wax Most waxes aren't so much of a lubricant as good, no-fling protection for a healthy O-ring chain. Although, this one also claims to be a lubricant as well. I've been using it for years and can't complain. |
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PJ1 Blue Label Chain Lube This is the can I reach for when I need to lubricate a chain (old, tired chains that I'm too cheap to replace and non-o-ring chains used for racing). Webbikeworld.com has a short review. |
