Threadlock stuff

[danfoto]

What is nowadays reckoned to be the best threadlock for semi-permanent uses e.g. brake caliper attachment?

[Jdsk]

Manufacturer's advice:
https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/uk/en/ ... ckers.html

Jonathan

[danfoto]

Cheers for that Jonathan. Looks like Loctitie Blue is still the biz - at least 50 years since I first used the stuff!

[DaveReading]

I've been using this stuff for the last couple of years, seems to work well:

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/triple-q ... -542771361

[Valbrona]

Threadlock is what they put on in the factory for the purpose of ensuring safety. Don't bother with it in real life.

[tim-b]

Don't go OTT with threadlock, blue is meant for 6mm+ fasteners. Smaller and softer fasteners (eg aluminium) can be damaged on removal; read the specs and specifically the breakaway torque

[Airsporter1st]

Threadlock is what they put on in the factory for the purpose of ensuring safety. Don't bother with it in real life.

Are you saying you don’t bother with it, or exhorting others not to? It has its place.

[Lookrider]

Threadlock is numbered as well
The higher the number ...the "stronger" the fastening

[Audax67]

Just don't get caught if you order it on line:



There are some wily devils on Amazon.

[Carlton green]

What is nowadays reckoned to be the best threadlock for semi-permanent uses e.g. brake caliper attachment?

Sorry, I don’t know what’s best and I’m happy with stuff that just works well - best can be an unneeded excess. I’ve a small bottle of Loctite 601 (blue fluid, red bottle, 10ml) that’s given sterling service over many years - could be ten - it’s nearly empty now and I anticipate buying the same again to replace it. [Edit. I’m not making a recommendation on grade and it’s not unknown for, over time, similarly labelled products to be completely different.]

On some stuff you can use nylock nuts instead - a favoured choice - and, of course, spring washers can help to keep stuff in place too … nothing to stop one using a drop of loctite at the same time either, for a belt and braces effect. For me loctite is pretty much an easy, inexpensive, fit and forget product for items that you don’t intend to take apart for a long time, if ever.

I’d echo the comment above about excess torque to break, buy a grade that allows easy disassembly and is (only) intended to stop stuff from vibrating loose.

[rjb]

I never needed threadlock on my caliper brakes. I don't tighten them super tight as I like to be able to turn them a fraction to centre them. I've only used threadlock on spoke nipple's that repeatedly came loose.
Superglue is also useful if you don't have any loctite. I've used it to stop those minute screws in my specs from dropping out.

[danfoto]

Threadlock is what they put on in the factory for the purpose of ensuring safety. Don't bother with it in real life.

So logically safety doesn't come into it in real life?

[531colin]

I'm of an age where the years whip past with alarming frequency........
But when did threadlock become "mainstream" for bicycles?
30 years ago?
It simply wasn't something you used on bicycles for most of my lifetime. I was mucking about with bicycles before secondary school, but i never heard of threadlock until I started taking cylinder heads off. Threadlock started appearing on bicycle bolts a while after that.
I suppose (like Earth in the hitchhikers guide) its "mostly harmless", and I render it useless by greasing the threads anyway...
.....but don't do what one customer did and use Locktite red on your chainring bolts......there isn't much purchase on those slotted back nuts, it took me ages to get that one apart!

[rogerzilla]

Just don't get caught if you order it on line:



There are some wily devils on Amazon.

That knock-off stuff doesn't actually work anyway. Annoyingly, both Amazon (a Chinese tat bazaar these days) and eBay will show it in search listings if you type "Loctite".

[danfoto]

I'm of an age where the years whip past with alarming frequency........ I render it useless by greasing the threads anyway...

And I'm old enough to have finished my apprenticeship as a toolmaker in 1965! But pray tell a youngster - why do you grease the threads?